Paul Cellucci at Republican Debate

One of the first surrogates to arrive at the CNN Republican debate in New Hampshire was former Massachusetts governor, Paul Cellucci. Paul Cellucci looked great and happy to be back in the game. He is supporting Rudy Giuliani in the presidential race — not his fellow Massachusetts Republican governor, Mitt Romney, nor John McCain, whom his former spokesman, Rob Gray, is backing.

One oft-forgotten aspect of Cellucci is his knack for picking candidates in the presidential context. Back in 1980, he along with Andrew Card, Andrew Natsios and Ron Kaufman — all state representatives at the time — got behind George H.W. Bush. While Bush did not win, Card and Natsios made contacts that enabled to join the Bush Administration, 41. Cellucci missed out during that administration but found his loyalty to the Bushes rewarded when he became American ambassador to Canada. Cellucci knows the game and he knows New Hampshire.