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Giuliani, Lieberman Slated For Convention

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The Washington Post

Published: August 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - Socially moderate former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph Lieberman will have featured speaking roles at next month's Republican National Convention, party officials announced Wednesday.

Giuliani, who once thought he would be the one accepting the GOP nomination, will deliver the keynote address on Tuesday night of convention week.

The mayor's unorthodox campaign never found favor with the party's faithful, and he ended his presidential bid without winning a single delegate.

He remains a popular figure among Republicans, and is thought to appeal to Democrats and independents.

Giuliani fairly quickly gave antiabortion activists in the party something to grouse about.

Asked in a conference call with reporters whether Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, could choose a running mate who supports abortion rights, Giuliani said yes.

He said he knew McCain's first criterion would be selecting a person "who could immediately be president of the United States." He added: "If that person happens to be, among other things, pro-choice, the party will support that."

McCain, who adamantly opposes abortion rights, declined to discuss the running-mate issue Wednesday with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, who said that "from the conservative perspective, we are literally imploring you to not turn your back on your great pro-life record over decades."

McCain outraged some conservatives last week when he said in an interview that a potential nominee's views on abortion rights may not be enough to cost a spot on the ticket.

Another abortion-rights supporter is Lieberman, an independent senator from Connecticut. Lieberman, who ran with Democrat Al Gore in 2000, supports his former party enough to give it control of the Senate, but is an ardent backer of McCain, a longtime friend and colleague. His address on the opening night of the convention is intended to signal McCain's independence.

"He's known to buck his own party," said a Republican official involved with the planning. "McCain's like that, too, sometimes."

The convention lineup announced Wednesday features a long list of McCain's vanquished primary opponents - including Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee - as well as most of those mentioned as potential vice presidential nominees - such as Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who fits on both lists, is scheduled to speak on Wednesday night.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is scheduled to speak on Thursday.

First lady Laura Bush will speak on Monday, the first night of the convention, before her husband and after Vice President Dick Cheney. McCain's wife, Cindy, is scheduled to address the convention on Wednesday night, the same evening as his running mate.

McCain will deliver his acceptance speech Thursday night after 10 p.m. Eastern time - and after the NFL's opening night game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants, convention planners hope. "Don't mention overtime," one said.

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