Jan 12, 2008 7:00 pm US/Eastern
Reason Why Giuliani Supports Insurance Fund
BRADENTON (CBS4) ―
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Republican presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani greets supporters at his N.H. campaign headquarters Jan. 8, 2008 in Manchester, N.H.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Saturday that his experience as New York City's mayor during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is a big reason why he supports a national insurance backup fund.
"Maybe I feel more strongly about this because of what I went through as mayor. I don't even know how to describe Sept. 11.
I don't know if catastrophe is even the right word," Giuliani said. "There's no possible way we could have gotten through that alone. No possible way."
A national catastrophe fund is a top federal priority for Gov. Charlie Crist. Two Democratic Florida Congressmen, Ron Klein and Tim Mahoney, have a bill that passed the House which would create a
the backup fund in hopes of making property insurance more affordable and accessible.
"I more than most realize how important it was to us to have federal help, federal backup," Giuliani said during a town hall meeting held at a senior center. "Look, it's going to be there because of the kind of people we are. We might as well try to organize it in a sensible way."
The event drew about 500 people. Giuliani arrived 45 minutes late.
He spoke about familiar themes before taking questions -- fighting terrorism, limiting medical malpractice lawsuit awards and improving health care through private competition.
One young boy asked him if he was scared during the terrorist attacks which brought down the World Trade Center towers.
"I didn't have time to be," Giuliani said, before talking for several minutes about the experience. "Because it happened so fast, all that you could do was to think about the next decision to make and to remain as calm as possible."
While other Republican candidates are focusing on the Michigan primary Tuesday and next Saturday's South Carolina primary, Giuliani is sinking nearly all his time and resources into Florida's Jan. 29 primary.
He has campaigned here all but one day since coming in fourth in the New Hampshire primary and begins a three-day bus tour Sunday.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has been introducing him to crowds.
Giuliani hopes a win here will give him momentum for Feb. 5, when more than 20 states hold primaries and caucuses.
He was scheduled to address the Charlotte County Young Professional Republicans later Saturday.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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