Monday, May 21, 2007

Rudy Giuliani: America's Mayor or American Fraud

Since 9/11 happened, Rudy Giuliani, more than any other politician has reaped the benefits, both politically and financially, but does he deserve it? If Rudy is running on 9/11 let's take a look at the record.

In a 20 May 2007 transcript from Hannity's America Giuliani states:

I actually didn't expect it at a Democratic debate. It was sort of the kind of thing that I remember like the Saudi prince saying, you know, the one who gave us $10 million, said American foreign policy had something to do with it, that had to be changed.

This 14 May 2007 article on Giuliani's business ties, it states:

In addition to its lobbying clients, Bracewell & Giuliani represents businesses in legal and financial matters...It also is working for Saudi Arabia. In March, the firm filed papers in a Texas court case on behalf of Saudi Arabia's oil ministry — taking sides with another international energy giant, Citgo, which is controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a rival of the Bush administration. One month after the 2001 terrorist attacks, then-Mayor Giuliani famously rejected a $10 million check from a Saudi prince to help terrorism victims. Giuliani spokeswoman Comella declined to comment on the firm's Saudi connection.

I'll at least give FOXNEWS credit for reporting it, even though they don't seem to be repeating it over and over like their lies about Ron Paul. So 10 million dollars to terrorist victims isn't more valuable than good PR, but money in his pocket from the Saudi Government is just fine? Hannity conveniently didn't mention this piece of information in his 20 May 2007 interview. I think it will be interesting to hear Giuliani's response to this charge of hypocrisy if he ever responds. So far TV News doesn't care about this, among other potential problems for Giuliani.

There has also been concerns about his potential role in ignoring problems with air quality. Here is a 14 May 2007 article that talks about the failure of government agencies to warn Ground Zero workers of toxic air quality:

Lee Clarke, director of health and safety for District Council 37, the city’s largest public employees’ union, said Mr. Giuliani used “very, very poor judgment” in rushing to reopen the financial district without watching out for the workers who cheered him at ground zero.

Ms. Clarke said that if those workers found themselves in a meeting with Mr. Giuliani today, “a number of them would be standing up, wanting a piece of Rudy.”

But it doesn't stop there, we all remember Rudy sporting those FDNY hats during the World Series, but how do the firefighters view Rudy? It appears they don't like him that much either.
Here is a 8 March 2007 article:

In the days after 9/11, Giuliani attended scores of funerals for police, fire and emergency workers killed in the attacks. He said he felt "very bad" that he couldn't get to all the funerals for firefighters.

The mood changed abruptly in November. Giuliani, citing safety concerns, cut back search and recovery efforts at Ground Zero before many firefighters' remains had been found. Firefighters protested and a number of them were arrested, further souring relations."

Probably most damning is this 8 March 2007 letter from the International Association of Firefighters:

Many people consider Rudy Giuliani "America's Mayor," and many of our members who don't yet know the real story, may also have a positive view of him. This letter is intended to make all of our members aware of the egregious acts Mayor Giuliani committed against our members, our fallen on 9/11, and our New York City union officers following that horrific day.

Rest assured, our exclusion of Mayor Giuliani is not about any particular contractual or policy issue or disagreement, nor is it based on his unfriendly relationship with our New York City affiliates prior to 9/11 — which we will document and explain in additional correspondence later on during the campaign. In fact, we invited several candidates with whom we have had substantial disagreement on policy issues because we feel very strongly that our members have the right to hear from all candidates, not just those who tow the IAFF line.

Regrettably, the situation with former Mayor Giuliani is very different. His actions post 9/11 rise to such an offensive and personal attack on our brother and sisterhood — and directly on our union — that the IAFF does not feel Rudy Giuliani deserves an audience of IAFF leaders and members at our own Presidential Forum.

The disrespect that he exhibited to our 343 fallen FDNY brothers, their families and our New York City IAFF leadership in the wake of that tragic day has not been forgiven or forgotten.

