By PETER HECHT
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The star attraction at the Republican state convention in Sacramento, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, awaited his moment as his loyal assistant stirred the crowd.
Bill Simon, an unsuccessful 2002 California gubernatorial candidate, former federal prosecutor under Giuliani and bedrock social conservative, delivered a spirited intro.
"He comforted us. He inspired us in what was one of the darkest moments in our history," Simon said, extolling Giuliani's leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. "Extraordinary times cry out for extraordinary leadership, and these as such times."
Simon's value to Giuliani goes beyond touting his heroism. Appointed as policy director for Giuliani's presidential bid, he is a crucial player in convincing social conservatives across the nation to embrace a twice-divorced mayor who favors legal abortion, gay rights and gun control.
Simon may have been a lackluster candidate when he failed to dislodge former Gov. Gray Davis, but he has endeared himself to fellow pro-life and traditional values Republicans. And as Giuliani surges in the polls, Simon is a key voice in selling Giuliani's national security credentials while disarming conservative doubts about the former New York mayor.
"It would be fair to say that Bill Simon is using his personal cachet to vouch for Giuliani," said Jon Fleischman, a conservative Republican activist and publisher of the Flash Report political newsletter. "Giuliani is a moderate on social issues, yet Simon has been a champion to conservatives on those same issues.
"When I talk to conservatives supporting Giuliani, many of them say, 'I'm putting my faith on what Bill Simon says.' "
The recent Sacramento convention was an apt illustration of Simon's influence and role. First he told a hotel ballroom crowded with conservative GOP delegates that his former boss was "a fellow Ronald Reagan Republican," who cut taxes, cleaned up New York and put "countless career criminals behind bars."
He then appeared at a Giuliani fundraiser at the Del Paso Country Club and helped arrange a meeting between Giuliani and GOP state officials, answering questions from concerned conservatives before the mayor arrived.
State Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, said Simon assured them Giuliani was a "strict constructionist" in the mold of new Supreme Court appointees, Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.
He said Simon explained that Giuliani opposes partial-birth abortions and tax-funded abortions and _ though Giuliani supports domestic partnerships _ he believes marriage is strictly between man and a woman.
"If he (Simon) is endorsing Giuliani, it makes some members of the conservative wing of the party feel safer," said Gaines, a Giuliani convert. "I did have concerns. But with the explanation of how he (Giuliani) would view Supreme Court appointments, I have a level of comfort."
Simon hosted Giuliani at his home and is a featured speaker at fundraisers and other gatherings. Meanwhile, he pitches Giuliani to the conservative media.
He assured the National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez that Giuliani is "a fiscal conservative" and, "on social issues, he is nowhere near as liberal as the reputation." He told Fox New's John Gibson, "I've known Mayor Giuliani for over 22 years. ... And I think as conservatives come to know him and know his record, they are going to conclude he is pretty conservative."
Simon was a junior prosecutor for Giuliani when he was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, winning national acclaim for going after organized crime figures.
In 2002, Giuliani's star power and appearances for Simon weren't enough to help Simon overcome the unpopular Davis, who was recalled by voters the following year.
Campaign observers criticized Simon as a political neophyte who was too conservative for California voters on abortion, gun control and the environment. But Simon appears to be playing a winning hand in marketing and presenting Giuliani.
(Contact Peter Hecht at phecht(at)sacbee.com.)
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