Rudy Giuliani: How Pennsylvania Goes, So Goes the Nation

In a sign of the importance the Lehigh Valley plays to Republicans in this year's Presidential contest, an energetic Rudy Giuliani dropped in on campaign volunteers and a raucous crowd of several hundred Dent and McCain supporters late Friday afternoon. He first encouraged volunteers working a phone bank buried inside the Westgate Mall, and then stepped outside to greet his fans. After a brief speech, he hurled himself into them, signing autographs and shaking hands.

From there, he even met the press (and one blogger).

"Sarah Palin scored a big victory last night," he boasted, portraying McCain and Palin as reformers who try to straighten problems out. "I'm also here for Charlie Dent. He's one of the most effective members of Congress. Sometimes, when he's your Congressman, you don't realize how important and effective he is. He's one of the hardest working people in Congress. He's done a very good job for this District. He had to cast a very tough vote over the past couple of days. I think he came through for us."

Giuliani predicts that if John McCain wins in Pennsylvania, "he'll be the next president of the United States. . . . If you can swing this state, you get the necessary electoral votes to win." He explained that swinging Pennsylvania would mean that some other close states, like Ohio, are swinging as well.

"I think we all realize this is a battleground state."

Giuliani called Obama one of the least qualified persons to run for president in the last hundred years. "He's never run a city, never run a state, never run a business, never run a military unit."

"At a time like this, you've got to with someone who's been tested by crisis, and John McCain has been tester by crisis over and over again."

"We also need someone who can work in a bi-partisan way. John McCain, probably more than any other senator, has worked more with the other party. In fact, he's worked so often with Democrats that he sometimes gets criticized. John is known for that. We need someone who can work on both sides of the aisle and bring us together."

"Barack Obama, you have to respect him for his beliefs, but he has been a very partisan Democrat."

Given an opportunity to ask a question myself, I did.

"You're known as America's mayor who cleaned the thugs out of New York City. But they all came to Allentown. How are we going to get rid of them?"

Laughing, he told me he'd give me some recommendations, and whispered "passenger rail" in my ear.

In a news release, the Bennett camp belittles America's Mayor. “It’s pretty telling that the biggest draw that Dent could get is a former Republican candidate that couldn’t even win one primary in all 50 states. The Lehigh Valley voters want more than just ‘a noun, a verb, and 9-11.’”

Oh yeah, it also repeats Michael Moore's claim that Giuliani's law firm is trying to cash in on our Wall Street meltdown.