Former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani shot to the top of the charts soon after he made his presidential intentions known, but now appears to have encountered what the Associated Press called a "rough patch."
In recent weeks, the former New York City mayor has taken heat for his abortion rights stance, links to ex-police commissioner Bernard Kerik who is enmeshed in legal woes, business ties and personal life. After months of significant gains, Giuliani's standing in national popularity polls remains static. And the Republican front-runner came in second in first-quarter fundraising among Republicans.
Among the most interesting yet least-scrutinized bits of info about Giuliani: his law firm's role in representing Citgo Petroleum Corp., which is ultimately controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Washington nemesis. While Giuliani and the law firm say Giuliani does no lobbying for Citgo, he's a name-on-the-door partner of a law firm that does work, including monitoring legislation, for an oil company controlled by an oppressive socialist dictator who views America as an empire to be destroyed.
Some voters might have a problem with that.
Giuliani defends his law firms' acceptance of work from Citgo, saying it helps protect American jobs. He also has been harsh on the Venezuelan government, recently calling them one of America's "enemies."
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