: Giuliani facing bad news at a bad time on Yahoo! News

It couldn't happen to a morer ghoulish, buffoon.

Print Story: Giuliani facing bad news at a bad time on Yahoo! News:

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has confronted a spate of bad news in recent days, from the drug indictment of his South Carolina chairman to criticism for skipping meetings of the Iraq Study Group.

Every campaign faces bad news at one time or another, but with a fundraising deadline looming Saturday, the timing couldn't be worse. Most voters are not tuned in, but for those who are giving and raising money for the former New York mayor, the heartburn-inducing headlines may make them think twice.

The string of events — some Giuliani's making, some out of his hands — comes as national polls continue to show him ahead of his rivals, but surveys in early voting states have him trailing or losing ground.

Unannounced candidate Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney outpace Giuliani in a Nevada poll released this week. Romney had the edge in Iowa and New Hampshire.