Giuliani Wants to Remain NYC Mayor

N E W   Y O R K, Sept. 26, 2001 -- 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.

No Democratic candidate won the 40 percent plurality required to avoid a runoff. As a result, Public Advocate Mark Green and Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer will face each other in an Oct. 11 runoff.

Giuliani's strongest supporters and top aides have been pushing him to stay on the job in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Even Giuliani's political rivals have praised his response to the crisis.

At least one ally, however, has advised Giuliani against trying to find a way to stay on the job.

According to sources familiar with both sides of the conversation, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain spoke to Giuliani, a friend, and advised the mayor in a phone call Tuesday that it was a mistake to try to find a way to extend his time in office.

McCain also cautioned Giuliani, amid signs of a rift among the mayor's close advisers, that he should be very careful to "listen to people you trust, not people who have a stake in your decision."

Democratic Opposition

Over the course of last week, aides to Giuliani and Pataki — once bitter political rivals — were working behind the scenes to explore whether the city council or state Legislature would repeal the term limits law. Democrats, who control the state Assembly and City Council, were not interested.

On Friday, Pataki tried to quiet speculation the state would act to let Giuliani stay on, though he hinted voters could write in the mayor's name. A spokesperson later said Pataki wanted the election to proceed without interference.

A Marist Institute for Public Opinion poll found 91 percent of New York City residents think Giuliani is doing an excellent or good job handling the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

But when the same poll asked New York voters whether term limits should be repealed to let Giuliani seek re-election, only 33 percent answered "yes."

Whoever takes office next year faces enormous challenges.

The city could stand to lose billions in lost revenue from the dearth of tourists, industry job cuts and a slowdown in consumer spending.

Hundreds of firefighters and police officers need to be replaced. The city must spend millions and millions of dollars on top of the $1 billion New York Fire Department budget to buy new firetrucks, pay new firefighters, train the others, and treat the injured. The NYPD and several local agencies will likely ask for budget increases. (Crime is down 55 percent since the disasters, which NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik attributes to more people staying inside their homes).

On the backburner, for now, are health and education, two areas upon which Giuliani belatedly focused his attention.

George Stephanopoulos, Mark Halperin, Eileen Murphy, Marc Ambinder and Stephen J. Yesner contributed to this report.