Finally much was made in this exchange with Texas Congressman Ron Paul:

MR. GOLER: Congressman Paul, I believe you are the only man on the stage who opposes the war in Iraq, who would bring the troops home as quickly as -- almost immediately, sir. Are you out of step with your party? Is your party out of step with the rest of the world? If either of those is the case, why are you seeking its nomination?

REP. PAUL: Well, I think the party has lost its way, because the conservative wing of the Republican Party always advocated a noninterventionist foreign policy.

Senator Robert Taft didn't even want to be in NATO. George Bush won the election in the year 2000 campaigning on a humble foreign policy -- no nation-building, no policing of the world. Republicans were elected to end the Korean War. The Republicans were elected to end the Vietnam War. There's a strong tradition of being anti-war in the Republican party. It is the constitutional position. It is the advice of the Founders to follow a non-interventionist foreign policy, stay out of entangling alliances, be friends with countries, negotiate and talk with them and trade with them.

Just think of the tremendous improvement -- relationships with Vietnam. We lost 60,000 men. We came home in defeat. Now we go over there and invest in Vietnam. So there's a lot of merit to the advice of the Founders and following the Constitution.

And my argument is that we shouldn't go to war so carelessly. (Bell rings.) When we do, the wars don't end.

MR. GOLER: Congressman, you don't think that changed with the 9/11 attacks, sir?

REP. PAUL: What changed?

MR. GOLER: The non-interventionist policies.

REP. PAUL: No. Non-intervention was a major contributing factor. Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there; we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East -- I think Reagan was right.

We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics. So right now we're building an embassy in Iraq that's bigger than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be objecting. We need to look at what we do from the perspective of what would happen if somebody else did it to us. (Applause.)

MR. GOLER: Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 attack, sir?

REP. PAUL: I'm suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us and the reason they did it, and they are delighted that we're over there because Osama bin Laden has said, "I am glad you're over on our sand because we can target you so much easier." They have already now since that time -- (bell rings) -- have killed 3,400 of our men, and I don't think it was necessary.

MR. GIULIANI: Wendell, may I comment on that? That's really an extraordinary statement. That's an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th. (Applause, cheers.)

And I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that. (Applause.)

MR. GOLER: Congressman?

REP. PAUL: I believe very sincerely that the CIA is correct when they teach and talk about blowback. When we went into Iran in 1953 and installed the shah, yes, there was blowback. A reaction to that was the taking of our hostages and that persists. And if we ignore that, we ignore that at our own risk. If we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem.

Now I could understand if Rudy misunderstood Ron Paul's statement, but when he was asked after the debate why Al Qaeda attacked on 9/11 he stated that they "hated our religious freedom and women's rights." This is Mayor of the city that suffered the largest terrorist attack on American soil. He once again has benefited both financially and politically from his performance on 9/11 and what is perceived to be excellent leadership. He more than anyone else brings up 9/11 at the hint of it, constantly talking about how "he lived through it." Taking that all into account you would figure that Giuliani would at least study up on his enemy. On Hannity's America he talked once again about Ron Paul's comments:

GIULIANI: And the one that really struck was that this had to do with our bombing Iraq in the period before they attacked us. And of course, this was the whole debate that's been going on — were Iraq and Al Qaeda tied with each other?

I mean, it seemed like it was so off the wall. And there are so many of these conspiracy theories about September 11, to hear one coming from a Republican was very, very disappointing. So I thought I just had to step in, nobody else seemed to be doing it. And I seemed to — I had to step in, somebody had to correct this.

HANNITY: It is hurtful to the families, though. You hear all of these 9/11 conspiracies. John Kerry even sort of regurgitated one of them recently. This — the families of...

