Rudy Giuliani arrived thirty minutes late to his speech today at Old Bedford Town Hall in New Hampshire. He jumped right into his speech and unveiled his new plan for America. “It’s a group of promises that this campaign is going to be about and my administration will be about,” Giuliani said. He calls this group of promises his Twelve Commitments to the American People. Sounds a bit like Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America, but different. “We’re going to lay out a mission of doing what other people say is impossible,” Giuliani said. “Nothing energizes people like doing the impossible.” According to a Giuliani press release the Twelve Commitments, “are based on the principles of giving people more freedom, more power, and more responsibility over their own lives, while protecting our nation, strengthening our economy, and improving the quality of life.” Notably missing from the Twelve Commitments is any mention of the war in Iraq, gun control or gay rights. He explained after his speech why Iraq is missing by saying it is part of the, “terrorist war against us,” which he does address in the first commitment. “We may be successful in Iraq, we may not be, I don’t know the answer to that,” he said. “What we do know for sure is that terrorists are going to be at war with us, a year, a year and a half from now.” Here is Giuliani’s Twelve Commitment to The American People;
The Twelve Commitments:
1. I will keep America on offense in the Terrorists’ War on Us.
2. I will end illegal immigration, secure our borders, and identify every non-citizen in our nation.
3. I will restore fiscal discipline and cut wasteful Washington spending.
4. I will cut taxes and reform the tax code.
5. I will impose accountability on Washington.
6. I will lead America towards energy independence.
7. I will give Americans more control over, and access to, healthcare with affordable and portable free-market solutions.
8. I will increase adoptions, decrease abortions, and protect the quality of life for our children.
9. I will reform the legal system and appoint strict constructionist judges.
10. I will ensure that every community in America is prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
11. I will provide access to a quality education to every child in America by giving real school choice to parents.
12. I will expand America’s involvement in the global economy and strengthen our reputation around the world.
Sounds like a bunch of bold promises with no real plans. He claims that he will expand on each of these through out the summer. “They’re in the concept form,” he said. “We don’t expect people are going to absorb this, they shouldn’t, but we have a long time to talk about it.” He is going to have eight years to talk about it if he doesn’t come up with something better than this vague list. Look out Rudy, the Fred Thompson train is heading your way.
Alan Cosgrove