From an elated Associated Press:

Giuliani to exit presidential race today


ORLANDO, Fla. - Rudy Giuliani told supporters Wednesday he’s abandoning his bid for president and backing Republican rival and longtime friend John McCain.
“I spoke with Rudy Giuliani this morning and he confirmed that he is dropping out of the race and will endorse Senator John McCain for president,” New York Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno said in a statement.
Once the Republican presidential front-runner, Giuliani suffered a debilitating defeat in Tuesday’s Florida primary.
The former mayor finished a distant third to the winner, McCain, and close second-place finisher Mitt Romney. After the results, Republican officials had said Giuliani would endorse McCain on Wednesday in California.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the public announcement.
Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Giuliani stopped short of announcing he was stepping down, but delivered a valedictory speech that was more farewell than fight-on.
“I’m proud that we chose to stay positive and to run a campaign of ideas in an era of personal attacks, negative ads and cynical spin,” Giuliani said as supporters with tight smiles crowded behind him. “You don’t always win, but you can always try to do it right, and you did.”
Republican presidential candidates were scheduled to debate at the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley on Wednesday night.
“I haven’t talked to him,” McCain said as he boarded a campaign charter plane Wednesday morning. “I’m going to talk to him today when we meet.”
Separately, Giuliani said as he prepared to leave Florida for California Wednesday he was “not yet” ready to announce his intentions…
McCain, addressing his own supporters moments later in Miami, gave Giuliani a warm rhetorical embrace, a possible prologue to accepting Giuliani’s expected support. “I want to thank my dear friend, my dear friend Rudy Giuliani, who invested his heart and soul in this primary and who conducted himself with all the qualities of the exceptional American leader he truly is,” McCain said. “Thank you, Rudy, for all you have added to this race and for being an inspiration to me and millions of Americans.” …

It’s hard not to like Mr. Giuliani as a person. And of course he did a heroic job turning around New York City.
Consequently, it was tempting to give him the benefit of the doubt when it came to some of his more newfound professed conservative values.
After all, he had been working in the belly of the beast.
But if Mr. Giuliani does do the worst and endorse Mr. McCain, it will be painfully clear that he was never a true conservative and that he would have been a disaster as President. Alas.
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