Those who were unable to attend the TR/Gramercy Park Republican Club Rough Rider Award Ceremony missed a nice night out. Charles and Barbara Drew were gracious recipients and former State Senator Roy Goodman gave a very well received speech which favorably compared wartime Presidents George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln. While he’s not the first to liken Bush’s leadership during the War on Terror with Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War, his comparison may have come as a surprise to some who like to consider Sen. Goodman a “Rockefeller Republican.” Goodman has always been a moderate on many issues, particularly social issues, but people forget he is also a “Reagan Republican,” having been appointed by the Gipper to the National Commission of Fine Arts. (Incidentally, he was also a longtime friend of Lionel Hampton, at one point making Hamp Vice-Chair of the Manhattan GOP when he was Chairman.)Sen. Goodman also expressed his enthusiasm for Rudy Giuliani as a potential presidential nominee. He’s probably right in predicting good things for the NY GOP if the former mayor were to be the nominee in 2008. NY is one blue state where Republicans could use some extra momentum.
