Giuliani Defends Gingrich's Mistake
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.
Many polls identify Giuliani as the front-runner in the Republican presidential primary. Gingrich is considered a possible GOP presidential contender, although he has not announced any intention to run.
About a dozen anti-war protesters waved placards near the house where the evening fund-raiser was held. They criticized Giuliani's support of both the war in Iraq, and the expansion of police powers under the USA Patriot Act and other legislation.
"As a presidential candidate and a firm supporter of (President) Bush's policies, we want to let the public know that his views are not those of the majority of Americans," said Lisa Stiller of the Reno Anti-War Coalition.
Giuliani said he respected the opinion of protesters, but disagreed with their views.
"We'll be more at risk to terrorists" if the job isn't finished in Iraq, he said. "We have to have perseverance and we have to stay on the offensive. If we don't, we'll go back to the pre-9-11 days."
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 move is an attempt to keep pace with Nevada Democrats, whose caucus was moved up to Jan. 19, the second in the nation behind Iowa.
"I think it'll make Nevada very relevant" in the presidental selection process, Giuliani said.
At Costco, Giuliani signed autographs and posed for photographs with customers and employees. He also bought the book "Nixon and Mao," several pairs of socks 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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