Aw, it's time for that classic Rudy Giuliani chutzpah! According to the NY Times, the former NYC mayor and former Republican presidential candidate is offering to help raise money for various Republicans running for election or re-election this fall: "But there is a catch: He wants some cash out of the deal."

Giuliani ended his presidential campaign with about $3.6 million in debt, including a $500,000 personal loan. His people have been talking with various Republicans about ways to spread the wealth, but one Republican strategist groused to the Times, "In a year when our candidates are struggling to raise money, this is just another burden. This is not about helping the party. This is about helping Rudy Giuliani.” Ha! That's something New Yorkers know very well.

While the National Republican Congressional Committee says Giuliani "would be extremely beneficial to our candidates,” the question candidates need to ask themselves is it worth it having Giuliani at a fund-raiser? On the upside, you've got a true celebrity, a moderate Republican who got elected in a liberal city and even more reason to talk about the war on terror. On the downside, Giuliani is a moderate Republican with considerable baggage (for starters, his police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who Giuliani admitted was a mistake to hire).