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
You will be gone in no time.
What the hell is wrong with hating a lying, smarmy, pro-abortion, liberal guy like Rudy who thinks taxpayers should foot the bill for his mistress’s transportation and police protection?
“Voting Third Party in November will be the downfall of the country.”
I don’t know of any third party even in contention.
If however, Giuliani is nominated, a large chunk of the base will refuse to vote for him. I know I won’t. I won’t even consider it. To do so would declare conservative values irrelevant in all future elections. The cost is too high.
The cost is too high not to vote Republican at all costs unless you're okay with
The abolition of The Electoral College
The government choosing your doctor
Jamie Gorelick sitting as an Associate Justice on The Supreme Court
Partial Birth Abortion codified as a Constitutional right
A total tax rate of over 50%
A gutting of the military
Defeat in Iraq
Defeat in the War On Terror
Increased wealth redistribution
Increased entitlement spending
Sid Blumenthal, Sandy Berger, Madeleine Albright and James Carville running the government
Bill Clinton sliming the White House for 8 more years
No conservative in this country could possibly be "okay" with this scenario. No conservative in this country would allow his vote to be wasted by not voting against this horrific woman, this horrific family, and this criminal enterprise.
Anyone refusing to vote Republican in November is no conservative.
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.
Can you document this?
I'd love it to be true. We know that Rudy's administration laundered money to hide his affair(s?), but for Bloomberg to have uncovered the same crooked books five years ago would be something.
I’m wondering if tim will grill hillary with the same “journalistic” enthusiasm as he did Rudy?
We all have feet made of clay. What we’ve done in the past will always stay there, unless we run for public office, then watch out.
I agree with the part about the double standard, but for the country’s sake, we need someone above this kind of corruption.
AHHH, we all know the pretty people who appear on the Sunday talk shows, as journalists, are always after the truth and they NEVER, EVER report things that are untrue. This is one reason I’ve given up watching the trollops.
Tim really nailed her at the Phila debate in Nov-—on the licensing illegals issue.
Her staff complained loud and long that Tim had “piled on poor Hillary.”
A defining moment played out-—Hillart has lost all credibility-—Obama’s numbers scooted ahead.
Russert’s a self absorbed fool. Just like the rest of the MSM. I don’t care for Rudy either.
You’re right Ben about Rudy’s investments in Quatar, when we have members of our elected royals on arab payrolls.
That's what's happening here... The media lobs a few bombs, and we just destroy each candidate, one by one, as the collective media just watches in amazement, and laughs at us...
The only one who's remained relatively unscathed is Hunter, and he doesn't have a shot in the world.
I'd be willing to bet that many of those defending Giuliani (with the 'Clinton Defense'--that personal life does not matter) were the same Republicans slamming Slick--saying that 'personal conduct and character' DO MATTER!!!
The irony is incredible....you cannot make this stuff up!!!
William K. Rashbaum
New York Times
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Late in his tenure as mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani billed tens of thousands of dollars in travel expenses to little-known city agencies as he was beginning an extramarital affair, a political Web site reported Wednesday.
The report, on the Politico Web site, cited documents obtained under the New York State Freedom of Information Law. But it was unclear from those documents whether Giuliani allocated those travel costs, from 1999 through 2001, to obscure city offices in an attempt to conceal expenses associated with the relationship or for some accounting purpose.
The administration of Giuliani's successor, Mayor Michael 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. The agencies to which Giuliani billed the travel expenses were outside the mayor's office.--SNIP--
Russert did look like a snide fool, not Guiliani.
I already told you my thoughts. I was clear.
Most of your hypothetical outcomes are not that realistic and I can easily see Giuliani agreeing with many of them. The abortion one is an obvious example.
The only strength is his committment to the WOT, but I gotta even question that. Would he use good judgement, influence & diplomacy, or would he let his ego get us into unneccessary wars? To protect our children in the WOT, would he support an initiative to allow pilots and school principals to carry firearms? I think not! He only fights for liberal causes and his ego.
BTW - I would vote for Fred in a heartbeat.
Pilots now are allowed to carry firearms--no thanks to liberal, gun-grabbers like Rudy.
Ref. the WOT. It's outrageous to think that Rudy is the only (or even the best) Republican to aggressively fight the WOT (Paul doesn't even count).
Exactly what would Rudy do different in the WOT than President Bush (or any other Republican)?
Push more gun control?
Sue gun manufacturers?
Expand sanctuary cities?
Encourage illegal immigration by telling illegals that they are not really illegal?
Encourage even more illegal immigration by publicly affirming continued citizenship for kids of illegals?
Allow gays to openly serve in the military?
Continue to publicly tell muslims and the world that Islam is a ‘great religion’ (like he did in the CNN debate)?
Make solid appointments to important positions like his recommendation to President Bush of Bernie Kerik to head Homeland Security?
Put emergency command centers in the most likely targets (like he did in NY)?
It's absolutely outrageous to think that we need a LIBERAL to aggressively and successfully fight the WOT.
Okay, what if Russert were to “truthfully” “grill” your favorite candidate?
What then?
Issue national ID cards for everyone, institute massive databases that track the movement of citizens and aliens, install electronic surveillance mechanisms throughout the country... etc. "Papers, please!"
It's for your own safety and security.... Really! /s
I was a big-time Twilight Zone fan. Not sure I remember that one specifically, but it sounds oh so familiar...:)
I also thought of Shirley Jackson’s novella “The Lottery” during last April-May’s purge of Giuliani supporters from this site. Some of those same bug-zappers are itching to do the same to other “RINO” fans here.
We have lost our edge on this forum in our critique of the MSM. When I joined, that was what FR was about. Now, any source favorable to one’s “true conservative” candidate is an AWESOME source. The end justifies the means.
Agree re Hunter.
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