But the firefighters didn't retreat. They were doing their damned best to get people out of there, weren't they?
This comment on your part seems to be more indication of the illogic of the hate. One day, the left claims Rudy "disses" the firefighters. The next they attack him for lauding their bravery. There's just not rhyme or reason to the Rudy hate.
But the firefighters didn't retreat. They were doing their damned best to get people out of there, weren't they?
This comment on your part seems to be more indication of the illogic of the hate. One day, the left claims Rudy "disses" the firefighters. The next they attack him for lauding their bravery. There's just not rhyme or reason to the Rudy hate.
What "retreat", what "illogic"? The point is that they stayed behind inside the towers not out of some sense of duty despite the fact that the towers looked ready to collapse and despite the fact that the NYPD received evacuation orders. The point is that there was no chance for them to even know of the danger of the buildings about to give way or to hear the evacuation order because of their faulty radios.
Rudy's mythology would make sense if they had working radios and they then chose to commit suicide to try to save as many people as possible. But even taking into account the heightened drama of that day, no firefighter willingly and willfully chooses to stay in a building that's about to collapse.
What "retreat", what "illogic"? The point is that they stayed behind inside the towers not out of some sense of duty despite the fact that the towers looked ready to collapse and despite the fact that the NYPD received evacuation orders. The point is that there was no chance for them to even know of the danger of the buildings about to give way or to hear the evacuation order because of their faulty radios.
Rudy's mythology would make sense if they had working radios and they then chose to commit suicide to try to save as many people as possible. But even taking into account the heightened drama of that day, no firefighter willingly and willfully chooses to stay in a building that's about to collapse.
That's not accurate, Whomod. In any number of documentaries about 9-11, I've seen interviews of police, fire-safety, and civilians talk about NYFD/NYPD take chances to save them and get them out, where they knowingly were endangering themselves to get as many people out as possible before the structures collapsed. I call that the ultimate heroism, knowingly sacrificing themselves for others.
Some police and firefighters, I'm sure, didn't know it was coming. But their experience had to tell them they were at great risk every moment they stayed in the WTC towers, regardless of at what point the structure became completely unsafe.
I don't see that Giuliani is distorting or exploiting anything.
And while I'd frankly prefer a more conservative Republican, Giuliani does present a more healing middle ground for the nation, after a very partisan 8 years of Bill Clinton, followed by a very partisan 8 years of George W. Bush. I see Hillary Clinton as perpetuating with another 4 to 8 years of the same. Giuliani seems to be the middle ground everyone is looking for. Even as the liberal-partisan machine does their best to pre-emptively lynch his candidacy.
Giuliani, in his latest radio ad, tells voters “I had prostate cancer, five, six years ago. My chance of surviving prostate cancer, and thank God I was cured of it, in the United States, 82%. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England, only 44% under socialized medicine.”
The claim is demonstrably false.
... they couldn’t care less about whether they’re lying or not.
An advisor to Rudy has responded that they won't retract the ad because they still believe their numbers to be accurate:
Let me be very clear about why the Giuliani campaign is correct: the percentage of people diagnosed with prostate cancer who die from it is much higher in Britain than in the United States.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports on both the incidence of prostate cancer in member nations and the number of resultant deaths. According to OECD data published in 2000, 49 Britons per 100,000 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 28 per 100,000 died of it. This means that 57 percent of Britons diagnosed with prostate cancer died of it; and, consequently, that just 43 percent survived.
Economist John Goodman, in Lives at Risk, arrives at precisely the same conclusion: “In the United States, slightly less than one in five people diagnosed with prostate cancer dies of the disease. In the United Kingdom, 57 percent die.” None of this is surprising: in the UK, only about 40 percent of cancer patients see an oncologist, and historically, the government has been reluctant to fund new (and often better) cancer drugs.
