Rudy to hit campaign trail again - for McCain

BY TOM BRUNE | tom.brune@newsday.com

January 31, 2008

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Now that Rudy Giuliani has dropped out of the presidential race, the self-described "professional" campaigner for Republican candidates is set to hit the trail in Los Angeles today for the friend he endorsed here yesterday, Sen. John McCain.

Less than 24 hours after the polls closed in Florida and his unorthodox campaign crashed with a third-place finish, Giuliani flew here to officially announce that his quest for the White House is over and that McCain was his man.

"Today I am officially announcing my withdrawal as a candidate for president of the United States," Giuliani said with McCain at his side at the last GOP debate before Tuesday's mega-primary of 22 states.

"I am very proud to endorse my friend and fellow Republican - a hero - John McCain," he said. McCain returned the favor, calling Giuliani an "American hero" for uniting the country after the 9/11 attacks.

The ceremony lasted just minutes but arose from years of friendship between Giuliani and McCain, who worked together, raised funds for each other and shared mutual admiration.

The two share an affection so deep that each displayed it at different GOP debates by praising the other.

Giuliani told reporters he had not asked for any post in return for the endorsement, and that he was prepared to return to his consulting business and law firm.

"Our campaigns talked back and forth at several times during this up-and-down election," he said, but gave no details. Sources said the final negotiations on the endorsement came Tuesday when Giuliani's longtime aide Tony Carbonetti spoke directly to McCain's camp.

Giuliani made clear his withdrawal is aimed at helping McCain, saying had he stayed in the race through the Feb. 5 primaries he would have taken votes away from McCain because they share the same kind of moderate, national-security voters.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will endorse McCain today, the governor's aides confirmed yesterday. Schwarzenegger had said Jan. 20, "I will not endorse anybody."

Yesterday, Giuliani refrained from attacking Mitt Romney, but no rival riled him as Romney did, with his ads accusing Giuliani of running New York as a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants.

But Giuliani denied his socially moderate views or his personal baggage played a significant role in his loss in Florida or the six states before it. Instead, he blamed his unconventional strategy for taking him out of the national conversation by skipping Iowa and other early primaries.

He injected a reference to his troubled personal life and friends facing legal woes, such as his former police commissioner Bernard Kerik: "I'm going to campaign with John McCain as much as he wants - or not, depending on if I'm in trouble or not at that particular point."