GIULIANI: You just think of all of this stuff that has gone on about, was there a connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq? Now we have this fellow saying that because we were bombing Iraq occasionally because of the problems with Saddam, that that — Al Qaeda all of a sudden came here and attacked us for that reason. Now that makes no sense. And maybe it is just to say something for the purpose of saying something.

This is too important a subject. And one of the points that I am trying to make in this campaign for president is, we need a clear-headed, realistic President.

Yes Rudy, we do need a clear-headed, realistic President. You have had plenty of time to figure out why the terrorists kill us, yet you spew ignorant garbage. Here are some links to educate you:

Brian Jenkins Rand, statement to the 9/11 commission.

Abraham D. Sofaer Hoover Institution Statement to 9/11 Commission

9/11 Commission Staff Statement

Osama Bin Ladin interview by Peter Arnett

John Miller of ABC's May 1998 interview with Bin Laden.

Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz Vanity Fair May, 9th 2003

Bin Laden speech of October 2004

Bin Laden Fatwa 1996

Bin Laden Fatwa 1998

America's Mayor or American Fraud? You Decide.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article. The evidence against Rudy just keeps piling up.

RonPaul2008!

Anonymous said...

and please keep piling it on as high as you can. Ghouliani is a seriously evil shit. see the video "Giuliani Time" if you need more grist for your mill.

thegreatestposey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
thegreatestposey said...

I'm torn. On the one hand he is an evil republican. On the other hand, he cleaned up the city. You can walk around now. He moved the homeless people to god knows where and lowered the crime rate. The city which used to be compared to Detroit, is now the safest, nicest large city in America.

Anonymous said...

Great article, but guess what? Whoever The Establishment wants as president, will become president. The last two elections were stolen. What makes you think this one will be honest?

Anonymous said...

Come on. Are you really going to use Osama's 1998 Fatwa to back your position? The 9/11 attacks were an act of war on your people. The 1991 war was sanctioned by the UN. Our "allies" wouldn't let us take him out then. The only reason we went into Iraq was to get our troops off of the Arabian Peninsula. We now have minimal forces in Saudi Arabia, if any. We have protected one of our main supplies of oil. Either you stop using electricity, driving a car, using plastic products, and using pharmaceuticals, or you shut your mouth.

Anonymous said...

Come on. Are you really going to use Osama's 1998 Fatwa to back your position? The 9/11 attacks were an act of war on your people.

- 9/11 is scientifically debatable on many fronts. It was certainly an act of war on our people, but we must choose our enemy wisely.

The 1991 war was sanctioned by the UN.

-CONGRESS declares war and commits our troops, not the UN. Who's your daddy?

Our "allies" wouldn't let us take him out then.

-Who gave the US the SOLE right to be judge jury and (literally) executioner of foreign nations?

The only reason we went into Iraq was to get our troops off of the Arabian Peninsula. We now have minimal forces in Saudi Arabia, if any.

-Shouldnt have been there in the first place. Foreign militaries in their self-proclaimed "holy land"? That's begging for a religious war.

We have protected one of our main supplies of oil. Either you stop using electricity, driving a car, using plastic products, and using pharmaceuticals, or you shut your mouth.

-I am ALL FOR Big OIL COMPANIES! Uh oh, looks like its going to be another $100 to fill my tank!


Just some thoughtful insight...just remember there's always another side to the story.

Unknown said...

Kucinich / Paul 2008?

I heard about an idea today:

A Dennis Kucinich / Ron Paul team
- I know they don't agree on all the issues
...but they agree on alot of important things
- they both said no to the war
- they are both men of conviction
- they both believe that the middle class is getting squeezed out by corporate globalization that is out of hand.

Together they could be a very good third party solution!

I think it could work!

I wonder if they would consider it.....

There are a lot of angry Americans out there
....and we heard a lot of the candidates make enthusiastic pro war speeches
.... hmmm, now they say they wouldn't have if ...hmmm.

Kucinich knew better. Paul knew better.

If we pass fair voting legislation and check counts by district...