Also at The Albany Project
According to an anonymous source who talked to the New York Daily News, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani has decided to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010.
A New York Times story earlier today stated that Giuliani had opted out of running for governor.
Details, below.
Giuliani will reportedly use the Senate seat, if elected, as a springboard to another presidential run in 2012.
A source familiar with Giuliani's thinking said the failed presidential candidate has been telling people he plans to run against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010 to fill out the remaining two years of Hillary Clinton's term.
If elected, the source said, he could use that as a stepping stone to run for President in 2012 - rather than run for re-election to the Senate.
In other words, if elected, he won't do any work as Senator that doesn't involve a TV camera and 9/11.
A Giuliani flack downplayed, but did not deny, the report.
Since this is sort of breaking, I won't catalog Giuliani's many weaknesses.
Nor will I do more than note that Gillibrand has been an excellent Senator and will be a formidable opponent, no matter what the NYC Villagers think.
UPDATE: A Giuliani flack, presumably the same one, has now denied the report (h/t Paleo).
And check out the comments under the DN story, not much love for Rudy 9/11 there. Like this:
New York City firefighters are out to set the record straight on Rudy Giuliani's 9/11 legacy. More accurately, they are campaigning to expose how Giuliani short-changed and endangered the city's 11,000 firefighters over the course of two terms, and then went on to exploit their heroism during and after the 9/11 attacks for his own advantage. Go away Judy Ruliani!