Posted on 12/09/2007 6:19:49 PM PST by Liz
WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani doggedly insisted Sunday that threats against then-girlfriend Judith Nathan prompted the NYPD to launch her taxpayer-funded chauffeur services. "These were all based upon threat assessments made by the New York City Police Department ... of what was necessary to protect her life, my life, other people's lives," Giuliani told NBC’s Tim Russert. "Every single thing done here was done based upon the assessment of someone else that this was necessary." His explanation of Nathan's car service doesn't square with Friday’s Daily News exclusive report, citing multiple witnesses and a law enforcement source, that she was being protected by city taxpayers months before the affair was revealed in May 2000. "The threats were after" their romance became known, Giuliani maintained yesterday.
The only guest on Russert's "Meet the Press," Giuliani endured the most exhaustive and at times withering examination of his personal character and business dealings of his campaign. To the glee of fellow Presidential contenders who've grudgingly marvelled at his political staying power, the Republican frontrunner spent nearly all of an hour playing defense, attempting to deflect a flurry of questions about his relationship with indicted pal Bernard Kerik and Kerik's mistress Judith Regan, controversial corporate clients and his own tangled personal life. "He's held up in the polls a lot longer than anyone thought," a neutral GOP consultant predicted, "but the baggage is finally starting to catch up with him."
Giuliani said again that he did a poor job of vetting Kerik but denied he allowed personal loyalty to trump his judgment. He said he knew Regan was Kerik's publisher but wasn’t aware of their Ground Zero love nest in a pad reserved for recovery workers. He defended the activities of his security and legal businesses as "ethical, lawful, decent work," but said he won’t release a list of his clients because he's promised many of them confidentiality.
In one seemingly contradictory answer, Giuliani said he’ll consider further disclosures at a later date: "I'm not going to do more than what is absolutely required, and we'll go further than that." Predictably, Democrats piled on. "Rudy Giuliani's refusal to be honest about his shady past is becoming a chronic habit," Democratic National Committee spokesman Dag Vega jabbed. As voters learn about his penchant for covering up scandals, they will continue to turn away from his candidacy."
The usually-combative candidate was uncharacteristically subdued throughout the grilling. Somberly dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and TK tie, Giuliani employed many of the timeworn techniques of damage control. He turned the tables on his inquisitor - "that's a stretch," he politely complained once - and borrowed from the Watergate scandal's signature "mistakes were made" rationale.Stealing a page from Hillary Clinton’s script, he wielded a tactical laugh now and then. He blamed the media for hyping the facts, and invoked the memory of a fellow ex-mayor to explain his poor judgment about Kerik. "As one of my predecessors, Fiorello LaGuardia, used to say, 'I don't make many mistakes, but when I make them, they're big ones.'"
That was a reference to LaGuardia's celebrated 1941 wisecrack: "When I make a mistake, it's a beaut." In a rare interlude from his self-defense chores, Giuliani took issue with ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 1992 remark that homosexuality is an "aberrant" lifestyle. "I don't believe it's sinful," he said. "It’s the various acts that people perform that are sinful, not the orientation that they have." The corps of sinners, he added, includes His Honor: "I've had my own sins that I’ve had to confess and had to deal with and try to overcome, and so I'm very, very empathetic with people, and that we're all imperfect human beings struggling to try to be better."
With David Saltonstall
I urge every FReeper to read this (or catch MTP reruns on MSNBC).
Meet The Press transcript. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22170668/
Russert reamed Giuliani unmercifully. Russert was visibly disgusted at Rooty’s moronic laughing and giggling over every serious question. Russert even reprimanded RG: “hey, these are serious questions.”
Russert hit RG with Kerik, security for Jooty, and scummy business dealings-—real hardball questions.
The smirking grinning weasel lied and lied and lied. He and his admin fiverted government funds to give his nimbo 24/7 security coverage. Obscure agencies with struggling budgets were saddled with the bills for Rooty's mistress.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, said in 2002, several months after taking office, that the Giuliani administration had kept the budget for the mayor’s office artificially low by paying more than $5 million in salaries through other city agencies.
Cannot fathom even a braindead liberal countenancing RG’s irrational, crackpot answers to Russert——so convoluted as to be incomprehensible.
