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The Claremont Review of books has a James Q. Wilson Review of The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York, and the Genius of American Life by Fred Siegel.

Modern politics is often about little more than adding another government program—or demonizing opponents in order to attract marginal voters. Yet from time to time a statesman comes to power who breaks the mold and tries to govern against the grain. Ronald Reagan did that in the 1980s for the nation. And Rudy Giuliani did it the 1990s for New York City.

Giuliani, as everyone knows, became wildly popular after he handled his city’s response to the terrorist attacks of September 11. But many people do not know that in his eight years as mayor before 9/11, he rescued New York City from becoming a Third World basket case that would have driven out jobs and the middle class, surviving only on demands for more federal grants. Fred Siegel, a professor of history at Cooper Union, has recovered the full story of Giuliani in New York in his superb new book, The Prince of the City.

Read the review and then read the book.

Republicans should keep in mind that, more than four years after 9/11, Giuliani still commands Americans’ respect and admiration. His worst behavior as mayor leads me to suspect that he is only as domineering and publicity-driven as many of our presidents (good or bad) have been. His best behavior as mayor suggests many of the qualities a good president should have, such as honesty, decency, and a commitment to make government work better and to enable the middle class to live better. As the presidential primaries approach, Republicans concerned with the country’s moral character may want to ask themselves whether, in the present predicament, what the country needs most is a strong executive, unafraid of criticism, to prosecute the war we are in.

Rudy Giuliani is Flap’s choice for President in 2008 and WILL be the next President.

Stay tuned……..

Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani, Giuliani, JamesQWilson, ClaremontReviewofBooks, FredSiegel

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.., jokingly puts on a Princeton Tigers cap during Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito’s confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006.

ASSociated Press: Sen. Biden Suggests Scrapping Hearings

Supreme Court nominees are so mum about the major legal issues at their Senate confirmation hearings that the hearings serve little purpose and should probably be abandoned, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden said Thursday.

“The system’s kind of broken,” said Biden, a member of the Judiciary Committee considering the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito.

“Nominees now, Democrat and Republican nominees, come before the United States Congress and resolve not to let the people know what they think about the important issues,” such as a president’s authority to go to war, said Biden.

As the committee headed into its fourth day of hearings on the Alito nomination, Biden told NBC’s “Today” show that a better solution might be to skip hearings and send nominations straight to the Senate floor for a vote.

“Just go to the Senate floor and debate the nominee’s statements,” the Delaware senator said, “instead of this game.”

Senator Slow Joe is tired of being portrayed as a FOOL.

Bet his polling numbers for the would-be Presidential candidate are NOT favorable.

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Senator Joe Biden Watch: THE WAFFLE

Iraq War Watch: Biden – Supports Phased Withdrawl of Troops

Samuel Alito Watch: Chance of Filibuster

Technorati Tags: JoeBiden, Biden, SamuelAlito, Alito, SupremeCourt

Iranian residents of Berlin demonstrate against Iran’s nuclear policy January 12, 2006. The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany meet on Thursday to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme and EU diplomats said the trio would call for Tehran to be hauled before the U.N. Security Council.

ASSociated Press: Straw: Iran Referral ‘Highly Probable’

The British, French and German foreign ministers meet Thursday to discuss Iran’s resumption of nuclear activities, with the British foreign minister saying a defiant Tehran likely would be referred to the U.N. Security Council.

International impatience with Iran has grown since the country broke U.N. seals on its uranium enrichment plant Tuesday and said it was resuming nuclear research after a two-year freeze.

The decision increased worries in the United States and other Western countries that Iran intends to produce nuclear weapons, while Russia, a longtime Iran ally, indicated it could reverse its opposition to bringing Tehran before the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters before leaving for Berlin it was “highly probable” Iran would be referred to the Security Council.

He said the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty put Iran “under very clear obligations not to do anything which leads to suspicions that they are developing a nuclear weapons capability.”

“I regret to say that in September of last year, because of Iran’s failures, the board of governors of the (International) Atomic Energy Agency declared Iran noncompliant with its obligations,” he added. “Ever since then, we have been trying to bring Iran back into the fold.”

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw speaks to journalists after the weekly cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London January 12, 2006. Straw said on Thursday, he thought Iran would be referred to the U.N. Security Council due to its decision to restart sensitive nuclear work this week.

This matter has been discussed ad nauseum.

