Rudy's bat

Getcha Rudy Giuliani 2008 presidential campaign commemorative gear while it's hot! Like, ferinstance, this $79.95 autographed Louisville Slugger bat, for sale now at Giuliani's campaign website.

Sorta weird commemorative item, don'tcha think? What might a baseball bat symbolize to Giuliani, exactly? Earlier this week, the Globe's Alex Beam speculated that it's a reminder of the candidate's "'Giuliani time' crime-fighting escapades in the 1990s." But let's not forget that back in the 1930s Rudy's father, Harold Giuliani, was a bartender who worked as muscle for his brother-in-law, a loan shark. What tool did Harold use to deal with recalcitrant clients, in both his day and night jobs?

I think you already know the answer.