Posted on 09/01/2004 9:08:22 AM PDT by crushelits
Joy Behar ridiculed Giuliani for claiming that the first thing he said after the 9/11 attacks was "thank God" George W. Bush "was our President" and she insisted that "of course" Al Gore would have been just as "tough" on terrorism. |
Former CBS News correspondent Meredith Vieira, who participated Sunday in an anti-Bush march, seemed similarly ignorant, scolding Giuliani: "The implication is that if you disagree, I think, with the administration that somehow you are on the side of the terrorists. |
" Giuliani shot back: "That isn't who George Bush said that to, that isn't what it means. That's a way of misunderstanding what he's saying, which is what people do to him all the time."
The only View host not hostile to Giuliani was the only one who has never worked for a network news division: Elisabeth Hasselbeck. |
The heated argument consumed nearly eight minutes, limited excerpts as provided by the MRC's Jessica Anderson who caught the August 31 exchange:
Joy Behar: "Did you really say that, 'Thank God he was our President'? That's the first thing you said? You didn't say 'Oh, expletive,' or something?"
Rudy Giuliani: "No, no, that wasn't the first thing I said. That's one of the things that I said on September 11th to my police commissioner. It really came out because that was just a few months after that disputed election, and so I had called the White House to ask for support, and I felt very, very comfortable that he was in the White House because I know him, and because I knew he would be tough about it."
Behar: "I know, but so would Al Gore. Don't you think he would have been as tough on it? Of course he would. Any President would respond."
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: "I don't think so."
Giuliani: "No."
Behar: "You don't?"
Giuliani: "No, I don't think there's any chance at all that Al Gore would have been as determined. I think Al Gore would have backed off now about four times with the kind of criticism that George Bush–
Giuliani: "Taking out Saddam Hussein was critical to defeating global terrorism."
Vieira: "But one is terrorism and one is the particular war in Iraq, and that's what I think people are upset about, because we went to war believing there were weapons of mass destruction. I was at the demonstration there on Sunday, that's what people were talking about. There were mothers of soldiers there. People weren't arguing against terrorism, it was the war in Iraq in particular."
Giuliani: "There's a tremendous amount of emotion always against war, always. In 1863, New York had tremendous riots against the Civil War and against Abraham Lincoln because they didn't want to be in the Civil War anymore. A President has to be able to withstand that. He has to be able to stand up to that." ....
Hasselbeck: "It's a long process."
Giuliani: "The idea that taking out Saddam Hussein wasn't part of the War On Terrorism really misunderstands the War On Terrorism."
Behar: "No, but people say it was a distraction from going after bin Laden."
Giuliani: "No it wasn't! Saddam Hussein was one of the principal supporters of international terrorism. He was sitting on top of $4 billion or $5 billion, he had used weapons of mass destruction, and Abu Nidal, who killed Leon Klinghoffer and maybe about 25 other Americans and a hundred other people, was operating out of Iraq."
Behar: "So were the Saudis!"....
Giuliani: "But the reality of that, that followed a quote of John Kerry's about an $87 billion supplemental budget that was to support our troops. And John Kerry voted against it, and then he explained it by saying, 'Before I voted against it, I actually voted for it.'"
Hasselbeck: "Right."
Giuliani: "And it seems to me you can't have it both ways and that's what he's been trying to do."
Behar, not joking: "He change his mind based on nuance."
Giuliani: "Everybody changes their mind. He makes it a rule to change his mind."
Vieira: "But being consistent isn't necessarily right if you're wrong in the consistency. You can be consistent, but if
you're-"
Behar: "You could change your mind. You change your mind."
Giuliani: "Sure I do, occasionally, but I don't change my core principles."
Jones: "Come on, Mr. Mayor. You stand at that podium and support that President when you disagree with almost everything the Party socially says. You don't change your core issues? That's not fair, Mr. Mayor."
Giuliani: "No, those aren't, my core issues are the national defense of this country, national security, and the economy. To me those are the two things on which I assess candidates that have the biggest impact on us."
Jones: "What about patriotism, Mr. Mayor? Because you know, you quoted something the President said that scared me. You said, you quoted him as saying 'either you're with us or you're with the terrorists,' and the President did make that statement. Don't question people's patriotism because they don't believe in the war."
Giuliani: "I do not."
Jones: "We love America! So why would the President make that statement? That scared me."
Giuliani: "It shouldn't because the president made that statement on September 20th."
Jones: "I don't care if he made it yesterday."
Giuliani: "He made it on September 20th of 2001, just a few days after the horrible attack on this city and Washington, DC."
Jones: "But you quoted it last night, Mr. Mayor!"
Giuliani: "I quoted it and gave you the date, because this country was united then."
Jones: "Do you believe that?"
Giuliani: "This country was united in the effort to go after terrorists and prevent what happened from happening again."
Jones: "Do you believe that today? 'Either you're with the terrorists or you're with us' -- that's not American!"
Giuliani: "Of course it's American."
Jones: "No, it's not! With 'us' -- who is 'us'?"
Giuliani: "You're either with the Nazis or you're with us. You're either with the Communists or you're with us."
Jones: "No, that's still not fair, Mr. Mayor. I'm surprised at you."
Giuliani: "Well, I'm surprised at you."
Jones: "I'm surprised you would say that."
Giuliani: "The terrorists killed almost 3,000 of our people. So what side are you on? Are you on their side or are you on our side?"
