Rudy Giuliani scores with fiscal conservatives

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) scored big points with the anti-tax, pro-growth crowd Wednesday by ruling out raising Social Security taxes and calling his earlier support of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation a mistake.

Speaking to the Club for Growth, Giuliani “stunned” Club members and officials during the question-and-answer session when asked if he would, as president, rule out raising taxes to pay for Social Security and instead consider private savings accounts.

“I would rule out a tax increase for that purpose or for any other purpose,” Giuliani said, adding that he would like to see at least a shift towards private accounts.

The former mayor did warn that Republicans have to “be careful” when discussing private accounts because it’s “like putting your chin out for Democrats to give you a sucker punch and go out and scare elderly people.”

As for the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, known as McCain-Feingold, Giuliani was asked by Club president and former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) if the former mayor stood by the supportive comments he has made in the past.
“It’s one of my many occasions where I can point out for you I’m not perfect,” Giuliani joked.

“[McCain-Feingold is] one of those pieces of legislation that turned out not only to be wrong but even worse than people thought.”

A Club spokeswoman, Nachama Soloveichik, said officials were “stunned” to hear the former mayor take such definitive positions on two issues that are of critical importance to the group.

“This was an unequivocal ‘I will not raise Social Security taxes,’ ” Soloveichik said. “And we’ve never heard him say, ‘I made a mistake on McCain-Feingold.’ ”

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) also addressed the crowd, but Soloveichik said his speech was “not half as unqualified as Giuliani’s was.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) was scheduled to address the group late Wednesday afternoon.