It’s nice to see CNN finally getting around to calling Giuliani out for this. One might be able to believe that the Giuliani campaign was simply misled by the right-wing think-tank article it had relied on for their figures except for the fact that even after they were made aware that the source for that article had contested his misuse of them, Rudy blatantly chose to continue repeating the false statistics anyway. That’s not a mistake. It’s a complete disregard for the truth and an outright attempt to mislead. And this is hardly the first time Rudy’s been caught stretching the truth on the campaign trail so far. WaPo’s fact checker gave him four Pinocchios for just this latest tall tale and went on to say:
That’s earned him a cumulative 13 Pinocchios so far, which after some digging I believe puts him way out in front of the other campaigns, and WaPo’s Fact Checker hasn’t even gotten around to his more recent fibbing. Greg Sargent caught Rudy telling “three whoppers in one sentence” on Monday. That’s got to be some sort of record! It’s past time people quit referring to Rudy Giuliani as a “serial exaggerator” and get on to calling him out for what he really is, which is a serial liar.
Interesting piece in the American Spectator, questioning whether the left's antipathy towards Rudy goes beyond mere political differences and into full-blown hatred.... Looking at the venom directed towards Rudy by some liberals, including our own MEM, I have to wonder if the Spectator isn't on to something.
For years, liberals have claimed their dislike of Republicans such as George W. Bush was based on him being too conservative, or that he wasn't smart enough.
Now, however, the frontrunner is an accomplished attorney, former big city mayor and definite moderate, who supports pro-choice and gay rights. You would think the left would be relieved at this. Instead, the attacks are perhaps, becoming even more vicious.
Case in point. Wall St. Journal columnist James Taranto has observed "[t]here's almost a year to go before the presidential election, and already the Angry Left is employing gutter tactics against the Republican front-runner. One ugly theme has emerged":
"Could the United States, for that matter, elect a cross-dresser? The Rudy Giuliani surge would be comic if its broader implications were not so grave."--James Carroll, Boston Globe, Oct. 29
"Rudy's acceptance of Pat Robertson's endorsement is equally foolish. Not only has it made utterly transparent that Giuliani isn't just a cross dresser but also a man capable of practicing the oldest profession as well as any Jezebel . . ."--Gloria Feldt, Puffington Host, Nov. 9
" Rudy Giuliani did Hillary imitations, complete with mincing steps and effete hand gestures, looking just like the cross-dresser we know him to be."--Stanley Fish, New York Times Web site, Nov. 11
"The old guard, Pat Robertson, has just endorsed the cross-dressing former mayor of New York to defeat what he called Islamic 'blood lust.' "--Andrew Sullivan, Times (London), Nov. 11
Taranto goes on to note
They make Giuliani sound like Boy George. In fact, as we've noted, he's more Monty Python, having donned a dress on a couple of occasions purely for comic effect.
It's especially sad to see Andrew Sullivan, who styles himself a champion of gay rights, resort to a rank appeal to homophobia in order to score cheap partisan points.
Normally, when the left attacks a republican on things like this it is because they claim (as with Larry Craig) they want to show the republican to be a hypocrite, someone who opposes gay rights while living a lie. Here, however, the angry left is attacking a Republican politician who supports gay rights.
So why would they attack someone like this, especially when, as noted above, Rudy's "Cross Dressing" is obviously not serious or sexual, if it wasn't a question of personal dislike (as opposed to policy issues)?
Imagine if Hillary dressed up as a guy with pencilled in mustache & a big old bulge between her legs? The angry right call her a lesbian among many other things already. Both sides play gutter politics G-man.
While I do not concede your hypothetical to be true, MEM, for the moment let us assume that you are correct that "if Hillary dressed up as a guy with pencilled in mustache & a big old bulge between her legs" the "angry right" would call her a lesbian.
The "angry right" is generally anti-gay rights. I would assume that you will concede this point. Therefore, there is nothing hypocritical in their actions if they were to criticize Hillary for being gay or even gay acting.
The "angry left," on the other hand, is for gay rights. They are against anti-gay slurs. Despite this, in the cases I cited above, they abandoned their typically pro-gay rhetoric and made homophobic insinuations about Rudy.
That, my friend, is a complete reversal of their normal position. And would seem to be explainable only be personal malice towards Rudy.
