Please Read!!!!!

[anthony]

Movement Underway To Keep Mayor Giuliani In Office

SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2001

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has been showered with praise for his handling of the World Trade Center disaster. But because of term limits, Giuliani must leave office at the end of the year, and that has some worried about the city's efforts to overcome the devastation.

As NY1 Political Reporter Andrew Kirtzman explains, some people are trying to figure out how to keep him from leaving.

He's a battlefield general, leading his troops. He's a father figure, calming the city's worst fears by saying, "Were going to become a stronger nation as a result of being tested like this."

In the span of a week, Rudy Giuliani, one of the city's most polarizing figures, has been transformed into an almost universally acclaimed leader. The New York Times calls him the "Mayor of the Moment." The Daily News wants the next mayor to keep him on to lead the reconstruction efforts. And a growing number of his fans don't want him to leave at all when his term expires in December.

"I don't think anybody could be better," says retired firefighter John McSweeney. "As a matter of fact, I hear there's a movement to keep him and his commissioners on for another year, which I think would be a good idea."

Queens developer Heskel Elias thinks so too. He's launched a campaign to do just that.

"I'd like to have the state legislature postpone the election for one year and give us a chance to recoup from what's happened," says Elias.

Election law experts say the legislature and the governor actually could postpone the election, or lift the term limits preventing Giuliani from running again. But it's not likely.

Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told NY1 he is against the idea. So are Democratic candidates for mayor Mark Green and Peter Vallone.

All say postponing the election would be a victory for the terrorists. They say the already-delayed September 11 primary should proceed as re-scheduled on September 25.

A spokeswoman for Giuliani declined to comment on the idea. But the fact that it's being discussed at all is a testament to Giuliani's rising popularity. One reason is his icy persona has melted away as he's tried to keep the city together.

In an astonishing moment at St. Patrick's Cathedral Sunday, he healed his most searing wound by hugging the man he's fought on and off since 1994: Governor George Pataki. The two lost friends in the calamity, and have been working side by side ever since.

He's even grown kind to the press corps, which has so irritated him over the years. This was Giuliani in Long Island Sunday after the funeral of Fire Department Chief Pete Ganci: "Thank you very much for the very tasteful and beautiful way in which you've covered this."

The amount of goodwill towards Giuliani is noticeable wherever he goes. When he left for his car for the service Sunday, the crowd of mourners applauded him for the third time.

- Andrew Kirtzman

[bigpoppanils]

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

wouldnt that violate the constitution?

[jeffkaos]

i'D love to keep him... i always felt that way

[wallflour]

He seems to have been doing a great job in leading the city's efforts. I would support him staying in this emergency situation, since I can't imagine someone else taking his kind of role before this whole mess is all done and taken care of.

I also hope that his health condition doesn't get the best of him prematurely.

He hasn't been too kind to the NYC nightlife, but that is not very important right now.

Also, right now is not a good time to be thinking about elections and party politics either. Maybe things will change by November.

On a side note, perhaps unrelated, wasn't Milosevic defeated in elections only a few months after the attacks on Kosovo?

[gothzane]

Thats human nature.

To shine at the worst of moments.

Hes done a good job.

But its not just him.

The people under him and everyone else togeather.

Made everything possible.

Im certain someone else would of also made

every effort to solve these recent issues.

[echostar]

i say we keep him till the crisis is over, because when its over im gonna go back to not liking his moral way of running the city

[synderella420]

I HEARD SOME LADY ON THE TRAIN TALKING ON HOW SHE READ IN THE PAPER, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO KEEP GIULIANI FOR 6 MONTHS. IN MY OPINION GIULIANI DESERVES ANOTHER TERM HE HAS SHOWN THIS CITY GREAT LEADERSHIP AND IS SO COMPASSIONATE. THATS WHAT DREW ME TO LIKE HIM EVEN MORE EVEN THO I THINK HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB CLEANING UP THIS CITY!!!

[Rad_Z]

Yea, Giuliani did a great job overall on running the city and handling problems. I like him cuz he seems down to earth and not afraid to say what he means or feels even in front of the cameras.

He has some issues with the nightlife and clubs but even under dinkins, many clubs got closed down.

BUt he did take on the maffia and got rid of some major players,

overall crime went down in the city ( and i actually felt very safe in the city for the last few years, before these WTC bombings occured). He probably did more but i cant remember them all....

Overall even though im not a republican, i would gladly support the efforts in him staying longer. The Democrats oppose this because to them its all about "politics" (power), money, and who has the high seat.

Rad_