California conservative Republican Bill Simon has begun building a network of support in the Golden State for the prospective presidential campaign of his old boss, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Simon, son of the late Secretary of the Treasury William Simon, was Republican nominee for governor of California in 2002. He was a prosecutor working for Giuliani, then U.S. attorney in New York City, in 1986-88.
Simon has been arranging get-acquainted meetings for Giuliani with prominent California conservatives to show them he is not all that liberal and really is a Republican.
KATRINA'S ECHO
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, much criticized for her conduct in confronting Hurricane Katrina, has not decided whether to seek a second term in 2007. Some fellow Democrats are hoping she doesn't.
Blanco barely defeated Republican Rep. Bobby Jindal in 2003 and might be hard-pressed in a rematch. Rep. Charles Melancon would be a stronger candidate against Jindal but, as a personal friend of Blanco, will not oppose her if she runs again.
Melancon's coastal district was hit hard by Katrina, and his performance made him one of the heroes of the disaster in contrast to the governor. Jim Nickel, a former state Democratic chairman, told this column that Melancon is a "conservative Democrat, the kind of Democrat that Louisiana likes to elect. He's pretty much what we're looking for."
To find out more about Robert D. Novak and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2006 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.