Rudolph Giuliani may decide to run for the 2012 Republican presidential nod. (Photo by marcn via Flikcr)

At the time, Giuliani was the mayor of New York City, and the tragedy shot Giuliani into the spotlight. But his celebrity status was short-lived.

Since the attacks nearly 10 years ago, the former NYC mayor has made multiple failed bids for public office. He withdrew from the 2000 New York Senate race after he discovered he had prostate cancer and his affair with Judith Nathan became public. Hillary Clinton ultimately won the seat. I

n the 2008 Republican presidential primary, he came in an embarrassing fourth place. His name was also thrown around as a potential candidate for the New York governor's race in 2010 as well as the special election in 2010 for the U.S. Senate, deciding ultimatley not to run for either position.

As the race for the 2012 Republican presidential primary begins to pick up steam, thanks in part to Donald Trump's outrageousness, Giuliani's name has resurfaced.

Will he run again and face another political spanking?

The New York Post seems to think so, saying that Giuliani has been considering a run in the GOP presidential race.

"He's not doing all these morning talk shows because he enjoys the conversation, it is because he wants to stay in the game," one insider told the New York Post.

Another source told the publication that Giuliani's ego has gotten in the way, and he may run so he can stay in the spotlight. But Giuliani himself countered the New York Post, saying he wouldn't seek the GOP nod.

The killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, has brought Giuliani back in the news. He has been a favorite go-to talking head for reporters on President Obama's operation that killed bin Laden, praising the president for finally capturing the man that murdered tousands.

Just recently he decided to offer his opinion on the president's decision to not release photos of bin Laden's corpse.

"The pictures are eventually going to get out and then you are going to relive all the intensity of this a month from now or two months from now or three months from now," Giuliani said. "Why not put them out now and satisfy at least the rational people who have questions about the identity of bin Laden?"

But will Giuliani's new found fame be enough to satisfy his ego? Maybe. More than likely, though, it will swell his head even larger.

Giuliani has previously said he won't run for public office again. That statement though was followed up in March by him saying that he may still seek a government position.

“I would say I have not closed the door on doing it,” Giuliani told the Daily Beast in March.

If he does run, some Giuliani supporters don't even think he has a chance at winning.

"They think this is crazy," a source said. "They realize how long the odds are, but they are standing by."

"I don’t have a timeline. When somebody tells me this is the last day to decide, that will be the timeline,” Giuliani said. “If the first primary is in February, I know I have to do it by the end of the year. That I know. Will I decide before that? Maybe, maybe. I don’t know yet, really.”