Giuliani's Hold on Lead Spot Is Eroding (Kerik, Reputed Mob Ties Hurting Him, Just As Predicted)

The New York Sun ^ | 11/12/2007 | Russell Berman

[stockstrader]

Romney’s not my favorite by far, but whatever it takes to knock out that corrupt, gun grabbing, draft dodging, abortionist, war profiteer Rudy JulieAnnie is fine by me,

That sums up my feelings quite accurately too!!!

[mainerforglobalwarming]

I’m just keeping my fingers crossed over the next 50 days or so people wake up. A conservative candidate like Thompson will destroy hillary in the general election. At least 55% of the vote. Not because 55% of the public is enamored with the gop or conservative values, but because hillary is a complete idiot. I mean this in all seriousness. She could be the mean-spirited witch that ran Clinton’s campaign, cleaned up all his messes. But she is not a front man. She would be a worse singer than Yoko Ono, in political terms.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

When Mr. Giuliani ran for mayor in 1993, Mr. Kerik organized his security detail of off-duty officers, reserving the weekend shift for himself.

When Mr. Giuliani became mayor, he gave Mr. Kerik a job in the Correction Department. A year later, the mayor asked him to drop by Gracie Mansion.

The two men sat upstairs and shared a bottle of red wine, a gift to the mayor from Nelson Mandela. Mr. Giuliani said he planned to appoint Mr. Kerik as first deputy correction commissioner.

Mr. Kerik, who wrote of this in his autobiography, “The Lost Son,” was taken aback; he was a year removed from being a police detective.

“Mayor, I appreciate your confidence in me, I really do,” he said. “But I ran a jail. One jail. Rikers is like 10 jails.”

Just do it, the mayor replied.

Mr. Kerik followed Mr. Giuliani downstairs to a dimly lighted room. There waited Mr. Giuliani’s boyhood chum Peter J. Powers, who was first deputy mayor, and other aides. One by one, they pulled Mr. Kerik close and kissed his cheek.

“I wonder if he noticed how much becoming part of his team resembled becoming part of a mafia family,” Mr. Kerik wrote. “I was being made.”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/057807.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/politics/03kerik.html?_r=2&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

[wagglebee]

I get a kick out of that story every time I hear it!

[ilgipper]

what are Giuliani’s mob ties? I am confused. I am pretty sure the mob is no friend of Rudy’s.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Romney always had an IA+NH strategy. He was donating seed money to various GOP groups well over a year ago and invested more time and money there once he announced last January. Rudy and McCain determined by last July that they'd be blown out in the August Ames straw poll and ducked out to try to make their defeat there less newsworthy. McCain had also stiffed IA in 2000 and Iowans remembered that. Fred declined to get in and compete then. The three who punted Ames have never recovered from their early decisions (Fred seems to be running into the same problem with his punting the NH debate.) Of those who tried to contest IA Tommy Thompson and Brownback are already out. Huckabee, taking advantage of Iowa's high proportion of Evangelicals, is in second place to a large degree because no one else but he, Romney and Paul have tried to compete. So far Romney is doing just what he planned to do in the early states. The early state strategy may or may not turn out to work this year, but history says it could work and recent press shows the media increasingly is buying into it. Resulting, as planned, in positive coverage and increasing standing in the non-early states.

Don't be surprised to see Paul come in a strong third in Iowa. The only thing holding down his vote total will the the desire of his "fans" to vote for Obama, Edwards or Kucinich against Hillary that night. If the Democratic race looks close the "GOP" Paul support will have a moment of honesty and caucus where they really belong.

[Earthdweller]

"I think they are not rock solid. I think they’ve just been brainwashed by the enormous media barrage in his favor up to this point."

It's not exactly a brainwashing..it's call presenting the peons with their "choices".

[Earthdweller]

call=called...

Yep...they call the shots.

[VictoryGal]

Let’s pray that it dings him enough in the primaries we can get a more solid candidate in there.

If Rooty makes it as the GOP nominee, the stuff that’ll pour out of the Clintoon smear machine and the MSM will make the latest revelations here seem like a burp in a windstorm. Rooty is VERY vulnerable.

[George W. Bush]

I like this one better! LOL.

Great thread, Kent. Is our agreement here a sign of the Apocalypse? I'm a little worried.

[George W. Bush]

He might even be supporting Huckabee secretly through back-channels.

Great strategery post, JCE. I've been thinking the same thing the last few weeks. No evidence, of course. But this is exactly how Rudi plays his divide-and-conquer game in NYC.

It's clear Rudi doesn't need the cash for himself as much as he needs to stop Mitt and Fred in the first three contests. And all Rudi would have to do is let his campaign handlers put out the word quietly about giving Huck just enough to blunt Mitt/Fred until the later primaries where Rudi will have his chance.

[Mila]

“what are Giuliani’s mob ties? I am confused. I am pretty sure the mob is no friend of Rudy’s.”

I’m pretty sure you’re right. Didn’t the mob at one time discuss “whacking him” but then decide against it? Rudy went after the mob when he was a prosecutor.

[DCPatriot]

Let me get this straight, please?

Rudy is supposed to be guilty by association with Kerik...

...but Hillary is not guilty by association with all the scandals of the Clinton administration? Or Livingstone? Or Webb Hubbell? Or the several private investigators that terrorized their enemies? Or the missing billing records? Or FBI files? Or White House Travel Office firings?

[George W. Bush]

Rudy went after the mob when he was a prosecutor.

Rudi went after certain mob families. And those mob families discussed getting rid of him.

Rudi is the son of a mob goon and enforcer, the kind of guy that broke kneecaps. And his uncle was a full-blown mobster.

The Mob is still alive and well in NYC. Rudy only eliminated some of the competition.

Rudy should be indicted, not nominated.

[1Old Pro]

Huckabee is Giuliani's ally of convenience. Huckabee could even be his VP.

Maybe Huckabee will choose rudy for his cabinent? Or Romney could chosse Rudy as his head of homeland security?

[1Old Pro]

Romney’s not my favorite by far, but whatever it takes to knock out that corrupt, gun grabbing, draft dodging, abortionist, war profiteer Rudy JulieAnnie is fine by me,

My sentiments exactly.

[Son House]

As I told my Democrat friend, being divorced twice isn’t all bad, there are 2 ex-wifes that are happy.

[1Old Pro]

My hope is that Rudy’s support is not rock solid, that his current supporters will abandon him as he loses the early races.

HALF of rudy's support is "institutional" support from party leaders and the "hop on the intitial leader" bandwagon types. As Rudy fades his support will QUICKLY move to the leader, which is likely to be romney.

[50mm]

Or Romney could choose Rudy as his head of homeland security?

No! We need a real homeland security chief. Rudy is an open borders and sanctuary city guy.

[mvpel]

Romney’s not my favorite by far, but whatever it takes to knock out that corrupt, gun grabbing, draft dodging, abortionist, war profiteer Rudy JulieAnnie is fine by me,

Unless what it takes is principled, pro-gun, USAF veteran, anti-abortion obstetrician Congressman Ron Paul, right?

Sorry, Jim, I couldn't resist.