Giuliani launches first TV ad

Republican Rudy Giuliani plans to air the first TV ad of his presidential bid on Thursday, and it focuses on his record as New York mayor -- the record that made him a national celebrity and helped push him to the front of the pack without any ads.

The 60-second spot, titled "Tested," will be shown in New Hampshire, his campaign announced this morning.

Images of a city in decline alternate with Giuliani speaking directly to the camera about his tenure. He says he turned around an ungovernable city that was "in financial crisis," was "the crime capital of America," and was "the welfare capital of America."

"By the time I left office, New York City was being proclaimed as the best example of conservative government in the country," he says, alternating with happier images of a city on the rise. "We turned it into the safest large city in America. The welfare-to-work capital of America. And most importantly, the spirit of the people of the city had changed. Instead of being hopeless, the large majority of people had hope."

"So, I believe I've been tested in a way in which the American people can look to me. They're not going to find perfection, but they're going to find somebody who has dealt with crisis almost on a regular basis and has had results. And in many cases exceptional results. Results people thought weren't possible."

Interestingly, the ad does not specifically mention the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their aftermath -- the event that made Giuliani a national figure and put him on the cover of Time magazine as "Person of the Year."

That reputation has helped Giuliani move to the front of the national polls, and made him the favorite for the nomination. He trails, however, in the first states to vote, Iowa and New Hampshire. Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, leads in those states, in part because he has spent far more on TV ads than any other candidate -- more than $10 million at last count.