the profit of negativity

Rudy Giuliani shelled out $64,575 for a pro-Gen. David Petraeus ad in The New York Times, but it paid big dividends yesterday - in contributions to his Republican presidential campaign.

Aides to Giuliani, who swiftly e-mailed copies of the ad to supporters as part of a fund-raising push, said they reaped "tens of thousands of dollars" in online donations yesterday alone.

"It will have paid for itself by week's end," said one top adviser, predicting the return would top $64,575 by tomorrow.

For Giuliani, the ad flap was the gift that kept on giving, and a clear sign that Giuliani - as when he was mayor - will not hesitate to pick fights with Democratic groups or candidates, especially Hillary Clinton.

It also suggests he's not above using claims of unfair attacks - on himself or others - as a money-raising gambit, already a time-tested tactic in the 2008 campaign.

Clinton managed to turn a Washington Post story that commented on her cleavage last July into an opportunity to raise cash ("Take a stand against this kind of coarseness," read her appeal).

And Democrat John Edwards raised thousands of dollars this year from gays and others after right-wing pundit Anne Coulter called him a "faggot."