Contributed by Jonathan Darman and Arian Campo-Flores
When
Judi Giuliani referred to her "big testosterone-factor husband" in the
pages of Harper's Bazaar in February, her remarks were widely ridiculed
and seen as evidence that the former New York mayor's new wife might
not be quite ready for prime time. But after Louisiana Sen. David
Vitter, Giuliani's top Southern conservative ally, admitted he'd
solicited prostitutes from the famed "D.C. Madam," Judi's description
seems remarkably apt. The testosterone factor may be at play, but not
in quite the way his wife intended--and it could wind up as one of the
biggest impediments to Giuliani's winning the GOP nomination for the
White House.
The Vitter revelation is, after all, just the latest
scandal to touch the periphery of the Giuliani operation. Last month,
his South Carolina campaign chairman was forced to step down after he
was indicted on federal cocaine charges (the chairman pleaded not
guilty). Meanwhile, Giuliani's 9/11 hero image has been tarnished by
corruption charges against Bernard Kerik, Giuliani's police
commissioner on 9/11 (Kerik pleaded guilty to two state corruption
charges for improperly accepting renovations to his apartment from a
contractor doing business with the city). A Giuliani aide, who would
only discuss sensitive issues on the condition of anonymity, said the
spree of scandals was nothing more than "a string of bad luck."
Giuliani
continues to poll well, and his fund-raising numbers have been solid.
He also surely benefits from the ongoing implosion of Sen. John
McCain's campaign. But the run of unhelpful headlines hit Giuliani
where he is arguably weakest politically: personal morality. The
thrice-married Giuliani has long known that his toughest challenge in
the Republican primaries will be proving to the party's conservative
Christian base that he represents their values. It's not a slam-dunk
case. His less-than-hard-line stance on social issues have cost him
support on the right. His decision to announce he was leaving his
second wife at a press conference--and his decision to dress in drag
for the city's press corps during his time as mayor--haven't helped
matters much. And who thought it would be a good idea to announce he
was reading "The Female Fan Guide to Motorsports" during his first trip
to a NASCAR event? While nobody thinks Giuliani is responsible for
Vitter's behavior, stories about drugs and prostitution problems in his
organization's ranks only hurt his cause--especially down South, where
he faces a new threat from homegrown conservative Fred Thompson.
Giuliani is no doubt hoping Southern primary voters know how to tell
the difference between a gentleman and the company he keeps.