When Giuliani tells Russert he’s gonna win primaries ourside of Iowa and NH-—better believe Rooty and his neopuke handlers will employ massive voter fraud.....and God knows what else.
No one in their right mind would vote for this grinning, irrational nitwit.
Acutally, Liz, Russert looked like an idiotic fool.
Many hours could be filled asking Sen. Clinton such questions, but she, and other Dems, get questions asking them what wonderful plans thay have to provide every needy American health care, insurance, housing, education, etc. What a sickening double standard.
Yeah, great service, taking down a potential GOP candidate while giving a free pass to the DNC candidate(s). As usual, double standard against the repubs. “No one in their right mind would vote for this grinning, irrational nitwit.” Nope, now more will vote for the Democratic candidate. Yeah, victory! /sar.
I would be as happy as you if there was an ounce of possibility dems would be subject to the same. They won’t be.
While I’m happy to see Rudy get serious questions about his weaknesses we shouldn’t gloat. Expect the Republican nominee to get the same treatment from Russert, especially now that he’s been targeted by Hitlery.
He has to get his cred back somehow. /s/
Actually, Bahbah........no.
Russert looked as disgusted w/ the grinning dork Giuliani, as was the audience.
I think the quote on your profile applies here:
“While it’s true that I invariably vote for Republicans, I never fool myself into thinking they’ll be anything except better than their Democratic opponents. Those people who are hurt by such political facts of life are to be pitied. It’s like a child’s discovery that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny aren’t who they’ve been cracked up to be. To such conservatives, all I can say is: Grow up.” Bert Prelutsky October 25, 2005
Celebrating the MSM drive by on a Republican (yes, even a RINO) is simply enjoying the greater possibility of a DNC victory.
The rest of us seem to disagree.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936903/posts
“....neopuke handlers will employ massive voter fraud.....”
Perhaps you are referring to ANY of the Democrat candidates.
Why so gleeful over yet another application of the LeftMedia’s double standard against Republicans?
I’m no fan of Giuliani, but let’s not side with over-rated journalistic hit men like the liar Russert.
Oh, please.
Read the Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread for today in Breaking News.
What you say is not even close to the way most observers reported it. And most of them are NOT even Guiliani fans.
Bottom line, most though Rudy did fine and Tim looked foolish with his accusatory, hunched-over, frowning stance (as usual when not interviewing a democrat).
I didn’t watch the program but my guess is that Russert still sees Giuliani as potentially an obstacle to a ‘Rat victory in November 2008 and wants to weaken him. Remember his role in the witchhunt against Scooter Libby (as far as I can tell, the evidence of Libby’s perjury consisted of Russert having a different recollection of fleeting phone conversations).
Golly-—it’s after 9:00.
I thought the children would be in bed by now.
Where are the parents? Why are they letting the kids post on my thread?
Which is why Russert loves Dims, since they never produce, just talk.
Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you get to define what a Republican is.
Goldwater cautioned against this sort of infighting. I respect that people do not support Rudy because he’s not a true conservative (among various other reasons). I personally prefer other candidates. For similar reasons, I do not like Huckabee (immigration, taxes). Nonetheless, I don’t it’s fair to say who is and who isn’t a Republican.
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but to say I’m wrong because he’s not a Republican in your opinion is, wrong.
Liz
Another seminar democrat plant
post your background please.
As unfortunate an exchange as this may have been (the one morning I didn’t watch the talking heads), I want to see Rudy take these hits NOW and prove he can withstand them ... rather than after he’s been anointed and we are stuck with him.
POSTED BY CALPERNIA Giuliani in recent weeks has faced a barrage of questions about New York police security costs for his trysts with Nathan and about his business clients, which have included the Persian Gulf country of Qatar. Although a U.S. ally, Qatar is accused of sheltering suspected Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Khalid’s nephew, Ramzi Yousef, is the one that bombed the WTC in ‘93. Ramzi had a safe house in Brooklyn that he used. Khalid is also the one that had Daniel Pearl killed. Last story Pearl was working on was the Diamond underground trade ring.
Ironic that Giuliani has a partnership in the Diamonds Trade.
Giuliani’s Profitable Partnership
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1933097/posts
I don’t like Giuliani, but Russert is pathetic. I wouldn’t mind it if he asked questions like these of Kerry or Hillary, but he never does.
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