Jones: "I am on the side of men and women fighting in Iraq right now, and I want us to support those people."
Giuliani: "You can't be on their side and be on the side of the terrorists."
Jones: "No, being against the war is not on the side of the terrorists, okay?"
Giuliani: "Nobody is saying you can't be against the war. Nobody is saying that."
Vieira: "The implication is that if you disagree, I think, with the administration that somehow you are on the side of the terrorists."
Giuliani: "That isn't who George Bush said that to, that isn't what it means. That's a way of misunderstanding what he's saying, which is what people do to him all the time."
Jones: "Well, please clarify it for us."
Giuliani: "No, I'm not going to clarify. You're either with the terrorists or you're with us."
Jones: "Why not?"
Giuliani: "Because there is no distinction."
Audience member yells out: "Who's 'us'?"
Giuliani: "'Us' is the United States of America. The terrorists are the people who kill innocent people, the people who killed people in Madrid."
Behar: "We agree with that."
Jones: "We agree with that."
Giuliani: "Good, now we agree. Then why try to misunderstand it?"
Vieira: "Can you be on the side of 'us' and also believe that the war in Iraq is flawed and wrong?"
Giuliani: "Yes."
Vieira: "Fine, fine, fine. So you're running for President in 2008, correct?"
Did you ever notice that the Republican woman in the conversation is generally the more attractive one?
yep. one thing that hit me about the protests in new york is that almost to a person, these are some damn ugly people.
Dear Joy,
I was in downtown Manhattan on September 11th and, although it was not the first thing I uttered after the attacks, very early in the day I said, "Thank God that George Bush is our President and not Al Gore." It was not the only time I said it that day. (Or since.)
I feel bad for Elisabeth. She has to deal with these women every day. I'm surprised they haven't kicked her out yet.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck,
Formerly Elisabeth Filarski, is best known to audiences as a participant on the wildly popular second edition of the Survivor game show, Survivor: the Australian Outback. While competing in Australia, Ms. Hasselbeck used her competitive personality and survival skills to outwit and outlast her way to the final four.
A 1999 graduate from Boston College, Ms. Hasselbeck is married to NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck. While at Boston College, she captained her championship D-1 softball team, as her studies centered on her studio art major.
Ms. Hasselbeck has recently been putting her flair for fashion to good use as a host of the Style Network's The Look for Less, which helps viewers find designer looks at bargain prices. She has also hosted programs on MTV, and done commercial work for companies including Reebok, Johnson & Johnson and Proctor & Gamble.
Prior to her work on television, Ms. Hasselbeck designed shoes for PUMA, working on their street lifestyle design, while living in Boston. She does not stray far from the world of industrial design and fills her time painting, designing note cards and personalized planners, running, as well as relaxing with her husband, family and friends.
Ms. Hasselbeck grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. She dedicated the winter of 1997 in Belize to teaching children in the rain-forest, and spent three weeks in Italy in 2000 developing her designs to completion.
She describes herself as intuitive, mildly impulsive, faithful and devoted. Ms. Hasselbeck enjoys the game of football (particularly when her husband is on the field), partaking in outdoor sports and listening to her brother Ken's music.
Ms. Hasselbeck has a strong passion for working with Breast Cancer Prevention, Research and Support. She also dedicates her time to working with the youth of today in order to develop their self-esteem.
You're right - I got them messed up. In that case, Matt Hasselbeck is a very unfortunate man. ;)
Rudy was magnificent. I had no idea he was so tough.
The View is one of the worst.....
it is an embarrassing statement about emotive reasoning and harkens back to why a now defunct argument may have had some validity 100 years ago..lol
"Did you ever notice that the Republican woman in the conversation is generally the more attractive one?"
We Republican chicks are hotties!
Those pigs will can Hasslebeck soon enuff....their resentment for babes is palpable.
Giuliani used and abused those poor women (grin!). Notice that he has shaped the political battlefield for us. They had to defend Al Gore, and then they realized that they couldn't.
The Left doesn't have the sort of leader on tap who will relentlessly pursue terrorists, but that's what they are arguing about now...who will be the better anti-terror leader.
Giuliani prepped the battlefield to our choosing. So long as the debate is over which leader will best pursue terrorists, we've won. They can nuance all day long, it won't help them.
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
I can only guess that it's because liberal boys never try to make a move on you without the U.N. Security Council's approval. Plus, it's no fun riding around in those dinky little hybrid cars. My pretty-girl allies stick out like a sore thumb amongst the corn-fed, no make-up, natural fiber, no-bra needing, sandal-wearing, hirsute, somewhat fragrant hippie-chick pie wagons they call "women" at the Democratic National Convention.
Where else could a bunch of obnoxious, no talent, unfunny, band of witches earn a living showcasing their moribund intellectual skills. I can't believe anyone would even tune in to these mindless malcontents.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck seemed to be the only one who wasn't in some kind of alternate reality.
I wrote her an email thanking her for her classy and professional demeanor which made the other two look like the biased amateurs they are.
If she responds, I'll paste it here...after I pick myself up off the floor.
We loved Elizabeth on Survivor. I'm glad to hear she is one os US!
How can these "ladies" be such idiots?
Pres Bush aimed his "With us or with the terrorists" statement at OTHER COUNTRIES, not the other political party!
"And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html
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