Ex-Publisher Says News Corp. Official Wanted Her to Lie to Protect Giuliani
By RUSS BUETTNER Published: November 13, 2007
Judith Regan, the book publisher who was fired by the News Corporation last year, asserts in a lawsuit filed today that a senior executive at the media conglomerate encouraged her to mislead federal investigators about her relationship with Bernard B. Kerik during his bid to become homeland security secretary in late 2004.
The lawsuit asserts that the News Corporation executive wanted to protect the presidential aspirations of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Kerik’s mentor, who had appointed him New York City police commissioner and had recommended him for the federal post.
Ms. Regan makes the charge at the start of a 70-page filing that seeks $100 million in damages for what she says was a campaign to smear and discredit her by her bosses at HarperCollins and its parent company, the News Corporation, after her project to publish a book with O.J. Simpson was abandoned amid a storm of protest.
In the civil complaint filed in state court in Manhattan, Ms. Regan says the company has long sought to promote Mr. Giuliani’s ambitions. But the lawsuit does not elaborate on that charge, or identify the executive who she alleged pressured her to mislead investigators, nor does it offer details or evidence to back up her claim.
Ms. Regan had an affair with Mr. Kerik, who is married, beginning in the spring of 2001, when her imprint, Regan Books, began work on his memoir, “The Lost Son.” In December 2004, after the relationship had ended and shortly after Mr. Kerik’s homeland security nomination fell apart, newspapers reported that the two had carried on the affair at an apartment near Ground Zero that had been donated as a respite for rescue and recovery workers.
Mr. Kerik, who in 2004 said he withdrew his nomination because of problems with his hiring of a nanny, was indicted last week on federal tax fraud and other charges.
“Defendants were well aware that Regan had a personal relationship with Kerik,” the complaint says. “In fact, a senior executive in the News Corporation organization told Regan that he believed she had information about Kerik that, if disclosed, would harm Giuliani’s presidential campaign. This executive advised Regan to lie to, and to withhold information from, investigators concerning Kerik.”
Officials of the News Corporation were asked in a telephone call for comment on the lawsuit, but had yet to issue a statement.
One of Ms. Regan’s lawyers, Brian C. Kerr of the firm Dreier L.L.P., said she possesses evidence to support her claim that she was advised to lie to federal investigators who were vetting Mr. Kerik. But Mr. Kerr declined to discuss the nature of the evidence.
“We’re fully confident that the evidence will show that Judith Regan was the victim of a vicious smear campaign engineered by News Corp. and HarperCollins,” Mr. Kerr said.
The News Corporation controls a vast array of media outlets worldwide, including Twentieth Century Fox, the New York Post and the Fox News Channel, where Ms. Regan once hosted a talk show.
While I do not concede your hypothetical to be true, MEM, for the moment let us assume that you are correct that "if Hillary dressed up as a guy with pencilled in mustache & a big old bulge between her legs" the "angry right" would call her a lesbian.
The "angry right" is generally anti-gay rights. I would assume that you will concede this point. Therefore, there is nothing hypocritical in their actions if they were to criticize Hillary for being gay or even gay acting.
The "angry left," on the other hand, is for gay rights. They are against anti-gay slurs. Despite this, in the cases I cited above, they abandoned their typically pro-gay rhetoric and made homophobic insinuations about Rudy.
That, my friend, is a complete reversal of their normal position. And would seem to be explainable only be personal malice towards Rudy.
a group of about 30 die-hard Giuliani supporters of all ages and backgrounds [have] already made two Saturday pilgrimages north - and they've pledged to do the eight-hour round-trip haul every Saturday between now and the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.
Their efforts are a crucial part of the Giuliani campaign's plan to scratch back in the Granite State - the back yard of his GOP rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has spent $6 million to date plastering the region with ads.
According to the latest polls, Romney leads in the state among Republicans with 33 percent of the vote, while John McCain and Giuliani are battling for second, with 18 and 16 percent, respectively.
