Mr. Giuliani speaks

Mr. Giuliani speaks:

Giuliani:  I would have thought, in the four or five months following September 11, that a bipartisan foreign policy would have emerged on terrorism, and the bipartisan foreign policy would be, "This is a long, long effort for us. We're going to have to be on offense." It means using the military in a proactive, anticipatory way--responsibly. Not all the time--only when you have to. But when there's a clear threat, it means using the Patriot Act, it means electronic surveillance, interrogation techniques that are legal but aggressive. Democrats want to cut back on all that. I believe that all has to be continued, and that we have to find better ways to do it.

WSJ: It seems the Bush administration wants to cut back on that too?

Giuliani:  Yeah, I don't. I think that Bush should not accept the mindset that he is weak. I think that he should be strong. He should even pretend to be strong if he has to. But the president should never act like he's weak. I hope he doesn't, and I have ultimate faith in George Bush.

And who says the man can’t be diplomatic?

This week’s Opinion Journal Weekend Interview is with Rudy Giuliani. The full transcript of the editorial board’s Monday conversation with him is available here.

Aristotle considered courage first among all virtues. For without courage the others are not possible. When thinking about who should be awarded the office of the President of the United States in 2008, that’s probably a good thing to keep in mind.