by Molly Ivors
So far, the most fun from this presidential season seems to be the spouse game. Whether it's ruminations about the First Laddie, quiet whispers about how Dennis Kucinich landed himself such an improbable babe, or the supposition that Fred Thompson's whole campaign is a vanity project for Bubbles his child bride, the spouses of the candidates are at least as interesting as the candidates themselves.
People love to call out the speck of cold ambition in Hillary Clinton's eye, conveniently avoiding the plank that is Judith Nathan Guiliani. Judi, as she was called in a previous life, is stumping for her fascist fella, combining all the best qualities of Nancy Reagan, Katherine Harris, Dolly Levi, Eva Peron, and Trixie Delight. Because only a girl who contains all those ineffable womanly qualities can possibly talk to other women.
Judith Giuliani, wife of Republican presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, admits freely that she is new to politics, but she seemed to be an old hand as she rallied about 50 members of Women for Rudy at a fundraising reception at the City Club in Washington Friday afternoon.
“I’m new to politics, but I just have to tell you, this group has just so energized me,” she said.
..........“Sometimes the media will say that the Democrats have all the women votes locked up,” Giuliani said. “I don’t think so.”
Giuliani went through the talking points of what the campaign sees as the former mayor’s strongest assets, saying the candidate is “known for action and accomplishments.”
“He can define a problem, and he knows how to solve it,” she said.
She added that the former mayor, whom she has “dubbed the energizer bunny without the rechargeable batteries,” combines “a tough mind with a tender heart.”
Current and former GOP Reps. Mary Bono (Calif.), Candace Miller (Mich.), Nancy Johnson (Conn.), Judy Biggert (Ill.) and Jo Ann Emerson (Mo.) were scheduled to attend but were unable to make it. Former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) introduced Judith Giuliani.
Wow, when Sonny Bono's wingnut widow is one of your "names," and she blows you off.... wow. Just wow.
I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that only fifty people showed up--The City Club website says its rooms hold 130 and 250 each, so that place must have been empty, empty, empty (but the friendly people at The Hill.com assure us that there really are 6000 women in Iowa and New Hampshire, NY, NJ, California and Florida, so never fear!) What if they threw a fundraiser and nobody came? I think they just did.
Judi is rather a centerpiece of Rudi's campaign, whether he's taking her phone calls in front of the NRA (because it gave him the chance to say 9/11, even though on 9/11 and he was married to someone else), or assuring everyone that he's a big romantic teddy bear with a tender heart. You know what? I don't give a shit about his heart. His kids hate him, and they probably know him better than you, oh Livia, queen of the harpies. I care about his attitude toward governing, which frankly scares me shitless. And I'm not the only one. If the Republican front-runner can only gin up a few dozen ladies who lunch on a Friday afternoon, he's in a metric assload of trouble.
Could it be that Sylvia Plath was wrong?
Every woman adores a Fascist,
The boot in the face, the brute
Brute heart of a brute like you.
On the other hand, maybe Judi was just vetting her inevitable replacement, in which case fifty is a perfect sized group!
Also, don't miss res ipsa loquitur's continuing series on Rudy and Judi at Rising Hegemon!
Below: the disappointing end of the Women for Giuliani luncheon.