Florida's basket holds Rudy's eggs

The Rudy! Express is slowing down. Waaaaaay down.

Facing losses in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, Rudy Giuliani continues to pin all of his hopes on America's Wang™. And considering the trouble he's gotten into with his own wang over the years, this strategy seems more than a little questionable.

Rudy Giuliani wrapped up a three-day swing through Florida on Friday by picking up the endorsement of a national association of state troopers, standing beside a memorial outside the Orange County courthouse honoring slain law enforcement personnel.

The Republican presidential candidate, accompanied by National Troopers Coalition Chairman Dennis Hallion and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, spoke briefly to a few supporters almost exclusively about terrorism before signing autographs and heading back to Iowa in anticipation of next week's caucuses there.

Giuliani met with veterans' groups during visits to South Florida, Largo and Orlando this week, spending much of the past two days, including Friday, hammering on his anti-terrorism platform, the backbone of his campaign.

He repeated remarks made Thursday in the aftermath of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, urging Americans to experience a "sense of solidarity" with Pakistani mourners as that country appears on the brink of chaos.

Putting aside for the moment that he is a monumental asshole and quite likely a criminal, it's becoming obvious that ol' One-Note Rudy! is losing traction fast. Noun-verb-9/11 can only go so far, and the voters are discovering this. And even though Florida is a key early primary state, a Giuliani victory here still will not be enough to overcome the inevitable momentum of the Iowa and New Hampshire winner(s), be they Huckabee, Romney, or McCain ...

I remain convinced that the Republican Party, still controlled by the fundies, will never allow a thrice-married, pro-choice, philandering Noo Yawker to be their nominee. And one month from today, the Florida GOP primary will go a long way toward making that determination once and for all.