Giuliani to give keynote; Lieberman also to speak

WASHINGTON — Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention next month and Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman also will take center stage at the gathering.

Sen. John McCain's vanquished Republican primary rivals — and a slew of potential McCain running mates — also have speaking roles at the four-day gathering in St. Paul, Minn.

President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, first lady Laura Bush, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lieberman, who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000 and is said to be under consideration for the same role with McCain, will open the convention Sept. 1, with speeches that focus on service.

The subsequent days will focus on reform, prosperity and peace.

Giuliani, the two-term mayor who led New York through the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, will deliver his spotlight speech Sept. 2. He ran for president this year but failed to win one delegate. He withdrew after a crushing loss in Florida and endorsed McCain the next day.

As he weighs potential running mates, McCain is thought to be seriously considering Lieberman, whom he counts among his closest friends.

Republican officials say top McCain advisers have been reaching out to big donors and high-profile delegates in key states to gauge the impact of picking an abortion-rights supporter like Lieberman. Conservative activists, in turn, are waging an increasingly vocal campaign against the move, raising the prospect of acrimony at the convention.

There's also lingering questions of whether Republican National Committee rules would allow someone who is not registered as a Republican to be the vice presidential nominee, or whether they would need to be changed.

Some Republicans speculate that Lieberman's name simply is being floated to make a Republican abortion-rights backer, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, seem more acceptable to conservatives. Ridge, too, is thought to be under serious consideration, along with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, both Republicans and abortion-rights opponents.

As Al Gore's running mate in 2000, Lieberman became the first Jewish vice presidential nominee. His campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 failed.

After a surprising loss to Ned Lamont in Connecticut's 2006 Senate primary, Lieberman defied Democratic leaders and ran as an independent in the general election. Top Democrats backed Lamont, a political newcomer, and Lieberman won support from the GOP, including McCain.