(CNN) – One-time Mitt Romney rival Rudy Giuliani endorsed the all-but-certain Republican presidential nominee for president on Monday. And the former New York City mayor downplayed any chance he would be considered a running mate on the GOP ticket.
Giuliani made his endorsement in an appearance on Fox News, saying that Romney's "got the resume and background for the job."
– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
He added that when it comes to the economy and foreign policy, Romney is the right choice come November, over President Barack Obama.
"I think he has an understanding of the economy that's far deeper than the president and far deeper than most people, and I think he has the strength and toughness to handle foreign policy," Giuliani said.
The former mayor and 2008 GOP presidential candidate said he met with Romney last week.
"I had a very good breakfast with him. We had a very long talk," Giuliani said. "Of course we've talked a number of times. This was a really good long talk."
Giuliani and Romney were rivals in the last battle for the GOP presidential nomination, with both candidates losing to Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Earlier this cycle Giuliani said nice things about presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and had some critical comments of Romney. But when it came to the race for the nomination, he said "Mitt has won fair and square."
As for being considered a running mate to the former Massachusetts governor, Giuliani said "I'm not on the list for running mate. I'm sure of that."
But Giuliani then went on to say: "But I would help him in any way that I could, anything I can do."
Last year Giuliani flirted with a second run for the GOP nomination before deciding against making another bid for the White House.
Following the interview, Romney's presidential campaign released a statement.
"I'm very proud to earn the support of such a distinguished leader and public servant to our country," Romney said. "Rudy's successes in turning around New York City are well-known and his name is synonymous with leadership, uniting a city in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history. I look forward to his help in the months ahead as I work to restore America's promise and reverse President Obama's failed policies."
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
This is a big announcement?
Bing
Romney's "got the resume and background for the job."
__________________________________________
This is exactly the point. Obama did not have the qualifications or experience to be President. In the real world, (in the private sector liberals hate) you have the have years of executive experience and a history of success to land a CEO position. For the last 3.5 years we are at a net loss for total job growth under Obama which is the slowest recovery in recorded history
--------
Who said that you need to have executive experience to be President? The last CEO president was BW Bush and we know how that turned out. You also conveniently forgot to mention that the economy is recovering under Obama, and that he has had to do it without the support of Congress, which has done zero for 2 years.
Rudy Giuliani: "Then you look at Mitt, having been governor, moderate governor, and then all of a sudden, six or seven key positions get changed within four months. I think that has the burden of explaining that and he has the burden of creating credibility with that 60%, 70% that he wasn't brought over yet about that. What they want to know is if you become president, Mitt, and things get unpopular, are you going to stick - are you going to stick with a Balanced Budget Amendment? Are you going to stick with cutting these federal programs? Are you going to stick with getting really tough with Iran?"
Coming from the biggest beneficiary of the Clinton boom, that's some endorsement!
@Dave: "Another major endorsement for Romney. Meanwhile, people are more and more concerned about Obama's debt, deficit and unemployment."
Guiliani did a great service to our country after 9/11; other than that, he's a political hack.
President Obama inherited a HUGE economic mess, brought on by the failed policies of GW Bush and Republicans who cling to the belief that trickle-down economics works (WRONG!) and who took us into two unfunded wars (and don't forget, we were told by Cheney that the war in Iraq wouldn't last 6 months and that Iraqi oil would pay for it).
Under President Obama's leadership, we did NOT go into a Great Depression; the economy is slowly turning around; we are out of Iraq; Osama bin Laden is dead; and GM is alive. All in spite of the GOP's unrelenting efforts to thwart the will of the people who elected President Obama and Democratic majorities in the House and Senate in 2008.
Dave, it's a free country; you can cling to your Fox-inspired delusions. But us folks with actual working brains know better – and we will get out and vote for President Obama and Democratic majorities in the House and Senate in 2012.
Obama/Biden 2012
Another "brave" endorsement ...
@Bing: Here are some FACTS about Robmey's "experience":
According to Bill Bain, who started Bain & Company and invited Robmey to head Bain Capital, Robmey initially said no (it was too risky a venture for Robmey).
So Bill Bain told Robmey that if Bain Capital failed, he'd have his old job back, at his old salary, plus any raises he would have gotten. Bain also told Robmey that he'd provide him with a "cover story" so his (Robmey's) reputation wouldn't be damaged by the failure.
In a nutshell, according to Bill Bain himself, Robmey faced "no professional or financial risk" by going to Bain Capital.
And Robmey's "successes"? Breaking up American companies, laying off American workers and outsourcing American jobs.
So much for being some hot-shot business guy.
