Rudy Giuliani's middle way

THE denizens of most American cities might be surprised to find their mayor vamping it up on stage as a pink-gowned, platinum-blonde transvestite. That Rudolph (aka Rudia) Giuliani, New York's mayor, cross-dressed for charity earlier this month surprised nobody. True, such a routine is nothing new in New York political circles: for the same show, former mayor Ed Koch once shimmered in gold lamé with a fake pigeon on his head. But Mr Giuliani, more than any recent predecessor, has a knack for metamorphosis. A Republican in a city where Democrats outnumber the enemy by five to one, Mr Giuliani remains a sure bet for re-election in November. Might the Republican Party as a whole learn by his example?