DuPage GOP chief says Giuliani's appearance not an endorsement
Rudy Giuliani was the first Republican presidential candidate to establish his Illinois campaign headquarters in DuPage County.
He'll also be the first Republican candidate to pitch his credentials to a captive GOP audience in DuPage.
But he's still not officially first in the hearts of the DuPage Republican Party.
Party Chairman Dan Cronin said Giuliani's appearance at the organization's annual Lincoln Day Dinner is not an endorsement of the former New York mayor's candidacy.
Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican, is slated to be a delegate for Sen. John McCain. That put him in an awkward position when Giuliani was the only Republican presidential hopeful to respond to an invitation to appear at the Feb. 1 dinner in Oakbrook Terrace.
"We didn't get any commitments from anyone," Cronin said. "That's sort of par for the course, until about a month ago when Giuliani called. He said, 'I would love to commit to your event, but we want to be the speaker there.'"
Cronin agreed to the condition, despite his McCain allegiance.
"He's made a significant commitment to DuPage," Cronin said of Giuliani. "He's the only presidential candidate who's made that. Even though I'm a McCain guy, I have to respect that."
The situation became more awkward when McCain called about three days ago hoping to appear at the dinner. Cronin declined because of his promise to Giuliani.
"My word is my bond," Cronin said. "It's going to be Rudy's night on Feb. 1."
Giuliani will make another appearance in Springfield the following day.
Cronin said he hopes to schedule or create a separate event to host a McCain appearance before the Feb. 5 primary, but time is short.
Ironically, it may be a DuPage Democrat who makes that appearance possible.
Dirk Enger, co-chairman of the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton, announced Tuesday night to the Wheaton City Council that McCain has expressed an interest in visiting the shelter.
Enger is running for a spot on the DuPage County Board as a Democrat.
Giuliani and McCain visits would ratchet up what Cronin believes will already be a significant amount of Republican presidential candidate interest in the county.
"Both Giuliani and McCain have polled very strongly in DuPage," Cronin said. "And don't forget Mitt Romney. The Republicans are engaging into some hard soul-searching and deliberation. It doesn't appear that there's a clear front-runner yet."