Rudy's Endorsements

I know Rudy is trying to prove his toughness on immigration, going back on what he said as Mayor of New York City, but two of his endorsements seem like he might be embracing the wrong people.

Remember Pete Wilson, the former Governor of California? Perhaps you remember Proposition 187 - the 1994 ballot initiative that Gov. Wilson favored and would have denied illegal immigrants social services but was overturned in federal court. (Memories of that ballot initiative galvanize California's Latino electorate, by the way.) Last week, Pete Wilson endorsed Rudy Giuliani at a press conference which Giuliani used as an excuse to skip a debate focusing on minority issues.

Does Joey Vento ring a bell? Perhaps his restaurant, Geno's steaks in Philadelphia, PA? Mr. Vento brought national attention to South Street after putting up an "English-only" sign outside of his restaurant. The sign caused quite a deal of controversy, even earning a place in Philadelphia's Mayoral debate yesterday. Joey Vento also endorses Rudy Giuliani - for reasons you can see in the video below:

I might be over-analyzing, but it just seems like Rudy may be taking it too far. Mike Huckabee, deemed the GOP's dark horse by Newt Gingrich and President Clinton, said it best in the debate Giuliani skipped:

"I want to be President of the United States, not just President of the Republican Party...frankly, I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed for our party and I'm embarrassed for those who didn't come, because there's long been a divide in this country and it doesn't get better when we don't show up."

Update: The New Republic weighs in on the Vento endorsement, saying "Giuliani's visit showcased a former mayor willing to pander to the lowest common denominator of immigrant-bashing."

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