Rudy Giuliani on Anthony Weiner and 2012–He’s Going to ‘Hang Out’ in New Hampshire

Rudy Giuliani had claimed earlier this year that he’d be likelier to run for president in 2012 if Sarah Palin

Rudy Giuliani had claimed earlier this year that he’d be likelier to run for president in 2012 if Sarah Palin did as well. At the Prize4Life Gala last night, though, with Ms. Palin stumping around the American northeast, Mr. Giuliani sounded as though he were hedging his bets. “No–it doesn’t really affect my decision,” he told The Observer. “What will affect it is when the field is more filled out, with Michele Bachmann, [Jon] Huntsman-I’m probably missing some.”

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As for that fire-in-the-belly whose absence has caused many 2012 Republican contenders to drop out, Mr. Giuliani said he’s interested in running–“I’ve always had the desire! Who wouldn’t have the desire!”–and claimed to see his own mayoral governance strategies brought back to life in the policies of Governors like New Jersey’s Chris Christie, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, and Ohio’s John Kasich. Does he consider himself a Tea Partier? “Sure! The lead principle of the Tea Party is frustration with big government,” said the man whose zealous police force famously cleaned up Times Square.

Whether Mr. Giuliani will run for President or not is a guessing game the former mayor clearly enjoys indulging-before introducing former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci at the ALS benefit, Mr. Giuliani told the crowd he planned “to go to New Hampshire–just to hang out.” But he’s already talking tough. On Rep. Anthony Weiner’s purported Twitter hack, leading to the release of intimate photographs on Mr. Weiner’s Twitter, Mr. Giuliani has no sympathy: “I don’t know why you wouldn’t want the FBI to investigate this! If you were a private person, you might say it wasn’t significant. I am a lawyer, I was a prosecutor, and if a client came to me, I’d say ‘call the FBI!’ Who knows how many more times they could hack him-and it’s not just personal information! It could be sensitive information!”

Rudy Giuliani on Anthony Weiner and 2012–He’s Going to ‘Hang Out’ in New Hampshire