But as of last week, Giuliani has gone on the attack, hoping to upend Romney with a late surge and to hold off McCain, who took the state from George W. Bush in 2000 by 19 points.
A strong New Hampshire showing on Jan. 8 will solidify Giuliani as the front-runner for the Jan. 29 Florida primary, his strategists hope, and build momentum for him as Feb. 5 approaches. New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois and about 20 other states hold primaries that day.
And that's why this Team Rudy is so important.
The volunteers will knock on doors at the homes of registered Republicans and - the big prize among New Hampshire voters - registered independents.
Next weekend, the volunteers will line up at 7 a.m. all over again, ready for another day in New Hampshire.
By: Ben Smith Nov 28, 2007 02:47 PM EST As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to previously undisclosed government records.
The documents, obtained by Politico under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, show that the mayoral costs had nothing to do with the functions of the little-known city offices that defrayed his tabs, including agencies responsible for regulating loft apartments, aiding the disabled and providing lawyers for indigent defendants.
At the time, the mayor’s office refused to explain the accounting to city auditors, citing “security.”
The Hamptons visits resulted in hotel, gas and other costs for Giuliani’s New York Police Department security detail.
Giuliani’s relationship with Nathan is old news now, and Giuliani regularly asks voters on the campaign trail to forgive his "mistakes."
It’s also impossible to know whether the purpose of all the Hamptons trips was to see Nathan. A Giuliani spokeswoman declined to discuss any aspect of this story, which was explained in detail to her earlier this week.
But the practice of transferring the travel expenses of Giuliani's security detail to the accounts of obscure mayoral offices has never been brought to light, despite behind-the-scenes criticism from the city comptroller weeks after Giuliani left office.
The expenses first surfaced as Giuliani's two terms as mayor of New York drew to a close in 2001, when a city auditor stumbled across something unusual: $34,000 worth of travel expenses buried in the accounts of the New York City Loft Board.
When the city's fiscal monitor asked for an explanation, Giuliani's aides refused, citing "security," said Jeff Simmons, a spokesman for the city comptroller.
But American Express bills and travel documents obtained by Politico suggest another reason City Hall may have considered the documents sensitive: They detail three summers of visits to Southampton, the Long Island town where Nathan had an apartment.
Auditors "were unable to verify that these expenses were for legitimate or necessary purposes," City Comptroller William Thompson wrote of the expenses from fiscal year 2000, which covers parts of 1999 and 2000.
The letter, whose existence has not been previously reported, was also obtained under the Freedom of Information Law.
Long Island bills
The receipts tally the costs of hotel and gas bills for the police detectives who traveled everywhere with the mayor, according to cover sheets that label them “PD expenses” and travel authorizations that describe the trips.
New York's mayor receives round-the-clock police protection, and there's no suggestion that Giuliani used his detail improperly on these trips.
Many of the receipts are from hotels and gas stations on Long Island, where Giuliani reportedly began visiting Nathan’s Southampton condominium in the summer of 1999, though Giuliani and Nathan have never discussed the beginning of their relationship.
Nathan would go on to become Giuliani’s third wife, but his second marriage was officially intact until the spring of 2000, and City Hall officials at the time responded to questions about his absences by saying he was spending time with his son and playing golf.
The receipts have languished in city files since Giuliani left office, apparently in part because of City Hall's decision to bill police expenses to a range of little-known city offices.
"There is no really good reason to do this except to have nobody know about it," Carol O'Cleireacain, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who was budget director under Giuliani's predecessor, David Dinkins, said of the unusual billing practices.
A Giuliani spokeswoman, Sunny Mindel, declined to comment on any aspect of the travel documents or the billing arrangements. ...
So far, Rudy Giuliani’s scandalous personal life has been largely ignored by major media outlets. One of these days, that’s going to change, and today may be the day.
Giuliani is the first thrice-married serial adulterer to ever even run for president, a fact that most reporters have ignored entirely. When the Village Voice reported a few months ago that Giuliani kept his emergency command center in 7 World Trade Center, in part so he could maintain a convenient love nest for his extra-marital affairs, the media, once again, yawned.
