Philanderer and Bernie Kerik Patron Rudy Is In

Devlin Barrett for AP reports Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, a moderate Republican best known for his stewardship of the city after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has taken the first step in a 2008 presidential bid. The former mayor filed papers to create the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc., establishing a New York-based panel that would allow him to raise money to explore a White House run and travel the country. Ben Smith at TNR recalls the Giuliani/Kerik amour, and notes: The Daily News has reported that prosecutors have expressed interest in one current and one former employee of a Giuliani Partners subsidiary for their roles in the Pirro case--and that one has already been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. And the as-yet-unleaked reams of Bronx wiretap have fueled endless speculation about what Giuliani may have said. "You've got to believe he's on those wiretaps," speculates Doug Muzzio, a professor of public affairs at the City University of New York. "This is not good for business, and it's not good for his presidential race."