Gay couple claims Giuliani ignoring pledge to marry them

Friends of Rudy Giuliani say the former New York City mayor is reneging on his pledge to marry the same-sex couple now that gay marriage has been legalized in their home state, the New York Post reports.

Back when Giuliani was struggling in 2001 with his very public divorce from Donna Hanover, Giuliani crashed at friend Howard Koeppel's place for six months. Koeppel tells the Post that back then he asked Giuliani to marry him and partner Mark Hsiao, to which Koeppel says Giuliani responded: "Howard, I don't ever do anything that's not legal. If it becomes legal in New York, you'll be one of the first ones I would marry."
Given that former mayors of New York City retain the right to officiate weddings, the Post reports, guess who Koeppel called following last week's decision to legalize same-sex marriage in New York?

But Koeppel says Giuliani hasn't returned phone calls he began making in the run-up to last week's legislative activity.

"Koeppel's miffed and says he's waiting to hear a good reason why Giuliani won't perform a lawful ceremony," writes the Post's David Seifman.

In his political life, the Republican former mayor has supported civil unions but opposed gay marriage. His spokeswoman did not respond to the Post's request for comment.

Though he's been out of the political spotlight since his failed 2008 presidential bid, there is talk of a possible Giuliani comeback in 2012. And were the former mayor to officiate at a gay marriage ceremony, it certainly wouldn't bolster his already beleaguered standing among the GOP's influential social-conservative base.

This week, WMUR reported that Giuliani is planning a visit to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state of New Hampshire.