Presidential candidate Rudy Guiliani is interviewed by the media outside of Costco in Reno, during a campaign stop suprising locals Saturday, March 10, 2007.

Giuliani in Reno, stops at Costco

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is in Reno today, where he greeted shoppers at Costco off Harvard Way.

He stopped there to buy some supplies before a fundraiser this evening at a private Reno residence.

Guilani talked and greeted people while shopping through the aisles, purchasing socks, power bars, DVDs and a book about Richard Nixon’s relationship with a former Chinese leader.

One of the CDs Guilani bought was “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

At Costco, Giuliani signed autographs and posed for photographs with customers and employees. He also bought the book “Nixon and Mao,” and several movie DVDS, including “My Fair Lady,” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

“I love old movies,” he said. “They have much better prices here than back home.”

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Shoppers were pretty surprised to see him at Costco, taking his picture and getting his autograph.

“It’s pretty exciting to come to Costco,” Debbie Zener said. “Buy groceries. Thank God I had a camera in my purse.”

“Last place I expect to see him,” Josh Aguilar said. “Kinda cool, everybody’s rushing him.”

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But interestingly, using a Newt Gingrich analogy Rudy offered a “MEA CULPA”, admited mistakes and offered an apology of sorts for his family problems.

Giuliani defends Gingrich in Reno

Newt Gingrich’s admission of having an extramarital affair as he pursued President Clinton’s impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky affair has been defended by Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani, speaking to reporters during a campaign stop late Saturday afternoon in Reno, said the episode shows no one is perfect and the former House speaker can improve by learning from it.

“I think the American people realize, and I’m speaking for myself now, we’ve made a lot of mistakes, and hopefully we’ve done some good things in our lives and it’s probably always been that way,” he said.

“The American people have to judge who is the most effective leader. They will not find a perfect person, and that’s probably good because we all have imperfections. Sometimes when you go through things like that in your life, you can become a better person,” he said.

Giuliani, who has been married three times and has chilly relations with his children, visited Reno for a private, $1,000-per-person fund-raiser.

While he called Gingrich “one of the smartest people in American politics,” the former New York City mayor said it was premature to say whether he would consider him as a running mate.

The unofficial BUZZ from New York is that Rudy has always considered Newt as a very well qualified running mate – if only he, like Rudy, could surmount politically embarassing family infidlities.

Will the American people forgive Rudy and Newt?

Probably or either one of them will NOT be elected to another office.

Many people have problems in their family and personal lives. No one is perfect. And isn’t redemption and repentance from sin well established in our Judeo-Christian culture?

You bet…….

The polls in the next few weeks will give us an indication if American voters will accept Rudy’s apology and move on to evaluating the issues of the campaign.

Republican strategists said the fund-raiser at the Reno home of developer and casino owner Roger Norman was expected to net more than $200,000 for Giuliani.

His visit comes three days after Nevada Republicans approved a presidential caucus for next Feb. 7, six weeks earlier than previously scheduled.

The Mayor returns to Washington Monday where he has scheduled an early morning news conference at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel.

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Former New York City Mayor and Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani waves as he stands next to Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, between innings during a spring training basetball game between the Angels and the San Diego Padres in Tempe, Ariz., Friday, March 9, 2007.

Fundraising, stumping and some fun in the Valley of the Sun.

This morning the Mayor is in Reno, Nevada for more stumping and an afternoon fundraising event.

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