As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to previously undisclosed government records.
The documents, obtained by Politico under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, show that the mayoral costs had nothing to do with the functions of the little-known city offices that defrayed his tabs, including agencies responsible for regulating loft apartments, aiding the disabled and providing lawyers for indigent defendants.
I realize the common-sense rules and norms don’t apply to Republican presidential candidates, but a story like this one could, and very well may, end Giuliani’s presidential campaign.
Even if one is inclined to ignore the character questions surrounding Giuliani’s shameless and repeated adultery, the scandal here goes much further, including financial irregularities, misuse of official city resources, and an attempt to conceal the mayor’s conduct.
A Giuliani campaign spokesperson declined to comment on any aspect of the story, including the travel documents or the billing arrangements. It’s just as well. Some things are just un-spinnable.
So far, Rudy Giuliani’s scandalous personal life has been largely ignored by major media outlets. One of these days, that’s going to change, and today may be the day.
Giuliani is the first thrice-married serial adulterer to ever even run for president, a fact that most reporters have ignored entirely. When the Village Voice reported a few months ago that Giuliani kept his emergency command center in 7 World Trade Center, in part so he could maintain a convenient love nest for his extra-marital affairs, the media, once again, yawned.
As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to previously undisclosed government records.
The documents, obtained by Politico under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, show that the mayoral costs had nothing to do with the functions of the little-known city offices that defrayed his tabs, including agencies responsible for regulating loft apartments, aiding the disabled and providing lawyers for indigent defendants.
I realize the common-sense rules and norms don’t apply to Republican presidential candidates, but a story like this one could, and very well may, end Giuliani’s presidential campaign.
Even if one is inclined to ignore the character questions surrounding Giuliani’s shameless and repeated adultery, the scandal here goes much further, including financial irregularities, misuse of official city resources, and an attempt to conceal the mayor’s conduct.
A Giuliani campaign spokesperson declined to comment on any aspect of the story, including the travel documents or the billing arrangements. It’s just as well. Some things are just un-spinnable.
EDIT: I see MEM beat me to it.
I don't see it ending Rudy's presidential campaign. When it comes to the core of either party it comes down to will the candidate deliver what they want & can they win. If he can convince enough of the GOP he's that guy it doesn't matter if ten's of thousands of dollars was spent & covered up while he was having an adultrous affair.
Giuliani plummets in NBC/Journal poll (REUTERS/Hans Deryk)
December 19, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani has fallen 13 points since November and is now tied with Mitt Romney nationally in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Wednesday.
According to the poll, Giuliani and the former Massachusetts governor are tied with 20 percent support among Republican primary voters.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee was in third place with 17 percent support, followed by Arizona Sen. John McCain at 14 percent and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson at 11 percent, the poll found.
Giuliani had been the clear leader in all previous NBC/Journal polls and led the field with 33 percent support in the survey last month.
In the past month, Giuliani's campaign faced more media scrutiny. The campaign also did not put much emphasis on Iowa and New Hampshire, where candidates next month face the first contests in the state-by-state process of determining who will be the Republican and Democratic candidates in the November 2008 presidential election.
According to the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, just 37 percent view Giuliani favorably, compared with an equal 37 percent who have a negative impression of him.
In March, 58 percent viewed Giuliani favorably versus only 14 percent who saw him in a negative light, NBC reported.
Among Democrats, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton held her national lead in the NBC/Journal poll.
Giuliani's long-time nemesis, the New York Times, reviewed city records and concludes that it is "not likely" that as mayor he tried to hide his visits to Judith Nathan by billing them to obscure government agencies, as implied earlier.
Of course, they buried the exoneration on page A35, whereas the original attack was on page one.
As we all know, Rudy's a fan of the "Godfather" films. I'm sure he's thinking, a la "Godfather II," "I hope they will have the decency to clear my name with the same publicity with which they have now besmirched it."
Giuliani's long-time nemesis, the New York Times, reviewed city records and concludes that it is "not likely" that as mayor he tried to hide his visits to Judith Nathan by billing them to obscure government agencies, as implied earlier.
