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Giuliani Would Be Best President

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By ROBERT J. NATTER

Published: January 27, 2008

As the former commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, I have devoted my professional and personal life to the defense of our nation. From that perspective, I know the next president must be someone who can fulfill the role of commander-in-chief from the first day in office. That person is Rudy Giuliani.

Three unique qualities plainly set Giuliani apart: his executive experience, his proven record of leadership, and his understanding of where we need to go as a nation.

With many senators competing for the nation's highest office, it's easy to overlook the simple but crucial fact that the president of the United States is the nation's chief executive.

Being mayor of New York City might well be the second-most demanding executive position in the country. Rudy Giuliani took office with a mandate to clean up the city, and that's exactly what he did. His real-world experience in running a very complex city has prepared him better than any other candidate for the extraordinary responsibilities of commander-in-chief.

He has dealt extensively with the U.N., and he understands the necessity of reaching out to our allies and friends, strengthening partnerships, and developing new relationships. Yet, he also knows America is a sovereign nation, not subject to "global" rule.

He understands that if we sit back and wait for the terrorists, we won't have to wait for long. This was plainly demonstrated by the attack on one of my Atlantic Fleet ships -the USS Cole - the Pentagon and the World Trade Center (twice).

He understands that threats beyond Iraq and Afghanistan - in the Middle East, in the Pacific Rim, from a resurgent Russian military - mandate that America be prepared.

He understands the danger of concentrating the Atlantic Fleet in a single location, and has advocated safely home-porting our nation's newest aircraft carrier (the new U.S.S. George H.W. Bush), in Mayport, Fla.

From day one, he supported the successful surge in Iraq. Meanwhile, he understands that while promoting democracy is "the right long-term goal of U.S. policy," it "cannot be achieved rapidly or sustained unless it is built on sound legal, institutional, and cultural foundations."

The best preparation for executive responsibility is prior executive responsibility, and the best predictor of exemplary leadership is prior exemplary leadership. The best person to serve as our next commander-in-chief is Rudy Giuliani.

Admiral Robert J. Natter, who is involved with Rudy Giuliani's campaign, retired in December 2003 from the U. S. Navy after serving as the Commander in Chief of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet and as the first Commander of U. S. Fleet Forces Command, overseeing

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