Posted on 06/20/2007 2:56:10 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Giuliani: Joining Iraq group a mistake
By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 27 minutes ago
Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday it was a mistake for him to join the Iraq Study Group, on which he lasted just two months and failed to show for any official meetings.
The former New York mayor has tried to tamp down criticism in recent days after Newsday reported that Giuliani was a no-show for two of the group's meetings and instead attended paid public appearances.
"I thought it would work, but then after a month or two I realized the idea that I was possibly going to run for president would be inconsistent with that," Giuliani said during a campaign stop in Iowa.
Giuliani said the main reason he quit was that it "didn't seem that I would really be able to keep the thing focused on a bipartisan, nonpolitical resolution."
The group was headed by James A. Baker III, secretary of state under the first President Bush and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana. Among its members were former Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese III, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and one-time Clinton chief of staff Leon Panetta.
The group issued an unanimous report calling for a gradual troop pullback in Iraq without setting firm timetables and more regional diplomacy. Its bipartisan work was hailed by members of both parties.
Giuliani, who often speaks of his leadership skills, said he decided the group was the wrong place for him.
"It was a mistake because I had an active political career that could interfere with the way in which the recommendations of the commission would be viewed," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
It’s already plugged in. I smell something burning.
I’m not going to vote for him...
but I have to give him a big plus for this. The Iraq Surrender Group has to be denounced, discredited and exposed to be the worthless club of elitist cowards they are.
This is going to be big trouble for Rudy. Seriusness on Iraq is supposedly his strength
Rudy is not dependable for anything but making speeches.
“Giuliani: Joining Iraq group a mistake”
LMAO! And your supporters never did make that connection did they? We know you’re toast, you know you’re toast. You’re supporters have got to be squirming about now (lol).
Domestic Policy - Toast
Foreign Policy - “has seen the light”, but still Toast
Bump!
Ping
“but I have to give him a big plus for this.”
Credit for what? Accepting a position then NEVER once showing up? He was too busy with his speaking engagements.
He only left after he was told to show up or quit. Not like he objected to anything the panel was doing. How would he have known?
Ping
It's absolutely outrageous for some to say (as the JulieAnnie-Apologists would have you believe)--that JulieAnnie is the only Republican who would aggressively fight the WOT. It's absolutely ludicrous.
We don't need a liberal phoney like Rudy. Go, Fred, go.
And whatever else lines his pockets, massages his ego, etc.
“massages his ego,”
Not just his ego.
This looks bad for Rudy. Even though the 9/11 Commish was full of Liberal Globalists like James Baker...it looks bad Rudolph didnt participate.
Worse, he could have steered the committee away from its pro-Islamic leanings.
Like his involvement in the Trans Texas Corridor thing, Rudy doesnt look like he is tough on security
Rudy had an active political career a year ago?
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