Make My Day

It will be fun to have St. Rudy of 9/11 to kick around again.

Nineteen months after ending his disastrous run for the presidency, Rudolph W. Giuliani is clearing a path for a possible race for governor in 2010, believing public anger at an ineffectual Albany and unease over the economy could create ideal conditions for a Republican to reclaim the governor’s mansion.

Mr. Giuliani has told associates that he will decide on a candidacy within 30 to 60 days, as he weighs whether he can be elected statewide and what impact another campaign would have on his business interests.

He is already laying the groundwork. On Friday he traveled to Long Island to encourage the state Republican Party chairman, Joseph N. Mondello, to step aside, a maneuver that party insiders viewed as the former mayor’s most concrete step yet toward a run.

On Monday, Mr. Mondello announced his resignation, and Mr. Giuliani’s lieutenants were working the phones to drum up support for the replacement they prefer, the Niagara County Republican chairman, Henry F. Wojtaszek, a longtime supporter of Mr. Giuliani’s.

Giuliani revealed himself to not only be a bad candidate, but a national embarrassment, during his Presidential campaign. And the "Sex on the City" revelations, where state law enforcement personnel were walking his mistress' dog, would be sure to pop up again.

David Paterson has basically lost New York State, so the sad part of this is that Giuliani, despite being one of the most loathsome candidates in modern memory, would have a chance to beat the incumbent. But Andrew Cuomo would slay Rudy, and not break a sweat doing it. Hopefully this can get the Democratic leadership to push him into the race.