Former Gov. Thompson Endorses Rudy/Rudia.

DES PLAINES, Ill. (AP) ― Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani picked up a key endorsement Thursday in Illinois, getting the backing of former GOP Gov. Jim Thompson, a former federal prosecutor who ruled the state for 14 years.

Giuliani will appeal to Illinois voters because of his "commonsense solutions for problems and issues facing Americans in this dangerous decade," Thompson said.

Illinois has a track record of electing moderate Republicans like Thompson to statewide offices, and Giuliani is known for his moderate-to-liberal views on some issues.

But both Thompson and Giuliani were quick to avoid labels in the presidential contest that has gotten more crowded with conservative Fred Thompson officially joining the field.

"I think if the labels liberal, moderate, conservative ever had any meaning they don't have much meaning anymore. The average person, the average voter in Illinois, the average voter around the United States isn't as fascinated with labels as us political junkies or you the press are. They want to know where you stand on particular issues and how you're going to help them live better lives," said Jim Thompson, who joined Giuliani at a campaign stop in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines.

Giuliani brushed off bragging by Fred Thompson about his conservative credentials, a ploy to separate himself from rivals.

"Oh, let the Republican Party decide that," the former mayor of New York said.

Giuliani said the way for the party to decide the best candidate is to have everyone lay out their positions and let voters make the choice.

"These are all positions people are gonna have to weigh," said Giuliani, listing his commitment to lowering taxes and spending and building a strong national defense.

Former governor Thompson predicted Fred Thompson's entry into the race would not hurt Giuliani's base of support but would bleed voters away from other candidates in the field who have positioned themselves more to the right.

"He's going to split that vote," Thompson said.

Giuliani's visit was his first to Illinois since his campaign opened a headquarters last month in the GOP-heavy western suburbs. He visited a sewer company that donated sand and generators during recent flooding.

A $1,000-per-person fundraiser was scheduled for later Thursday night and a couple hundred people were expected to attend, said businessman Ron Gidwitz, Giuliani's finance chairman in Illinois.

Giuliani said Illinois was a critical state for his campaign because of its early primary on Feb. 5.

"So to have the governor's support is just tremendous encouragement," he said.

Thompson, who left office in 1991, is now a high-profile Chicago attorney. His firm is leading the fight to keep former Republican Gov. George Ryan out of prison after an appeals court upheld his conviction on racketeering and fraud charges. Thompson's firm also represents sitting Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration and hiring practices are under federal investigation.

But Thompson has faced some tough questions himself. He served on the board of Hollinger International Inc. where media baron Conrad Black was recently convicted of swindling shareholders out of millions of dollars. Thompson says he never realized what was going on.

Thompson said Giuliani is the Republican who can put Illinois in play in a general election against a Democrat nominee that he predicted would be New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, a chief rival of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

The last time Illinois swung Republican in a presidential race was almost 20 years ago when President Bush's father beat Democrat Michael Dukakis.

"This is a tough state for a Republican these days," Thompson said.

http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/Rudolph.Giuliani.Jim.2.339749.html