Giuliani star power pulls in crowd, cash at GOP affair
The former New York mayor, famed for his post-9/11 leadership, draws a friendly mob - and GOP donations - at a luncheon.
By MARCUS FRANKLIN
Published June 26, 2003
ORLANDO - It was a welcome any pop star would have loved.
The moment the throngs in the Rosen Centre Hotel saw Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor was swamped by requests for pictures, autographs, handshakes and chit-chat.
But Giuliani, 59, handled the masses like the seasoned celebrity he has become. He pumped hands, scribbled his name on paper, and posed for photos. Giuliani, after all, has grown accustomed to such attention, having gained the admiration of many in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
His blue-chip stock among so many Americans is perhaps largely the reason the Florida Republican Party invited him to speak, along with Gov. Jeb Bush, at its annual Statesman's Luncheon.
About 500 people paid $500 and $1,000 a ticket (or $15,000 for a preferred table) to attend the luncheon. Giuliani helped the party raise more than $1-million for a campaign war chest to help elect a Republican to the U.S. Senate and keep President Bush in the White House for a second term.
Before the Sept. 11 attacks, some accused Giuliani, a prosecutor-turned-mayor, of creating an atmosphere in New York for police to use excessive force and abuse to reduce crime. But Giuliani's popularity soared after the attacks, putting him on the path to becoming a national darling for the GOP.
Wednesday's fundraiser came as President Bush prepared for fundraising visits to Tampa and Miami on Monday. Florida is home to the intense vote counting dispute that decided the 2000 presidential election as well as to one of the president's biggest fundraisers, his brother, Gov. Bush.
The fundraiser's host committee featured many of Florida's biggest business interests and GOP fundraisers, including executives or lobbyists from CSX, U.S. Sugar, the St. Joe Co., TECO Energy, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, A. Duda & Sons and Outback Steakhouse.
President Bush's 2004 re-election bid came up numerous times during the nearly two-hour luncheon. Nearly every speaker, from state party chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan to Tampa developer Al Austin, put in a plug for Bush.
Austin, the state Republican Party's finance chairman, said stronger Republican grass roots support in Florida for the 2004 presidential election would ensure that "during the next election we won't have to wait five weeks to find out the president won; hopefully, we'll know five minutes after the polls close."
Bush and Giuliani touted the Republican Party as diverse and inclusive, though Wednesday's audience was nearly all white.
The crowd sipped iced tea and ate beef filet and chicken breast. Then Bush, who in his speech pledged to work on his brother's re-election campaign and urged continued support for his education reforms, introduced Giuliani.
After lauding the state for leading the rest of the country "on education reforms, on tax reforms and in creating accountability in state government," Giuliani ended his 20-minute speech on President Bush's re-election campaign.
"If we have to thank you for education reform, tax reform, and hopefully medical malpractice reform, the thing we mostly have to thank the people of Florida for is our president," said Giuliani, who often elicited laughter from the audience. "And we're going to count on you again. Next time in Florida it ain't going to be close, right?"
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
