Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate, talked Tea Party, taxes and the best (and worst) day of his life in a lively interview with CNN's Piers Morgan that airs at 9 ET Monday night.
Overall, the Tea Party is a "good" movement, Giuliani said, but it has also attracted "a couple of people that are a little crazy ... "
When he first launched his bid for the White House several years ago, he recalled that "there was a big anti-war movement in this country against the Iraq War, people hanging President Bush in effigy, people saying President Bush should be killed."
"Well, those people weren't the core of that movement," he said.
"The core of that movement legitimately opposed the war in Iraq. I didn't agree with them, but they had every right to do it. They were very emotional. They're very angry. But they were respectable people who opposed it, with some extremists who made them look bad. The Tea Party, the same thing - respectable people. They have a legitimate political point. A couple of people that are a little crazy who take it to an extreme."
Will the Tea Party help or hurt the GOP's odds of taking the White House in 2012?
" ... If they keep us on a strict focus on economic issues, they'll help us a lot. If they take us off on other issues, then you just - you just don't know, they could hurt us," Giuliani said.
Morgan also asked if the ex-mayor would raise taxes if he were president. Giuliani said he would not. He answered that he would rather cut expenses, and he compared what he did in his time as mayor to what he would do in the Oval Office.
"When I became mayor of New York City, I had a $2.4 billion deficit and everybody wanted me to raise taxes. I said if I raise taxes, I'll drive people out of New York City and then I'll be raising taxes again. So what I did was I cut expenses by 15 percent. I cut everything but the police department, because I had too much crime. I cut schools. It was very unpopular. I mean, I cut every single thing - things that I thought were good and things that I thought were bad." He said federal spending must be cut "to the level of realistic federal revenues."
Morgan asked Giuliani to describe his best day.
Giuliani talked about September 11, 2001.
"I don't think I ever saw more heroism, more, just, tremendous outpouring of love, people to people," he said. "And when I say 'day,' I mean period of time. You know, you showed a picture of Hillary Clinton and me there. You know, people couldn't imagine. I imagine that Hillary Clinton - and particularly at that point - and me could work together," he said. "And we worked together very, very, very closely."
For a moment in time, Giuliani said, "there were no Republicans, no Democrats, just - just trying to help people. ... In a way, it was the worst and the best - and the best day, largely because of the way the people - the people reacted."
In a lighter moment after the interview with Morgan, the New Yorker predicted how the Yankees will do in 2011.
Some video highlights from the interview:
Giuliani doubts Palin could beat Obama
Giuliani impersonates Marlon Brando
Watch Piers Morgan Live weeknights 9 p.m. ET. For the latest from Piers Morgan click here.
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BACHMANN , BRIESKE
in 2012
Morgan's show is off to a great start: the vile Howard Stern and that crackpot Rudy Giuliani too. Who's next, Piers, maybe Paris Hilton or Kathy Griffin or even (god forbid) Sandra Bernhard? Sock it to us, Piers! Sorry to say, we won't be watching.
of course there are some crazy tea partiers, there are some crazies in every political party. you make it sound like this is a revelation. that is why we are to sift what we listen to and not just take it for truth. if you don't think and just hear what you want then of course you will be conned. look at the white house and you will see the truth of that.
Giuliani's only claim to fame: Osama bin-ladin's garbageman! All prince Rudy did was shoot Bldg7 and oversee the overall coverup- cleanup.
Rudi, don't bother – no need for you to run. Can't live in grays. There IS absolute truth...and there are ethics and morality. The Tea Party knows.
@Everybody. Don't pay any attention to the creep above. He's just a lonely old man craving attention and his abusiveness is his way of getting it. Please try not to respond to any of his obscene comments on this page!
Very good advice Markey,I think I'll take it. Trying to reason with a creep like Brieske is like going up against a Sherman tank with a slingshot!!! You just can't win and CNN won't do it's job to stop his obscene blogs anyway. This creep(Brieske) is completely devoid of any sense of decency!!!
What you people fail mention is what I wrote is the truth. Now my writing of what i would to do them if it were legal is my opinion. The idiotic actions judges and legislators take cause the deaths and suffering of thousands and thousands of people. God will send them to Hell.
I should know, He had me picking up cigarette butts all over town for two days because I smoked. Even though I didn't throw cigarette butts on the ground. I put them out and then into my pocket. He said, it didn't matter. I shouldn't have had a cigarette in my hand to begin with. My feet got big blisters.
My point is... once God establishes who he is and that he has chosen you, he must still judge you because you are speaking with each other. We laughed during this time, he is very very funny. I argued alot too. He thinks he is right about everything and sure it's his planet and everything but I don't like things being just laid upon out of the blue. It's a very long (the last stage took several years) complex brillantly God created story involving famous people, the highest political people, the wealthiest people on both sides, CEOs, Oil people, a Jewish organization etc etc etc. Someday you will know the whole story.
Meanwhile I will write what I please if it falls within the confines of free speech. Which it does. Oh and RUFFNUTT that was very funny. Thanks for the laugh.
jim
Correction. Should read: Now my writing of what I would do to them if it were legal is my opinion.
jim
Let me make it clear that I was talking about Jim Brieske and nobody else. They moved my post so don't get confused.
I know the truth hurts you. I feel you and I give you my sincere love. You are just a child and BLIND. You do not understand and SEE !!
You Americans are afraid of your own people who has 250 millions guns in their hands. It is normal that you are afraid of other nations and that you just want to ATTACK like a mad DOG !! You need a leader who has a Gandhi mind and not like RED NICK , BUSH or LADY Sarah criminal moron Pallins. Get a life man and be a normal human being. If you need my love to be a better human being on Earth. Here it is : L O V E
Thank you for your sincere love. Everybody knows who is talking truthfully / logically / brilliantly.
People who have a mind like Gandhi and not like BUSH / SARAH PALLINS / or this idiot who was interviewed.
Wake up man. Be a normal human being. You need love. Here it is : L O V E
Well said,UFO2012. Thank you.