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Feisty Giuliani Goes On Attack In Florida

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By TRAVIS REED, The Associated Press

Published: January 20, 2008

THE VILLAGES - Girding for battle as the rest of the GOP contenders descended upon Florida, Rudy Giuliani challenged them for the first time by name.

"Do they agree that you should have a national catastrophic fund?" he asked during a Saturday tour of the Everglades. "I support it - I was the first one to support it. Now let's find out where the others - John McCain and Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson - let's see what their position is on this."

For weeks, the former New York mayor has had Florida to himself, having pulled out of early primaries to focus time and cash on its 57 delegates. While others rallied votes in South Carolina, he was at a round-table discussion about Florida's space industry and toured the Everglades.

The strategy, however, has cost Giuliani - in delegate counts and lost news cycles to the men who contended in the six Republican primaries so far. Giuliani finally won his first delegate Saturday, in Nevada, but he is behind long-shot Ron Paul, who picked up four out West.

Stretching to stay relevant, Giuliani went on the attack and called two allies to his side.
Actor Jon Voight and former FBI Director Louis Freeh, Giuliani's homeland security adviser and Delaware campaign chairman, introduced him at a rally in The Villages retirement community.

Both Voight and Giuliani acknowledged he'd have to win Florida to stand a chance.

"I know there is no second place," Voight said. "I know this has to happen, and Florida's got to do it. This is a very important election; it's the most important in my lifetime."

Giuliani has been challenging other candidates to come down. Now they will. Ten days remain before Florida's Jan. 29 primary, the longest gap between votes since the nomination process began.

"We're waiting for you," Giuliani said.

FLORIDA'S PRIMARY

When: Jan. 29

At stake: 57 GOP delegates; 0 Democratic delegates. Because Florida broke party rules by moving up its primary, it has been stripped of half its GOP delegates and all its Democratic ones.

Polls show: Hillary Rodham Clinton with a wide lead over Barack Obama and John Edwards among Democrats; Republicans unsettled, with John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee competitive.

2004: President Bush won the state with 52 percent in the presidential election.

Source: The Associated Press

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