Posted on 02/20/2015 2:13:25 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said today that he feels "sorry" for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is under fire for recently questioning President Obama's love for America.
"I feel sorry for Rudy Giuliani today," Earnest said at the White House press briefing.
"It's sad to see when somebody who's attained a certain level of public stature and even admiration tarnishes that legacy so thoroughly," Earnest said of the former Republican mayor.
Earnest said the president has expressed his love for America on numerous occasions and highlighted the last line of this year's State of the Union address when President Obama said "God bless this country we love."
At a private dinner in New York City on Wednesday, Giuliani, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2008, said he does not believe President Obama loves America.
"I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America," Giuliani said, according to Politico. "He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up, through love of this country."
Giuliani doubled down on his comments in an interview with FOX News on Thursday.
Asked if he wanted to apologize for his comments, the former New York City mayor said, "Not at all. I want to repeat them."
"I don't hear from him what I heard from Harry Truman, what I heard from Bill Clinton, what I heard from Jimmy Carter, which is these wonderful words about what a great country we are, what an exceptional country we are," Giuliani said. "I'm right about this. I have no doubt about it. I do not withdraw my words."
In a separate interview with the New York Times, Giuliani dismissed criticism that his comments were racist.
"Some people thought it was racist - I thought that was a joke, since he was brought up by a white mother, a white grandfather, went to white schools, and most of this he learned from white people," Giuliani said. "This isn't racism. This is socialism or possibly anti-colonialism."
Democrats quickly rebuked Giuliani for his comments and criticized Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who was in attendance at the dinner, for not condemning the comments.
"In all seriousness, I rarely agreed with President Bush, but I never questioned his love for our country. I don't often agree with my Republican colleagues on the Hill, but I know they love America," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Thursday. "Is this what it's really come to? Really?"
"One of the GOP frontrunners was sitting just feet away, and didn't say a word," Wasserman Schultz said of Walker.
"If the Republican Party really wants to be taken seriously, really wants to avoid its problems of the past, now is the time for its leaders to stop this kind of nonsense. Enough," she said. "I would challenge my Republican colleagues and anyone in the Republican Party to say enough. They need to start leading."
Several Republican presidential contenders have declined to weigh in on Giuliani's controversial comments.
"The mayor can speak for himself," Walker said in an interview with CNBC Thursday. "I'm not going to comment on what the President thinks or not. He can speak for himself as well."
"Perhaps he should have chosen different phraseology for his remarks. The level of the President's love for our country is immaterial at this juncture. What President Obama has obviously demonstrated for everyone is that he is incapable of successfully executing his duties as our Commander in Chief," Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said. "The gist of what Mayor Giuliani said - that the President has shown himself to be completely unable to speak the truth about the nature of the threats from these ISIS terrorists- is true."
"If you are looking for someone to condemn the Mayor, look elsewhere," Jindal added.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Republicans shouldn't be expected to account for every comment made by a fellow Republican.
"I don't feel like I'm in a position to have to answer for everyone in my party who makes a claim. Democrats aren't asked to answer every time Joe Biden says something embarrassing," Rubio told ABC affiliate WPBF. "I don't know why I should answer every time a republican does. So I will suffice it to say I believe the President loves America. His ideas are bad."
The White House made a subtle dig at Giuliani in a tweet on Thursday, using the hashtag "#ObamaLovesAmerica"
Now let’s see which Republicans back away from Rudi.
Can you spell Jeb?
I doubt the White House gives a pig's hind tit about you. I think they're giving less than a rat's ass about me.
Does Obama love America or not? Don’t just shoot the messenger...
Good job Rudy.
Hopefully we are on the cusp of open revolt to following the dictates of our Richard Potatoe.
Look who is talking.
“After Giuliani’s terms as mayor completed, Kerik became a founder of Giuliani Partners.
Giuliani then pushed President George W. Bush to nominate Kerik to be Secretary of Homeland Security, at which point multiple scandals derailed the nomination and Kerik’s career; subsequently Kerik pled guilty to corruption charges dating from his Corrections days (1999). (He pled guilty in Bronx court to state misdemeanor charges related to undeclared acceptance of $165,000 in apartment renovations performed by Interstate Industrial, a reputably mob-associated firm.”
“It’s sad to see when somebody who’s attained a certain level of public stature and even admiration tarnishes that legacy so thoroughly,”
Boy, that quote’s gonna come back around one day.
Telling the truth does not tarnish anyone’s reputation. Rudy has stood up and told the truth when so many politicians are too. cowardly to do so.
If Earnst thinks telling the truth “tarnishes” a reputation he can be assured Obama never has.
Hey Debbie, what are the GOP’s “problems of its past”??? The KKK? Slavery? Jim Crow? A President who flat-out LIED to the American people and sent 58,000 soldiers to their deaths in Vietnam? A President who handed Iran over to Islamowackos? How about pouring yourself a nice warm cup of STFU, honey!
Two thumbs DOWN to Rubio. Boo, hiss.
I don't see how that could be possible. That would be like asking someone about an elephant in a telephone booth.
Completely agree. It’s time we start defined out OWN!
In my mind, it put Rudy back in the 2016 conversation. Most of the other in the GOP continue to tiptoe around criticizing the kenyan bastard, but America needs someone with gonads!
Rush was reminding everybody today that he said the same things about 0bama in 2008 and wondered why everybody’s so alarmed about Rudy’s remarks now.
Ditto !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rudy doesn't need to apology or finesse or nuance this one. Doubling down (tripling even) is the way to go.
Heard him on Fox & Friends, heard clips from Kelly, and I'm sure he's making the rounds now as he's probably everyone's Must Get guest right now.
Rudy gave specific examples. This administration has provided ZERO examples of Obama’s love for this country. All they’re doing is attacking Rudy, and that speaks volumes.
“God bless this country we love.”
Yet another LIE to add to the list!
What if everyone shared the contempt the President Obama has displayed for for this country? What reason would we have to continue to support such a country?
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