It appears as if Rudy Giuliani is auditioning for a spot on Newt Gingrich’s ticket.

The former mayor did not one but two cable morning news programs today, hammering home an “Anybody but Romney” message for his fellow Republicans. The appearances come after Mr. Giuliani made the same case to Piers Morgan earlier in the week.

“There is something wrong when you have been running as long as Mitt has and are only at 25 percent,” Mr. Giuliani told the hosts of “Morning Joe.”

Mr. Giuliani reminded the hosts that he ran against Mr. Romney in 2008 and “I’ve never seen a guy change his position on so many things so fast.”

Most New York Republicans count themselves as longtime supporters of the former mayor, who carried the GOP flag at a time when few would. And most New York Republicans are also lined up behind Mr. Romney, and are mystified at why Mr. Giuliani is spending so much time attacking the person they think has the best shot at becoming the next president.

“Rudy is a buddy,” said Guy Molinari, the former Staten Island borough president who is now leading the state effort for Mr. Romney but counts himself as an ally of Mr. Giuliani. “I am not thrilled seeing my dear friend attacking the best candidate we have to win, but we will disagree on occasions, and this is one of those occasions.”

Rudy allies say that there remains bad blood between the two men from the campaign four years ago, even though Mr. Giuliani seems to bare no particular ill-will for the other candidates in that field. Then there were  a series of nasty and personal attacks between the two, and Mr. Giuliani in a way seems unwilling to forgive Mr. Romney for rejecting much of his past record to kowtow to current Republican orthodoxy. During his run, Mr. Giuliani was unwilling, or unable to make that kind of switch.

Regarding comments that Mr. Romney made yesterday to the New York Times in which he called Mr. Gingrich “zany,” Mr. Giuliani said he was offended.

“It reminds me of  what Mitt did in ’08,” he told the hosts of “Fox and Friends.”Whoever was out front Mitt would attack. Sometimes personal attacks. Sometimes ads about family and all this other stuff.”

Mr. Molinari said that he remained hopeful that Mr. Giuliani would endorse Mr. Romney once (or if) he became the nominee, and he warned that it is not wise to cast one’s lot with the mercurial Mr. Gingrich.

“Despite the fact that he is saying things, I think we are seeing Gingrich start to nose dive. If I am correct in my assumption that Gingrich is about to implode and everybody is going to run away from the guy it is not making Rudy Giuliani look too good,” he said.

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