Of course, they buried the exoneration on page A35, whereas the original attack was on page one.
As we all know, Rudy's a fan of the "Godfather" films. I'm sure he's thinking, a la "Godfather II," "I hope they will have the decency to clear my name with the same publicity with which they have now besmirched it."
I would think the Rudy fans would want that buried though. How comforting is it to New Yorker's that their money was spent legally to provide Rudy's misstress with security???
Most people weren't overly outraged when Mrs. Clinton's husband was using taxpayer funded security during HIS trysts. I would assume there would be a similar recognition of the need for security for Rudy.
The real issue was always the allegation of misuse of funds. With that cleared up, I hope people will again look at issues and not try to delve unduly into candidate's personal lives.
Most people weren't overly outraged when Mrs. Clinton's husband was using taxpayer funded security during HIS trysts. I would assume there would be a similar recognition of the need for security for Rudy.
The real issue was always the allegation of misuse of funds. With that cleared up, I hope people will again look at issues and not try to delve unduly into candidate's personal lives.
when did Clinton provide Lewinsky with security? In fact, as I understand it, she came to him and they fooled around in his office. That's pretty efficient, with as little time taken from work as possible.
The Secret Service had to follow Clinton around and serve as lookouts during his trysts. The same with the Arkansas Troopers when he was governor.
Also, according to the same New York Times article, no security was being provided to Ms. Nathan. As with Clinton, the security was to follow around the Mayor himself.
And, since Ray prefers to watch YouTube videos to reading, I thought he might enjoy this clip from "Hardball", where Chris Matthews says that the media owes Rudy Giuliani an apology:
Rudy will be dogged by the firefighters until the race is over and he should be. Check out his response to some of their major problems with Rudy on ABC’s THIS WEEK which include his handling of their radios as well as stopping the search at Ground Zero for their fallen brethren. He led by the usual Republican method—giving no bid contracts and ending up with a bad product.
Originally Posted By: transcript
STEPHANOPOULOS: You’ve also talked a lot about your record after 9/11. There’s a group of pretty determined firefighters, who want to defeat you on this issue. They’re led by the deputy fire chief, James Riches, whose son died — also a firefighter — on 9/11.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES RICHES, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF, FDNY: He’s the guy on the top. He’s the guy to yell at. He takes the hit. And my son is dead because of it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He blames you.
GIULIANI: I feel very bad about that. And I feel very bad at the whole situation. I feel these people — all these people, myself and all the people that were involved in this — have been very hurt by this. And it creates a lot of pain. It creates a lot of suffering. And if they’re angry at me, so be it.
I did everything I — I did everything I could think of doing in that situation to help. I think I made mostly the right decisions. Probably didn’t make all the right decisions, but I tried very hard to alleviate the problem as much as I could, and to lift the spirits of the city.
And in most cases, I think I made the right decisions. In some cases I may not. And then maybe just some people that are angry at me for it, and I’m not going to argue with them. My gosh. They’ve gone through too much for anybody to be arguing with them.
Stephanopoulos: They make two main charges. Number one, that those firefighters in the north tower, many of them lost their lives because their radios didn’t work. They also say you ended the recovery efforts too soon.
Giuliani: Well, the radios that you’re talking about weren’t put online for three, four, five years after. So, it would have been impossible for me to have those radios ready. It took the city two or three more years…
STEPHANOPOULOS: But they had malfunctioned in 1993.
GIULIANI: But even with the new equipment, it took another two or three years for those radios to be put online. So it would have been impossible for us to have gotten them online before that, given the fact that it took so long afterwards. As far as ending it too soon, I kept it going, you know, as long as we could. I mean, I was just as involved, just as hurt, just as interested, and I had friends that I lost that I wanted to see recovered just as much as everyone else.
So, I did it — I did it — it was going on, actually, all during the time I was there, until the time I left. I never took — I never took any action to have some kind of a precipitous halt to what happened there. And if they think that, that just isn’t correct, and I would never have done anything like that. I had too much at stake, even personally, for an action like that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: These firefighters say they’re going to be dogging you in South Carolina and Florida. And Senator McCain’s campaign says this is going to be a tough general election issue. It’s one more reason, they say, not to vote for you.
