An Open Letter to Rudy Giuliani

Mr. Mayor,

Let me begin by saying "thanks." Thank you for your service to our country and to the city of New York.

It almost goes without saying that your leadership and inspiration in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 helped unified our country and solidify our resolve in the face of tragedy.

Thank you, too, for your innovative solutions for the problem of crime in our country. Recently, I visited the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock AR and there saw statistics talking about how much crime fell during the 90s. I believe that much of the credit for that is due to you. I lived in NYC for three years in the 90s, voted for you then, and saw firsthand how the accountability you brought to law enforcement reduced crime in NYC and served as a model for every other US city. What you did made a difference.

You have proven yourself to be a powerful and effective leader in reducing the size of government while simultaneously increasing its effectiveness. You have been a champion of lower taxes. You have been a faithful warrior for homeland security and against terror. For these reasons with enthusiasm I am supporting your bid for the Presidency in 2008.

But, Mr., Mayor, it is no secret that you have a hurdle to get over with so-called cultural or religious conservatives. I do not believe, as some do, that this hurdle is insurmountable. As a Christian, a pastor, and a veteran of the "religious right" (though I consider myself primarily a philosophical and economic conservative), let me offer a humble piece of advice about how to win the support of religious conservatives.

Religious conservatives have learned where the battlefield is for the issues they care about - the courts. Abortion on demand has not been legislated, but imposed by the courts. Gay marriage has not been legislated, but imposed by the courts. Removal of religious items from public forums - school prayer, the Ten Commandments, "under God" in the pledge - has not been legislated, but imposed by the courts.

To win the hearts of religious conservatives, Mr. Mayor, you have got to be the greatest champion in Republican field against activist judges and for a restrained judiciary. President Bush talked often when he campaigned of "strict constructionist," and religious conservatives knew what he meant. If you, Mr. Mayor, likewise insist that the judiciary must be restrained by the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, if you pledge to only appoint judges with such a judicial philosophy, and if you join the opposing activist judges, you can win the support of the religious right. In this, your background as a no-nonsense federal prosecutor can become one of your greatest assets in your campaign for the Presidency.

Mr. Mayor, a campaign that focuses on these key issues - homeland security, small and effective government, fiscal responsibility with tax cuts to spur the economy and limited spending, and a restrained judiciary - is a winning campaign. I am with you, Mr. Mayor, because I believe that you are the best candidate in the field to lead our great nation. Send me a bumper sticker.

With hope,

Robb Ryerse