Giuliani rules out 2012 presidential run

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani announced Tuesday that he definitively was not running for president, according to reports.

Giuliani had said before that he did not plan to run, although reports from New Hampshire at the end of last month had a top aide, Jake Menges, contacting state Republicans to gauge how receptive they would be to a late entry into the contest. 

"If Barack Obama remained roughly where he is now, sure I think I could beat him," the mayor said to CNN.

But Giuliani backers began defecting to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ruled himself out of the race, believing Giuliani, who had not yet declared, did not seriously intend to run. 

Romney and Giuliani were opponents in the 2008 race for the White House.

According to attendees at the Long Island Association event, Giuliani said that he was not going to endorse a candidate, although he could be partial to Perry, who had endorsed him in his own presidential bid four years ago.

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