Referral should be made IMMEDIATELY to the United Nations Security Council. Iran friends Russia and China WILL be forced to choose between sanctions or allowing the United States and Israel to conduct a military operation.

Iran will NOT be allowed any further development of nuclear weapons capability.

A British official confirmed on Thursday that senior officials from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United States would meet in London early next week to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.

He stressed the private meeting was part of a process of continuing dialogue and no announcements were expected. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with government protocol.

One more meeting…..SIGH……

Iran BROKE the United Nations seals on their nuclear facility – REFER them to the Security Council!

Stay tuned…….

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Iran Nuclear Watch: Britain Calls for United Nations Security Council Action Against Iran

Iran Nuclear Watch: Rafsanjani – Sanctions FUTILE

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Removes United Nations Seals on Nuclear Facilities

Iran Nuclear Watch: Five Permanent Members of the U.N. Security Council Send Messages To Iran To Halt Nuclear Plans

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Ready to Remove UN Seals at Nuclear Sites

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Confirms Resumption of Atomic Fuel Research

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Will Resume Atomic Fuel Research

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Seeking Components to Manufacture Nuclear Bombs and Ballistic Missle Capability

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Resumes Nuclear Fuel Research

Iran Nuclear Watch: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – “Israel Completed Holocaust”

Drudge Report Watch: ‘United States planning a military strike against Iran’

Iran Nuclear Watch: Is Washington Planning a Military Strike?

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Says Still Wants to Enrich Uranium in IRAN

Iran Nuclear Watch: Russians Helping with Missle Threat to Europe

Iran Nuclear Watch: Holocaust Is a “MYTH”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Israel Readies Forces to Strike Nuclear Iran

Technorati Tags: Iran, Russia, Israel, JavadVaeedi, MahmoudAhmadinejad, PeterGoss, Turkey, AliLarijani, GlobalWaronTerror, France, Italy, Austria, ArielSharon, UnitedNations, InternationalAtomicEnergyAgency, CondoleezzaRice, Mohamed ElBaradei, JacquesChirac, MohammadSaidi, JackStraw, AkbarHashemiRafsanjani

Supporters greet Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, right, as he arrives on day three of his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006 in Washington.

AP: Alito Turns Aside Democrats’ Criticism

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito turned aside Democratic attacks on his judicial record and credibility at contentious confirmation hearings Wednesday that left his wife in tears.

If I’m confirmed I’ll be myself,” said Alito, a 15-year veteran of a federal appeals court, named to succeed Justice Sandra Day O’Connor for a swing seat on the high court.

Challenged by Democrats, Alito repeatedly said he had no memory of involvement with the conservative Concerned Alumni of Princeton, though he highlighted his membership in a 1985 job application for the Reagan administration.

He repudiated the opinions expressed in articles in the organization’s magazine. “They’re not my views … I deplore them,” he said of writing that contained material that was racist, sexist and homophobic.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito takes his seat as his son Philip passes behind him during the third day of his Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, January 11, 2006.

The snarky Senate Democrats attempted to paint Judge Alito with the BIGOT BRUSH but ended up looking like FOOLS.

There is NO THERE – THERE with the Concerend Alumni of Princeton.

Judge Alito is NOT a BIGOT but a respected highly qualified jurist.

Michelle Malkin: SHAME, SHAME ON THE DEMS

Yes, the relentless pounding of Judge Alito’s reputation unnerved and upset his wife.

Should they be ashamed?

You betcha – but Senators like Ted Kennedy have NO SHAME – look at his LIFE and the poor girl he left in the water to DIE……what do you expect from him?

Senator Lindsey Graham has it RIGHT but the Democrats are DESPERATE to DEFEAT Alito.

Judge Alito is on an unstoppable train to confirmation.

Nuclear option?

Bring it ON!

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Samuel Alito Watch: 2nd Day of Confirmation Hearings – Is he UNSTOPPABLE?

Samuel Alito Watch: Concerned Alumni of Princeton and Democrat Desperation – Witness PULLED

Samuel Alito Watch: Concerned Alumni of Princeton and Democrat Desperation

Judge Samuel Alito Gains the American Bar Association’s Highest Rating for a Supreme Court Nominee

Technorati Tags: SamuelAlito, SupremeCourt, Alito, TedKennedy

Technorati Tags: DaybyDay, ChrisMuir, Hillary, HillaryClinton, BodyArmor