Obama/Biden 2012
He backs Mitt.t Rudy has always been a trend-setter. I bet this announcement puts Mitt in the GOP lead. And, the DEMS would send money to Mitts campaign fund if he would promise to pick Rudy as is #2. Other than Sarah Palin -who could be better for the DEMS?
Oh boy, Mr. 9-11 is back.
Giuliani has no need to downplay anything. He stopped being relevant in politics ages ago. Except he hasn't caught on yet.
GM could have survived thorugh private investment alone from their truck / SUV line so give me a break with the Obama saving them. We have wasted more money on the solyndra's of the world than we will ever get back in jobs. Now if you are talking about saving all the graft and corruption from the unions your right – Obama needs those thugs to beat down the tea party elderly so that was money well spent in his eyes.
"You also conveniently forgot to mention that the economy is recovering under Obama, and that he has had to do it without the support of Congress, which has done zero for 2 years."
They did not "forget." It is a deliberate, conscious, intentional decision by the MSM that helps them fabricate a false equivalency between the parties/candidates by allowing the GOP/Teatrolls to blabber whatever substanceless, baseless, unsupportable misinformation campaign talking points they can generate without fear of someone stepping in to say "hey, these facts, this evidence and that there historical record proves you're full of crap." That way, they have 2 parties/candidates they can pretend are locked in a heated sports-event-like contest trying to promote positions that are different, but equally legitimate. BOTH have to be perceived as "legitimate" for it to work, so they avoid de-legitimizing batsh-t nonsense like the plague.
Rudy is really lobbying for the Veep spot–why else would his nose be so brown after such a tough campaign against him the last time around. Guiliani, your 15 minutes were up years ago, now go crawl back in your wife's closet and try on her shoes....
Just months after calling former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney the kind of "man who will say anything to become president," former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed Mr. Romney
TGOP..the pert of flipflop...
This is the big announcement? I thought he might be divorcing again and was going to marry John McCains daughter?
No luck? RIGHT, BREAKING NEWS?
Who cares about this chump have to say. All he does is talk about 9/11. Too Bad that Obama was the one that pursed, captured and order Bin Laden dead, not tough b/s talk that the previous digbats of Bush, Cheney and Rummy used to weasle their way into an unjust war in Iraq.
How nice to see the usual suspects jumping on the Mittens train. Where were they two months ago. Oh right, hanging out on the sidelines while Mittens, Grinch, Sanitarium and Ron Paul battled it out for the "presumed* nomination. Soon as we appear to have a clear leader for the GOP nomination, the roaches crawl out to give their approval. Gotta love politics. Everybody wants something...LOL
Rudy is just like Michelle & Sara, don't know when to go away.
"But all those changes in positions give me pause," the ex-mayor said in a February appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation." During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Mr. Giuliani showered former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with praise while casting Mr. Romney as a perennial flip-flopper.
"I've never seen a guy change his positions on so many things, so fast, on a dime, on everything," he said about Mr. Romney. "Pro-choice, pro-life. And pro-choice because somebody, a close friend, died, and he became pro-choice because this woman died of an abortion. Then he figures out there are embryos and he changes."
"Then he was pro-gun control," Mr. Giuliani said. "Fine. Then he becomes a lifetime member of the NRA. Then he was pro cap-and-trade. Now he's against cap-and-trade. He was pro [health insurance] mandate for the whole country, then he becomes anti-mandate and he takes that page out of his book and republishes the book. I could go on and on."
ThinkAgain
@Bing: Here are some FACTS about Robmey's "experience":
____________________________________
Romey made Bain and himself wealthy so I have no idea why he would complain. Its a far cry from Obama experience is mostly speding liberal wealthy peoples money three generations removed from the original earner of that money in the form of Chicago Annenberg Challenge. A great education and thats about it.
New Yorkers celebrated when Gestapo Rudy left town. Just the endorsement Mitt needs right now, let alone the one from Nugent.
“There’s something wrong when you’ve been running as long as Mitt has and you’re at 25%…Seventy-five percent of the other Republicans are telling you something about him,” Giuliani said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe." “I ran against him in ’07, ’08, I have never seen a guy - and I’ve run in a lot of elections, supported a lot of people, opposed them - never seen a guy change his positions on so many things, so fast, on a dime. Everything.”
Nobody cares, actually.
Oh yippy!!! This coming from the man who was on Good Morning America some time ago and flat out lied saying there were no terror attacks under the Bush Administration- you know the drill, Obama can't keep America safe, blah, blah, blah. George Stephenoplis was apparently sleeping because he just let it go unnoticed. Rudy had to walk it back, but it just goes to show you, these folks will say anything in trying to disparage President Obama. They sound like whiny little children. Get a real job!!!
OBAMA/BIDEN/FIRST LADY MICHELLE 2012!!!
yada, yada, i endorse obama biden