Giuliani Touts
Mayoral Record in First TV Ad

Rudy Giuliani's image as an in-charge New York mayor during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has framed much of his presidential campaign. In his first television ad of the contest, Giuliani shines the spotlight on his leadership before the 9/11 hijackers struck.

The 60-second ad will air in New Hampshire, a state the Republican front-runner in national polls is increasingly focused on as he looks for an early voting state win.

In the ad, Giuliani promotes his accomplishments as mayor, taking credit for stabilizing a financially strapped, dangerous city, and arguing, in essence, that his record on fiscal and security issues outweighs whatever flaws the conservative voters who make up the core of the GOP may perceive.

''I've been tested in a way in which the American people can look to me. They're not going to find perfection, but they're going to find somebody who has dealt with crisis almost on a regular basis and has had results. And in many cases exceptional results. Results people thought weren't possible,'' Giuliani says, speaking directly to voters.

Until now, Giuliani has shunned the broad-reach costly television ads typical of a leading candidate.

Instead of TV, Giuliani has chosen the quieter, relatively cheaper avenues of direct mail and radio ads to target voters in New Hampshire and elsewhere. Aides were in no hurry to run costly television ads for two reasons: He became a national figure following the 2001 terrorist attacks, leaving many people with a positive image of him and a sense that they know him. He also must preserve his bank account to be able to compete against ultra-wealthy rival Mitt Romney.

The ad, called ''Tested,'' also comes as Giuliani's mayoral leadership has come under criticism from rivals, especially Romney, who has faulted Giuliani's immigration policies while mayor. The former Massachusetts governor has also sparred with Giuliani over who exercised the best fiscal policies.

The ''Tested'' ad is scheduled to air November 15-20 on stations in Manchester, N.H., and Boston at a cost of more than $300,000, according to TV advertising data from another presidential campaign.

Romney, lesser known nationally, has been on the air since the beginning of the year, particularly in Iowa, the state that holds the first presidential caucuses. Other Republican contenders, such as John McCain, Fred Thompson, and Ron Paul, have also filled the air waves in early contest states with ads.

But Giuliani's campaign senses opportunity in New Hampshire, and has recently stepped up activity in the state. His poll numbers are fragile here, and the hope is that TV ads will strengthen them.

The ad's message is ideal for New Hampshire, where tax and spending issues as well as national security outweigh social issues like abortion and gay rights in the minds of GOP primary voters.

''They used to call it unmanageable, ungovernable,'' Giuliani says, calling New York ''a city that was in very, very difficult condition when I became the mayor.''

As he speaks, images of police handling a crime suspect, of tenements, and of X-rated shops appear on the screen. The images then change to upbeat, sunny shots of joggers and couples and families moving into their city homes.

''By the time I left office, New York City was being proclaimed as the best example of conservative government in the country,'' he said.

Giuliani was mayor during a steep decline in crime, a decline that began three years before Giuliani took office. According to FBI statistics, crime decreased by 60% between 1993, the year before he became mayor, and 2002, when he left. Crime was also declining nationwide, but not quite as dramatically, decreasing by 24% during the same period. (Jim Kuhnhenn, AP)