Rudy Giuliani: Clinton Should Apologize

Hillary Clinton, who cannot afford to move completely to the center before she locks up her primary bid,left a lengthy track of footprints in the middle of liberal territory as she slammed General David Petraeus during this week's senate hearings. Rudy Giuliani picked up the tracks and is now shining a spotlight on Clinton. This is textbook campaigning by Giuliani, who is running a solid race and doesn't miss many opportunities to contrast himself from his democratic rivals.

Why?

- First, he hits Clinton with an objection to the substance of her position, which can easily be described as opportunistically cynical. She said: "The reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief..." Clinton had ample cover for her statements, with Reid and Pelosi grabbing most of the anti-war attention and a host of other leftists fighting for the spotlight. Her statements were not among the worst on the left of this issue. Giuliani, mindful that the story would be easy to bury, crystalized the Clinton position by labelling it "character assassination."

Now, it could be argued that Clinton wasn't assassinating the General's character, but was questioning his judgment. Giuliani has given the public an alternate interpretation and done so in a concise way. That's good work.

- Next, Giuliani has forced Clinton to reposition herself with the center. If she doesn't, that's a win for him in the general election debates, should he get the Republican nomination. If she does reposition herself as a centrist, then she loses support on the left, which helps Obama.

- Finally, Giuliani made his hit on the last active news cycle, forcing Clinton to wait this out for the weekend. That's smart campaigning, practically - if I can be pardoned for the irony, Clintonesque.

Giuliani continues to impress, with a deft understanding of big-time politics. That will matter in 2008.