Giuliani Defends His Conservative Credentials Amid 2012 Buzz

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani remained coy while addressing his 2012 intentions during an appearance at the National Press Club Tuesday, but firmly defended his reputation as a moderate Conservative.

“I may be described as a moderate Republican, but I would just ask people to read the New York Times editorials about me and see how moderate I really was,” Giuliani joked, adding that he showed fiscal restraint during his tenure as mayor and earned the admiration of conservative columnist George Will for his economic, crime and security policies.

Acknowledging the current emphasis the GOP field is placing on social issues, Giuliani added that it would be difficult for him to secure his party’s nod.

“I’m simply not that conservative on social issues,” Giuliani said. “I’m not willing to change just to become President.”

However, the former Mayor noted that he would stand a decent chance to win the general election if nominated.

When asked if he could end up endorsing Texas Governor Rick Perry, who backed Giuliani’s usuccessful bid for the White House in the 2008 campaign, Giuliani praised Perry’s stewardship of his state, but said that he was not yet sure if the Governor was the right candidate.

Giuliani was invited to the Press Club to share his thoughts on the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which occurred in New York while he was in office. Giuliani said that he has put off announcing his 2012 decision until after the date passes.

Romney Previews Jobs Plan

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney penned an op-ed in Tuesday’s edition of USA Today previewing his upcoming proposal to spur job growth and mend the economy.

“I will introduce a plan consisting of 59 specific proposals — including 10 concrete actions I will take on my first day in office — to turn around America’s economy,” Romney said. “Each proposal is rooted in the conservative premise that government itself cannot create jobs. At best, government can provide a framework in which economic growth can occur.”

The former Massachusetts Governor said the plan, which will be formally unveiled during his appearance in Nevada Tuesday, will make the case for a “total overhaul of our overly complex and inefficient system of taxation,” including the elimination of the capital gains tax for middle-income taxpayers and reforming the corporate tax rate.

As cost cutting measures, Romney calls for rolling back government employment, implementing spending caps and passing the balanced budget amendment.

In addition, Romney proposes requiring the costs of new regulations implemented by agencies to be offset by removing regulations elsewhere, bolstering international trade and increasing domestic energy production via nuclear power, oil, gas and coal.

Romney’s plan comes just days before President Obama is scheduled to speak before a joint session of Congress to promote his administration’s strategy to boost unemployment.

The full op-ed can be read here.

WATCH: Michele Bachmann Adresses The American Legion

Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann addresses the American Legion convention in Minnesota.

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Romney Courts Tea Party

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is set to attend a Conservative candidate forum hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint, a rare excursion by the former Massachusetts Governor into Tea Party territory.

Romney initially declined the invitation to the Sept. 5th forum, citing a previously scheduled event in New Hampshire. According to the Washington Post, the Romney campaign’s efforts to rearrange the candidate’s schedule was not an attempt to go toe-to-toe with tea party favorite Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is surging in the polls. 

The forum will also be attended by Perry, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), former Godfathers’ Pizza CEO Herman Cain and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. It will be moderated by DeMint as well as Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa.)

“Having full participation from all declared candidates who qualified for the forum proves once again how critical South Carolina is in choosing the next president,” DeMint said in a statement.

Prior to attending the forum, Romney will attend a Tea Party Express rally in New Hampshire, a state he has invested considerable effort in. The former Governor has thus far received an icy response from those within the tea party. primarily due to the health care reform plan he implemented in Massachusetts.

Republicans Promoting Tax Increase On Middle Class?

Democrats joned together Tuesday to criticize Republican leaders for wanting to end a temporary tax cut for employees that could expire at the end of this year.

The tax break at issue is a 2% drop in the payroll tax paid this year by working Americans. The payroll tax funds Social Security. The reduction in the payroll tax rate from 6.2% to 4.2% was agreed to by congressional leaders and the White House last December as part of a short-term spending package. Employers, who pay a matching 6.2% rate, were left out of the deal.

Ironically, Republicans, who generally oppose any and all tax increases (and who generally consider the ending of a tax cut to be the same as a tax hike), have been warm to letting the cut expire on Janurary 1, 2012.

“We don’t need short-term gestures,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, (R-Tenn.) recently. “We need long-term fundamental changes in our tax structure and our regulatory structure that people who create jobs can rely on.”

In addition to Alexander, House leaders Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Dave Camp (R-Mich.) have signaled opposition to keeping the tax break in place on the grounds that it is depleting Social Security funds. Camp and Hensarling will both serve on the new “super-committee” on deficit reduction that will convene after Labor Day.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney also recently weighed in on the matter, saying that he’d prefer to steer the tax break toward employers.

Though the administration estimates that the tax cut will end up costing the federal government around $120 billion in lost revenue this year, the White House has promoted extending it for another year to help out middle class families and individuals who are struggling financially as the nation’s economy continues to show no real signs of blossoming. Another year of paying the lower rate, Obama said, would mean that “families have an extra $1,000 to spend.”

Today, Democrats around the nation held a series of conference calls to hit the GOP over its stance on letting the cut sunset. New Hampshire state Rep. David Watters (D) called Republicans hypocritical due to their continued support of keeping alive the Bush tax cuts for even the wealthiest taxpayers.

“Many of the same Republicans who fought hammer and tongs to keep the George W. Bush income tax from expiring on schedule are now saying different temporary tax cuts should end as planned,” Watters told reporters. “By their own definition, that amounts to a tax increase on the middle class.”

“If you’re wealthier than 98 percent of the country, fly a corporate jet, represent a special-interest hedge-fund, Republicans will fight tooth and nail to make sure you are exempt from paying your fair share,” he added.

The question now is how GOP presidential candidates will respond to their party’s leaders. The next presidential forum is scheduled to take place in South Carolina on August 25. Candidates will debate again in Tampa on September 12.