Giuliani Notes: Oakland California Welcomes Rudy

Former New York City mayor and presidential contender Rudy Giuliani kisses a baby while visiting supporters and customers at the Fat Lady Restaurant in Oakland, Calif., Friday, March 23, 2007. Giuliani also gave a brief news conference.

Giuliani woos Oakland GOP in quick visit

Frontrunning 2008 Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani pressed the flesh, took questions and — yes — even kissed a baby at a restaurant here Friday, underscoring how even Democratic strongholds won’t be ignored by the GOP in this primary race.

The former New York City mayor arrived promptly at 3 p.m. at the Fat Lady near Jack London Square, a restaurant and bar popular with downtown business people and attorneys — the sort of fiscally conservative, socially liberal Republicans who make the Bay Area such a happy hunting ground for the pro-choice, pro-gay-rights Giuliani.

“I’ll buy you a beer, Rudy,” a patron called as Giuliani made his way through scores of people who’d packed the small restaurant; at the rear, he ducked into the men’s room to don a red, white and blue tie. “I’m so glad you’re running~,” another patron told him as he emerged.

Outside, Giuliani told reporters the House’s vote Friday to tie almost $100 billion in Iraq war and other spending to a timetable for a 2008 pullout is “a big mistake. … You don’t let your enemies know what you’re going to do.”

On Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace’s recent statement that homosexuality is “immoral,” Giuliani said, “Morality is judged between you and God,” and as a Catholic he hews to Jesus’ wisdom in decreeing, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

On immigration, he said security is key — “We’ve got to know everybody who’s in the United States” — and called for a system in which all immigrants are registered, photographed and issued tamperproof identification.

But, why is Rudy campaigning in Alameda County where only 17 per cent are registered Republicans? The California GOP selection rules that apportion nominating delegates by Congressional District and…….

Rudy is planning ahead to the general election when he hopes to be the first GOP Presidential candidate since 1988 to carry California.

Only about 17 percent of Alameda County’s registered voters are Republicans, and only about 7 percent of Oakland’s. But California’s Republican presidential primary is no longer a statewide winner-take all; instead, the GOP presidential candidate with the most votes in each congressional district will get that district’s delegates.

Hence Giuliani’s interest in pitching woo somewhere like Oakland: In a way, he gets more bang for his buck here. Carrying a majority of the 31,000 Republicans in Democrat Barbara Lee’s 9th Congressional District would win him three delegates, the same as winning some other, more GOP-heavy district.

Hizzoner continues his California campaign swing:

He had a fundraiser Friday night in San Francisco and has fundraisers scheduled for Saturday morning in Monterey, Saturday afternoon in Newport Beach and Sunday near Santa Barbara.

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