Giuliani Wants to Remain NYC Mayor

N E W   Y O R K, Sept. 26 -- Against all odds — a bout of prostate cancer, a nasty public divorce and a term limits law written to force him out of office at the end of the year — New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is exploring ways to stay on the job as his city recovers from deadly terrorist attacks.

At a news conference today, Giuliani remained vague about his plans but said the city needed political leaders who "think outside the box" to recover from the suicide hijacking strikes that destroyed the World Trade Center towers and presumably killed thousands.

"I don't want a job," Giuliani said, "I want an approach."

Sources close to Giuliani said he planned to speak to New York Gov. George Pataki and leaders of the state Legislature in an attempt to get them to extend or change the term limits law that otherwise would force the mayor to leave office on Dec. 31.

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, said the Republican mayor has already called to express a desire that the Assembly "draw an exemption so he could run for a third term." Silver did not support the proposal.

"That's a possibility, we could do that," Giuliani said today. "But I'm much more hopeful we could work out a unified approach."

What that approach would be, he did not say. But Giuliani said he would present each of the three remaining mayoral candidates with a proposal that represents "the best interests of the city."

Sources familiar with the plan say Giuliani wants the candidates to endorse letting him stay on the job for no more than six months after his term is slated to end.

Democrats and Republicans went to the polls on Tuesday to choose their candidates for the general election. Before his news conference, sources close to Giuliani said he was exploring the possibility of running on the Liberal or Conservative party lines.

In Tuesday's primary, media mogul Michael Bloomberg won the Republican endorsement, securing a spot in the Nov. 6 general election against an as-yet unknown Democrat.