September 15, 2007
Posted: 08:51 AM ET
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The official start of the presidential primary season is over three months away, but former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is going after Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton as if she were already her party's nominee. The New York Republican's latest hit on Clinton comes in a Web ad released Friday afternoon, alleging she changed her position on the Iraq war "now that she's running for president." “In 2002, Hillary Clinton voted to authorize military action in Iraq … because she believed it was the right thing to do," the ad states. “But now that she’s running for president, Hillary Clinton has changed her position, even joining with the radical group MoveOn.org in attacking American General Petraeus." Giuliani has been heavily critical this week of MoveOn.org's ad in the New York Times Monday. In the ad, the organization alleged the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, is not telling the truth about conditions in Iraq for political reasons. Giuliani has also condemned Clinton directly for not denouncing the ad, as well as for her comments during Petraeus' testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, when she said his progress report required "a willing suspension of disbelief." "Clinton stood silently by when MoveOn.org ran this venomous ad in the New York Times," the ad states. “The same general she called an expert not long ago. Now she is questioning his honesty.” Responding to the Web ad, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said, "Rudy Giuliani is dropping in the polls and is unable to defend his own support for George Bush's failed war." "Instead of distorting Senator Clinton’s record in the campaign's first attack ad, the Mayor should tell voters why he thinks sticking with the Bush Iraq strategy makes sense. The country wants change and while Hillary Clinton is focused on ending the war, Mayor Giuliani is playing politics," he added.
So why is Giuliani going after Clinton as if it is September 2008? "Giuliani needs to be acceptable to conservatives," CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider says. "What better way to do it than to show he's ready to lead the fight against Hillary Clinton? Among conservative Republicans, 85 percent have a negative opinion of the New York senator." – CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney Filed under: Hillary Clinton Rudy Giuliani
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