Camera hog, not a hero (Rudy Giuliani)

[JI7]

<He was a nowhere guy until the planes hit the World Trade Center buildings. He was a failed mayor, was Rudy Giuliani. He had a commissioner named Harding stealing so obviously that at first people couldn't believe their eyes.

The first thing he did, he was telling the 9/11 Commission yesterday, was to go out and search for a new command post. He walked away from the trade center and headed for the command post that made his career: the nearest television camera.

Giuliani headed away from the World Trade Center. At most, he had paused at the place.

Only George Bush surpassed him. George Bush was in Florida when the attack hit. He got in his plane and fled. The captain is supposed to rush to the helm. George Bush fled. He wasn't at the White House all day.

The first thing Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York, did was to reach the first television camera. He had on a dark blue suit that had no dust from the explosions on the shoulders.

He went on the television. He was good. What was he supposed to be, bad? He was talking to the world from a city of catastrophe. He went on television five or six times that day. He went on more the next day. And the day after that, and for all the days of the fall of 2001, and the television made him an international hero.

He had not picked up one piece of metal. He had not helped one person out of the smoke and fire. He made no decision about anything except himself.>

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-nybres203810114may20,0,1491305.column

[physioex]

1. I tend to agree...

That Rudy is a camera hog, the families of 9/11 don't like him very much. Did you see the way they acted when he was before the commission?

[Sandpiper]

2. Rudy also used 9/11

To hold on to power as long as he could. If there was any way he could have declared himself mayor for life, he would have.

[JI7]

4. i remember something about that

didn't he want to put off the mayors election or at least put off the date the new mayor takes office. i think giuliani is a total jerk because he does nothing to help nyc other to to get things for himself and he supports the bush criminal administration even when they don't do anything to help new yorkers. remember bush lied about sending financial aid and hillary and schumer had to work hard int he senate to get the money they did.

[President Jesus]

8. yes...and spineless Mark Green agreed to this request

this is a major reason Green lost in my opinion.

Rudy made the request prior to the rescheduled primary (the original was taking place on 9/11 but was immediately cancelled).

Bloomberg and Green went along with Rudy's request for an extension (never before done in the history of the US), but Green's rival Fernando Ferrer absolutely refused, and mercilessly mocked Green for going along wih it. Green still won the primary, but it was clear he had lost significant support amongst the Democratic base, deservedly so.

Ultimately Rudy withdrew his request after it was clear the NY legislature would not approve this extraconstitutional measure.

To me it showed that Green has no spine when the pressure's on.

[pnorman]

3. I'll give him a "pass" on that particular day.

But EVERY time a Republican speaks boastfully of Rudy & 9-11, be sure to link it to Georgie's terror-stricken flight on that same day. By now, that's pretty well documented, and in nauseating detail. But "camera-hog" fits Rudy like a glove.

I know that Sentor Clinton was there at Ground Zero very soon after. Can anyone here fill me in on the time etc? Also, was Senator Shurmer there also?



pnorman

[President Jesus]

5. this guy is such a choad...in 25 years has only donated money to himself

Virtually every politician gives a little here and there, but by no means are they usually generous (except for Corzine and Bloomberg).

But Rudy takes the cake for cheapassedness.
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=NY&last=Giuliani&first=Rudolph

This guy is worth some serious cash right now, so I can't see what his excuse is, other than the fact that he is a toad.

[KharmaTrain]

6. Rudy's A Bore...But Not A Bushie Either

I give him credit for attending all those funerals he did. There were days where he was doing 4 and 5 a day...I don't care who you are, that's overwhelming.

On 9/11 he was the face that pressed a sense of calm not only over the city, but across the country. It was something the AWOL Bunnypants in his hideyhole in Nebraska wasn't doing. Politics aside, he showed real leadership when there was a lot of chaos going on.

I was also touched by the sincerity of much of his testimony before the 9/11 commission. Yes, there were lots of problems that day and ones that his actions as mayor had created, but you could see he was as caught by surprise of what was going on that day as anyone else.

It's so easy to second guess from several years how people acted or reacted in the compressed mayhem that was that Tuesday in New York. Give this guy some slack for doing at least standing up that day, and for being one of the few Repugnicans (I think more a RINO) with compassion.

[President Jesus]

9. He's not a Republican, he's a fascist.

If you can imagine someone more hungry for power than Cheney, Rudy's your guy. On the issue he really is a moderate, so on paper, there is something appealing about him.

The thing about Rudy that makes him so dangerous is that he really know what he's doing politically speaking , and is relentless when going after something. He knows how to work the press perhaps better than the Big Dog. The most alarming thing about hm is he does not have opponents, only enemies. If you do not toe the line, you are an enemy to him...no compromise. And he is a BIG credit taker.

[JI7]

10. yes, read the article , it has info on rudy giuliani's hatred of blacks

and others and the policies he put in place during his time as governor.

if you talk about things like abortion rights, gun control, gay rights etc he comes off as a moderate or liberal republican. but his behavior of controlling things and using violent methods is dangerous.

[AliceWonderland]

7. Ahhhh, thank god someone said this

On 9/11, I was trying to get home to Queens and make sure everyone I knew was safe. I didn't give a flying fig about Giuliani. I didn't need a politician to go in front of the tv cameras to make me feel better, especially a politician I despised. What, he's suddenly an international statesman because he gets on television and is relatively coherent? I was more concerned about a race riot in my neighbourhood when people started stopping taxi drivers on Broadway and asking them "where are you from??" I didn't need Rudi and I didn't consider him heroic. And hearing how he was suddenly the mayor of the world just gave me the creeps.