Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani stood by his views on military spending and the Iraq War at a speaking event Saturday night in Bender Arena.
At the event, sponsored by the Kennedy Political Union, Giuliani spoke about issues including the U.S.'s response to Islamic extremist terrorism, health care legislation, the stimulus package and the 2010 midterm elections.
He spoke to a packed crowd as a featured event of Parents and Alumni Weekend.
Giuliani was interrupted by three audience members as he answered a question about military spending.
A student had asked Giuliani how the United States could get out of its economic deficit if it continues to spend significant amounts of money on the military.
He said "military spending is never a problem," and that wars often lift countries out of economic depression by putting people to work, such as with World War II.
Jim and Ann Toole, parents of Kerry Toole, a senior in the School of Communication, booed and said, "People died!" in response to Giuliani's answer and walked out of the event.
Jim Toole said the main reason he walked out is because he strongly disagreed with Giuliani's belief that the Iraq War is good for the economy.
"He said nothing about the trickle-down economics that Bush started with his taxes, and he started us on this road to economic disaster," he said.
Giuliani criticized President Barack Obama's handling of recent terrorist activities and attempted terrorist attacks, such as the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Dec. 25, 2009.
Obama should not have continued his vacation for the 11 days immediately following the bombing attempt, he said.
"If I had taken an 11-day vacation right after September 11th, I would have been in big trouble," Giuliani said.
He is also disappointed with Obama's decision to get Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, one of the masterminds of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, tried in a civil court in New York rather than in a military tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Mohammed should not be tried in an American court because he is not an American citizen and he is not entitled to the same fair trial rights as an American citizen, Giuliani said.
He believes the terrorist attacks on 9/11 occurred because of a "history of weakness" from past presidents when dealing with potential domestic threats.
The United States needs to take a more pro-active approach when dealing with terrorists and other aggressors, he said.
"The United States has always worked best on the offensive, not the defensive," he said.
Giuliani is optimistic that Republicans can gain control of the House of the Representatives in the Nov. 2 election. He believes the Republicans will take 50 to 55 seats in Congress, and the Republicans could have a good turnout in the Senate races as well.
In an interview with The Eagle, Giuliani said Obama has alienated many of the young voters and the progressive voters that helped elect him in 2008.
Obama has also not followed up on the promises he made during his campaign, Giuliani said.
"He said he would lead a bi-partisan effort to make change, but now liberals are disappointed that he hasn't delivered on his promises."
Giuliani also reflected on his past as mayor of New York City and his plans for the future.
He is pleased with the progress that his successor, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has made since he took office in 2002.
"Bloomberg has carried on a lot of things I started, and improved on them," he said. "We don't agree on everything, but he has done a good job and has kept the city safe."
Giuliani said he would not rule out running for public office again sometime in the future, but he does know for which office he would run and when he would run for office.
"I don't know what I'll be doing for the next five years," he said. "I just have plans for the next two weeks. We'll see from there."
Staff writer Meg Fowler contributed to this report.
jryan@theeagleonline.com
