Rudy Giuliani

About a conniving opportunist who cheatead first-responders out of medical insurance, worker's compensation and any help at all from the government. All in the name of his beloved "cri de coeur", 9-1-1.

This man doesn't deserve to even think he is deserving of the presidency.

At all.

Sometimes it seems the vast majority of Republicans are corrupt. From run of the mill political scandals right down to pedophilia, the vast majority of political scandals are Republican scandals. The layers of hypocricy and corruption always amaze me.

The latest of course is Rudy Giuliani, using the NYPD to shuttle around his mistriss on taxpayer money. In many ways this is small potatoes next to the far more massive corruption of people like Missouri's Blunt family, Tom Foley's pedophilia and Bush's own scandals. But it could be the kind of scandal that Republicans hate most. Cheating on your wife at taxpayer expense probably isn't going to sit well with conservatives. And let's face it, although the Republican-biased media would probably downplay this scandal, during a Republican primary Rudy's Republican rivals are not going to let the scandal die. In fact one could argue that Huckabee's only chance of winning is to make sure this scandal sticks on Rudy.

But any good scandal needs a name. Otherwise people just won't notice it. Over at Daily Kos they have held a contest and come up with "Sex on the City" for the name of the scandal. They are pretty gleeful about that name and I admit it's pretty good. It really sums it all up nicely. Problem is it isn't going to really appeal to the average blue collar American. It's a cultural reference many conservatives won't really resonate with.

Not too long ago Rudy Giuliani could claim to be a moderate, making many right wing extremists uncomfortable. But now, Rudy is embracing Christian fundamentalists, shedding any pretence of being a moderate.

This comes from the National Jewish Democratic Council:

“I am very encouraged by Pat’s support,” said GOP Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani in a statement released by his campaign. “His confidence in me means a lot. His experience and advice will be a great asset to me and my campaign.”

The "Pat" in question is the Rev. Pat Robertson [real name: Marion Gordon Robertson], who endorsed Giuliani's campaign for president today.

Yes, this is the same Pat Robertson who suggested that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution. It is the same Pat Robertson who said: "the feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." It is the same Pat Robertson who called for the assassination of the President of Venezuela. And, alas, it is the same Pat Robertson who said: "just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different."

Rudy Giuliani could very well become the Republican nominee for President. It's imperative that all of us start reminding our friends and neighbors today that a vote for Giuliani is a vote for Pat Robertson and the narrow vision of America he represents. We've already seen how the Bush Administration has paid back the religious right.

The Pew Institute for Research is probably the largest non-for-profit public opinion survey group in the United States. Many people from both the left and right look at them as the source for number crunching anything having to do with elections, media use and the socio-political impact of market demographics.

So it is not shocking to see the reaction around a recent survey they released that pits Hillary Clinton against Rudy Giuliani; especially after the hyperbolic headline published at Politico.com.

I just have to wonder though, how those numbers read when compared to Quinnipac's similar survey for New York state. Giulini's advantage over her is of only 2%. Considering that most surveys have a 2-5% margin of error, that means they are in a dead heat in the Empire state.

Given New Yorkers do know how much of an asshole Rudy is, all I have to say that these polls are more about name recognition and public perception than anything having to do with the facts about either candidate's career.

Which makes it even more depressing to realize that most people really don't vote with the facts; they really just vote with their intuition. Whomever controls the gut instinct wins.

Which is why, this would make for an interesting pairing because, as John Gandelman points out over at The Moderate Voice, it will all come down to immigration.

There is a movement afoot to get the New York City Council to open an investigation into the inept handling by then-mayor Rudy Giuliani of the replacement of defective radios for the New York Fire Department (FDNY). Remember, it was Rudy's failure to replace the radios as recommended that pretty much condemned to death the majority of firefighters that died on 9/11. Those defective radios meant that many did not get the call to get out and so died needlessly.

The organizers of the movement to investigate Rudy's mishandling of the whole affair have delivered petitions with 20,000 signitures to the City Council. Here is the footage of the petitions being delivered Oct. 29th, 2007:

To find out more about this issue, you can read about it at The Albany Project. And you can get a brief intro on this video from The Real Rudy:

One month ago when Rudy Giuliani's campaign tried, as one blogger put it, humping the corpse by using 9/11 as a theme for a fundraiser for Rudy Giuliani. The idea was to get people to donate $9.11 for Rudy, playing off the 9/11 myth that surrounds Rudy.

Needless to say, many of those who lived through 9/11, particularly those who lost people on that day, were disgusted by the idea.

Let's get one thing straight, and you can take it from someone who saw Rudy in action on 9/11: this whole Rudy 9/11 mystique is a myth. For coverage of that (from another New Yorker) go here and here.

Here's my idea. They, in essence, were desecrating the memories of the victims of 9/11 by turning our tragedy into a fundraising opportunity. That last month. My first reaction was to donate $9.11 to MoveOn.org in protest. Then I decided that was being as disgusting as them.