A New York City Council report on the fire department’s radio procurement process concluded:
Quote:
Thus, despite its acknowledgment two years earlier that several manufacturers were developing technology that might meet FDNY’s CAI specifications, and in apparent disregard of its pledge to evaluate new technologies and products, the FDNY appears to have elected to accept a radio representing an entirely new communications technology from Motorola rather than conduct a competitive review of products and prices.
But it wasn’t “impossible” to get new radios to these firefighters, as Giuliani tried to claim. After the 1993 incident, Giuliani gave Motorola a $14-million no-bid contract. Despite this exorbitant sum, the radios were faulty and had to be taken out of service in March 2001, after a “distress call from a firefighter trapped in a burning house” went unheard.
In Iowa, where admittedly Rudy hasn’t made much of a run at it, he now appears on track to come in last place among the major candidates. And, to be clear, I’m here defining ‘major’ rather generously as including Ron Paul. In other words, sixth place.
In New Hampshire, Rudy is similarly dropping like a stone. He may still come in third ahead of Mike Huckabee, though they now seem to be roughly tied there.
Nationally, Rudy appears either tied with Huckabee or in a three or four way tie with Huckabee, Romney and McCain, depending on which of the very most recent polls you look at. And expect that number (to borrow the Army aphorism) not to survive first contact with his drubbing in Iowa and New Hampshire…. Even in his ‘firewall’ states like Florida, Rudy’s lead is rapidly diminishing.
This comes on the heels of polling evidence that the more Republicans voters see Giuliani, the less they like him.
Apparently, the former mayor’s campaign doesn’t exactly see the stars aligning they way they’d hoped, so they’re moving on to Plan B: more war talk
Once people see past the 9/11 tragedy and into his backing pro-choice and pro-gay unions, the more right leaning and evangelical Republicans won't vote for him in the primaries. I think Rudy would have a better chance in a general election, but the primaries aren't representative of a great deal of voters who vote in the general elections (i.e. Joe Lieberman's last election).
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet."
Once people see that he's basically a ghoul selling 9/11 over and over and his myth about how heroic HE was that day, he's pretty much over.
Okay, it seems like Rudy isn't going to give up his long, twilight struggle to truly embody his own parody. He's now passing off the difficulties of his 6th place Iowa finish and flagging campaign by saying it's nothing compared to the dangers he faced on 9/11.
Like many of the other GOP presidential candidates, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani had tried to portray himself as tough on undocumented immigration. One of his favorite applause lines has been to stress English-only policies:
The final end result about becoming a citizen — you should be able to have to read English, write English, and speak English if you want to become a citizen.
Nevertheless, Giuliani wants the votes of Floridians who speak Spanish. Today, he has released a new campaign ad en español to air on at least three Spanish-language television stations in Miami. At the end of the ad — called Liderazgo (Leadership) — Giuliani says, “Soy Rudy Giuliani y apruebo este mensaje (I’m Rudy Giuliani and I approved this message).” Watch it:
Last fall, the owner of Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant Geno’s Steaks endorsed Giuliani. Vento became notorious for posting a sign in his restaurant that read: “This is America. When Ordering Please Speak English.” He also once told a reporter that Mexicans carry disease into the United States because they “play and drink out of the same water.”
Giuliani wholeheartedly embraced Vento’s endorsement, posting it on the campaign’s official YouTube site. Giuliani also personally went to Philadelphia and embraced Vento. “Whenever I’m at Geno’s, I order in English,” he told a reporter. From his visit:
Will Vento post a similar sign for Giuliani? “This is America. When Campaigning, Please Speak English.”
Watch Sam Seder as the only member of the press at this Giuliani event. ( it’s not like he’s not campaigning there) It reminded me of that Three Dog Night song… “One“
In response to tonight’s horrible defeat, Giulliani was quoted as saying, “9-11.”.
