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Rudy Giuliani made Tommy Thompson his national co-chair. He
did the same for Steve Forbes. Hell, Jeb Bush Jr. is the chairman of Florida
Young Professionals for Rudy. But Pat Robertson? He's title-less.
There's no doubt that today's official endorsement from
televangelist Robertson is a major coup for the pro-choice Giuliani. But the
campaign isn't putting Robertson front and center in Giuliani's cabal of endorsers.
Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for Rudy, told me that Robertson doesn't have an
official title and didn't have any plans to give him one. Today, she said, was
just the first step-an opportunity to be in public talking about his support
for Giuliani.
One would assume more steps will follow, but she offered no
specifics. I asked her if Robertson planned to campaign on Rudy's behalf. She
didn't have an answer. I asked her if he could be expected to be a Giuliani
proxy on cable news. Unclear.
That conversation, combined with today's hasty press
conference-where Giuliani and Robertson seemed to have little in common besides
a history of prostate cancer-makes me wonder how much Giuliani wants to
associate with Robertson.
Remember, this is the same Robertson that said the U.S.
should whack
Hugo Chavez, that abortions
caused 9/11, and that in the next
month and a half there will be a "mass killing" in the U.S. Doesn't sound
like somebody a frontrunner wants mouthing off on his behalf.
Tomorrow is the first day in Giuliani's post-Robertson
candidacy. Will we ever hear from Robertson again? Or will Rudy hope that
today's deluge of news coverage is enough to convince the religious right that
he's their guy?
Giuliani flies to Iowa
tomorrow. Robertson won't be joining him.
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From inside the bowels of the National Press Club, Christopher Beam sent this over the wires:
Pat Robertson just announced his endorsement of Rudy Giuliani for president of
the United States. Giuliani, however, seemed to have trouble fully endorsing Pat
Robertson. Here's how he introduced the evangelical leader:
Pat
Robertson is a very well-known leader, a person of well-deserved reputation. He
has run for president of the United States. He understands what America is all
about. And he has articulated the overriding issues of our time.
No
friendship? No admiration? And keep in mind that his "well-deserved reputation" could mean anything …