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Giuliani feels 'duty' to run for re-election©Los Angeles Times
© St. Petersburg Times, NEW YORK -- After weeks of rumors, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani made it official Thursday: He would like to run for re-election this November if a way can be found to suspend New York's term limits law. The mayor, who has won international praise for his steady leadership in the hours after the World Trade Center attacks, told CBS TV's 60 Minutes II that he wants to remain in office past Jan. 1 -- the day his term is scheduled to end -- because the city's recovery may depend on it. "I am open to the idea of doing it," he told anchor Dan Rather. "We have developed all this expertise and this is the time the city needs it most. I couldn't walk away from (the job) . . . I would feel that I was walking out on my duty and obligation if I did." Earlier, at a news briefing, Giuliani said he was discussing an unspecified "way to unify the city" with New York's three candidates for mayor. He did not provide details, but said, "This city is going to need a lot of help, it's going to need politicians who think outside the box." The mayor's announcements threw New York's mayoral race into turmoil, with three candidates voicing opposition. But many New Yorkers -- including liberal Democrats -- want the Republican mayor to stay on, according to several polls conducted during Tuesday's primary elections. "The man would be re-elected, almost by acclamation, if he appeared on the November ballot," said political consultant Joseph Mercurio. Giuliani's statements confirmed what many political insiders and millions of New Yorkers have been speculating about ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But there is no guarantee that he will find a legal way onto the Nov. 6 general election ballot. Public Advocate Mark Green and Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, the Democrats who will meet in an Oct. 11 mayoral runoff, criticized Giuliani's idea. So did media mogul Michael Bloomberg, the GOP nominee.
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From the Times wire desk Susan Taylor Martin
From the AP |
