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Ive already made up my mind. I understand how important my vote for president will be in 2008. Regardless of how the next 18 months go, the War on Terror will not be over. In order to confront the existential threats that we face, we must have leadership, accountability and excellence on the part of our next President. Thats why Im supporting Rudy.

As Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani revitalized a rotting city. When he entered City Hall on January 1, 1994, unemployment hovered above 10 percent the city was losing more than 200 jobs each day. The previous year had ended with nearly 2,000 murders;

Times Square was polluted with porn shops, prostitutes and drug pushers;

and one in seven New Yorkers were on welfare. Under Giulianis leadership, the murder rate fell 65%, the number of New Yorkers on welfare dropped by 640,000, and Times Square became a hub for business and tourism. Giulianis success was arguably most beneficial for minority communities: one clear example is the 34th precinct which covers the largely Hispanic Washington Heights section of Manhattan. That area alone saw 76 murders the year before Giuliani was elected;

in his last year as Mayor there were only 7.

As impressive as all these statistics are, their explanation can be found in one simple phrase that was featured prominently on Mayor Giulianis City Hall desk. It read: Im responsible. Americas Mayor personally led the charge against crime, poverty and public vice in New York. His zero-tolerance policies cracked down on quality-of-life violations, such as public urination, recognizing that crime metastasizes and the way to reduce more serious crime was to inhibit lesser crimes. He understood the disastrous consequences of rampant poverty and so sought to enable New Yorkers to help themselves. And perhaps most importantly, Giuliani knew that a society which normalizes antisocial behavior will suffer as a result. Consequently, he enacted policies to promote personal responsibility and decrease public vice.

While these were all important victories for the people of New York, Rudy's defining moment came towards the end of his term. On September 11, 2001 his leadership was witnessed by the entire world. He soothed his shaken City by spending day and night touring hospitals, comforting families who were missing loved ones and reassuring an anxious public that New York would overcome this disaster and flourish. He couldn't have been more right. His courage under fire earned him Time Magazines Person of the Year award in 2001. It is his kind of leadership that we will need in the White House. As we continue the global struggle against violent fanatics who are committed to our destruction, the United States needs a president who is a proven leader with the right principles. No one fits the bill better than Rudy Giuliani. It is time for America's Mayor to become America's President.

I am ready for Rudy. Are you?

To get involved with the Giuliani student movement, contact meyerson@brandeis.edu or join us in Ziv Commons this coming Thursday, May 3, as we watch Rudy take part in the first GOP presidential primary debate of the election!

Alan Meyerson is the Chair of the Brandeis Students For Rudy.