Giuliani Sends Mixed Signals About Iowa

Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani speaks in New York, Monday, May 21, 2007. Giuliani was there to receive the endorsement of local New York politicians for his 2008 presidential run. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (Seth Wenig - AP)

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Some Iowa Republicans are questioning whether presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani intends to largely skip the state's leadoff caucuses.

A sluggish start to campaign organizing and indecision about whether to compete in a high-profile straw poll in August has prompted speculation that Giuliani will pay only cursory attention to Iowa and instead focus on other early election states where his high name recognition would pay off.

Giuliani has led in national polls of Republican voters. However, a recent poll by the Des Moines Sunday Register of likely GOP caucus-goers in Iowa gave former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney a strong lead of 30 percent, compared to 18 percent for Arizona Sen. John McCain and 17 percent for Giuliani.

"The best organizations have to be McCain and Romney," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, the state's top Republican elected official. "I don't think Giuliani is very far along on organizing."

His aides insist Giuliani is forming a strong campaign staff in Iowa.

"We are putting in place a full and complete field organization and leadership organization to compete," said Mark Campbell, a Giuliani political adviser.

Republican candidates are likely to spend millions of dollars to deliver backers to Iowa State University for the straw poll event Aug. 11, which features speeches by candidates and offers activists and others a chance to cast a ballot in favor of a presidential hopeful.

In 2000, some candidates who fared poorly in the straw poll dropped out of the race for the nomination, making the event an early primary of sorts. The Iowa Democratic Party doesn't conduct a straw poll.

Giuliani's rivals are already spending time and money on turnout. Romney, for example, has a staffer focused full-time on getting supporters to attend.

"We're committed to playing in the straw poll and we're treating it as an organizational benchmark," said Romney strategist Gentry Collins.

Republican consultant Bob Haus, who isn't working on a campaign, contends that the delayed decision by Giuliani could damage his image.

"The bigger question is, from a man basing his candidacy on decisiveness and leadership, waffling on the straw poll is a real question," Haus said.