ninme

The Telegraph – Rudy Giuliani, US presidency hopeful, in UK

…he received an honorary knighthood and today remains arguably the most popular American politician in this country.

That esteem explains why Mr Giuliani was in London yesterday as part of the run-up to the first two electoral hurdles in the presidential race, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, both due in January. The visit could hardly have been more auspicious. He called on Gordon Brown at Number 10, met his predecessor, Tony Blair, took part in a question-and-answer session with Churchill’s granddaughter, Celia Sandys, and delivered the inaugural Margaret Thatcher Atlantic Bridge lecture in the former prime minister’s presence. The association with Brown, Blair, Churchill and Thatcher will have put paid to the perception of Mr Giuliani as a “small-town” candidate.

In calling yesterday for Nato to be expanded to embrace Japan, Israel and India, the Republican frontrunner hinted that his foreign policy will be innovative in pursuit of three primary goals: defeating terrorism, strengthening the international system of sovereign states and extending the benefits of that system across the globe. Writing in the latest edition of the American magazine Foreign Affairs, he mentioned the special relationship with Britain as part of that agenda. There are many obstacles to clear before the Republican Convention next autumn and the presidential poll two months later. Mr Giuliani may not get that far. But his reception in London will have shortened the odds against him.

Hmmm.

You know, I spent a lot of time bored yesterday. How come I didn’t hear anything about that NATO thing? What I did see was this, which amused me:

The Sun – United States of fashion at No.10

With a picture captioned:

Snap … Rudy Giuliani, Gordon Brown and partners share the same taste

Which reminded me of a tale of one of the first office parties my mother went to when she and dad got married, and there were name tags laid out on a table for everyone to pick up on their way in, which said, for instance, “John Smith” “Spouse”. Apparently there was a small rebellion.