Sunday on Meet the Press, Rudy Giuliani packed a mouthful into sixty seconds, saying some nice things about President Obama, telling us that we have to give equal credit to Bush, and teasing the world with the possibility that he's still thinking about running for president:
MAYOR GIULIANI: This was a risky decision to make. The president made it, he made it correctly, including the decision, I think, to dispose of bin Laden's body so that wouldn't become a cause celebre. So I think these men, these firefighters and police officers that he met with, are men who exercise bravery every day in their lives, I think they admire that in the president.
MR. GREGORY: Does it impact at all, Mayor Giuliani, your thinking about running for president next year?
MAYOR GIULIANI: No. Not in the slightest. I separate the two things. This was an American achievement. Two presidents get great credit for it. I also thanked President Bush this week because, no matter what, what about the debate, no matter what you come out on the debate of--about waterboarding, no doubt, all of the work he did and the changes he made in intelligence brought this about. And President Obama's improving that, and his decision-making brought it about. It's a great achievement for both presidents, both political parties, all Americans.
MR. GREGORY: And you're still considering a run for the presidency?
MAYOR GIULIANI: Not, not right this minute, but, yes, I am.
Republicans have focused on waterboarding as the reason President Obama finally got bin Laden, but I think they're missing an opportunity to assign the credit where it really belongs: with the war in Iraq. If it weren't for the war in Iraq, the Bush administration would have been focused on the people who attacked us on 9/11, and they'd have gotten bin Laden long ago. So it's true: Obama does have Bush to thank for getting bin Laden. Just not for the reasons Republicans have been saying.
Still, it's nice to see Giuliani recognizing that President Obama managed the situation well. And just to show how grateful I am for those kind words, I'll wish Rudy good luck with his presidential ambitions. In fact, I hope he wins the GOP nomination. That'd be swell.