So I propose, on 10/11, to donate $10.11 to MoveOn.org. I will do it. I invite you to join me to show Rudy Guiliani and his supporters that 9/11 is NOT something you demean by using it to raise money for the man who the real 9/11 heros detest.

Yes...Republican Ass Biters.

Who'd have thunk it? The man behind (no pun intended) the California initiative to split California's electoral vote is a Rudy Giuliani supporting, Ass-biting Missouri Republican. Yes...ass biting. From the Daily News:

A mysterious Missourian and Rudy Giuliani backer once found guilty of biting a woman on the butt is behind a scheme to chew off a chunk of California for Republicans in 2008.

Charles Hurth, a Union, Mo., lawyer, is the only registered agent of Take Initiative America, a corporation formed to change how California's 55 electoral college votes are apportioned.

All that's known about Hurth is that jurors made him pay $27,500 in 1990 to a woman he bit on the buttocks, and he gave the former mayor's campaign $2,000 in March. He did not return calls from the Daily News.

What is WRONG with Republicans? I mean if someone is into biting women's asses, I am sure they can find willing partners, even if they have to pay. But how do you wind up getting FINED for biting a woman in the ass? I mean what the HELL do you have to do to get FINED for biting a woman in the ass??

And then you wind up being a front person for a Republican attempt to steal votes from California?

Supporting Giuliani is no surprise. Rudy Giuliani is well known in NYC for being, shall we say, not terribly faithful and a lousy family man. So perhaps he would attract Republican ass-biters as supporters. But how did California Republicans wind up getting a Missouri Republican ass-biter as their point man in their mission to steal the vote? Who screwed up? Did they not check into this guy? Couldn't they find a reasonably clean-cut CALIFORNIAN to lead this CALIFORNIA initiative?

Rudy Giuliani has, in essence, announced a lack of policy regarding Palestine. Rudy has decided to emulate the early Bush policy of ignoring Palestine as a legitimate player in the game of Middle East politics, a policy that failed miserably, aiding the rise of Hamas.

From Salon.com:

Outlining his foreign policy views in the September/October issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, Giuliani said "too much emphasis" has been placed on brokering negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians -- an apparent swipe at President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who have been pushing both sides for final status negotiations despite Hamas's takeover of Gaza in June.

"It is not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist the creation of another state that will support terrorism," the former New York City mayor said.

"Palestinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel," Giuliani said...

Interestingly, when Bush first took over the Presidency, he too ignored the United State's role in brokering negotiations between Israel and Palestine, allowing the situation between Israel and Palestine to spiral into violence and chaos. This helped the rise of Hamas, a true terrorist regime.

The following has made it onto the Recommended List on Daily Kos. Wasn't expecting that! I may have to do this regularly! If it is interesting to dKos people, maybe I should post it here as well.

Being a New Yorker, I have realized that many people don't know what Rudy Giuliani is really like. It is amazing how few people realize what a dick he is and how our first responders DETEST him. So I wanted to find some articles (including my own...) that highlight how he really is.

Which then made me realize that I already have some articles on some other Republicans that should get more attention. So, here is what might be a regular thing I do: highlighting the articles that Republicans DON'T want you to see. Please feel free to add more in the comments. I may pick up on some of them for my own blogging. And feel free to spread the word on these articles.

Rudy Giuliani:
So few people realize what a self-centered control freak this guy is and how much he is despised by the REAL heroes of 9/11. So here are a few articles that highlight the side of Rudy he doesn't want you to know:

Firefighters hate him

I mean, they REALLY hate him

[UPDATE: Rudy's credibility takes another hit as his own former emergency management director, and Bush's 2002 choice to plan for preparedness for WMD attacks, SLAMS Giuliani as being "...a control freak who micro-manages decision, he has a confrontational character trait and picks fights just to score points. He is the last thing this country needs as president right now." Seems NO ONE who knows him likes or respects Rudy Giuliani.]

Rudy Giuliani is, by many accounts, the Republican frontrunner. Ignore for a moment that most Republicans will not like his pro-choice stand. The real question is will Americans like his anti-firefighter and anti-family positions.

Many American's don't really know Rudy yet. Here in NY we had him as mayor and we know what he is really like: a selfish, bullying man whose acomlpishments are overshadowed by his friendship with a mob-connected cop (who Rudy appointed Police Commissioner despite KNOWING about the mob connections), his poor treatment of firefighters, even after their heroic efforts on 9/11, and his poor performance as a father.

I have already discussed the fact that New York Firefighters detest Rudy Giuliani. Firefighters DESPISE Giuliani. He was partly responsible for the deaths of many firefighters on 9/11, having refused to upgrade the radio equipment for firefighters so that it would actually work. He also conspired with the Bush administration to hide the fact that the smoke from ground zero was toxic, thus condemning many surviving firefighters to respiratory disease that cut short their careers...and probably their lives. Firefighters have publicly advised America to "not just say no, but HELL NO to Rudy Giuliani".