As ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani testifies at a hearing in Manhattan by the 9/11 commission, Sally Regenhard, whose son Christian died in the World Trade Center, yells out in protest.
Posted on 05/19/2004 11:09:39 AM PDT by presidio9
Interrupted twice by outbursts from angry family members of Sept. 11th victims today, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said "their anger should be directed at the terrorists and compassion showed for all others."
While members of a federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks lobbed mostly softball questions at the mayor during his testimony, audience members shouted: "One-sided!" and "Put us on the panel!"
"Three thousand are dead, does that make a great leader? .... Let us ask the mayor some good questions. Give me two minutes to ask a couple of real questions. ... "I want to know why 300 firefighters died?
During his testimony, Giuliani said warnings of a possible attack on New York City contained in an August 2001 White House briefing paper that never reached City Hall likely would not have changed local security measures.
The Aug. 6, 2001, intelligence briefing for President Bush referred to evidence of buildings in New York possibly being cased by terrorists. It mentioned New York or the World Trade Center three times.
"If that information had been given to us, or more warnings had been given in the summer of 2001, I can't honestly tell you we'd do anything differently," Giuliani testified.
"We were doing at the time everything we could think of ... to protect the city."
Giuliani said the briefings he received from federal officials indicated that New York's bridges, tunnels and subways were more likely targets.
"I do think the interpretation would have been more in the direction of suicide bombings than aerial attacks," Giuliani said one day after his top commissioners were grilled over their Sept. 11 response.
It was about 90 minutes into his testimony that Giuliani was shouted down by family members of the trade center victims.
"My son was murdered!" yelled Sally Regenhard, who lost her firefighter son in the attack. Others in the audience shouted about the failure of Fire Department radios, shouting, "Talk about the radios!"
"You're simply wasting time at this point," commission head Thomas Kean told the family members.
"YOU'RE wasting time!" came the angry reply.
The mayor, in his opening statement to the national commission, said that its priority should be preventing a new attack, not assigning blame.
"Our enemy is not each other, but the terrorists who attacked us," Giuliani told the panel. The mayor acknowledged there were "terrible mistakes" made on Sept. 11, but attributed that to the unprecedented circumstances.
"The blame should clearly be directed at one source and one source alone, the terrorists who killed our loved ones," Giuliani said as family members broke into applause.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Key
Objectively, I truly cannot see the purpose of having spouses/friends/relatives of 9/11 victims present at this commission if the function of the comm. is to "learn from past mistakes" vis a vis preparedness.
As a former tennant of 1 WTC, who lost several close friends (but luckily no family members) I have to say that I am sick and tired of the liberal family members who are shamelessly politicizing this event.
As much as I sympathize with them about their lost family members, I believe that some of these people would sacrifice another child in order to stay in the spotlight for an additional year or two. Their whining is accomplishing nothing. It is becoming annoying.
damnit! When is Bush going to replace the "walking heart-attack" with Rudy! Bush should think about the future.....one that DOESNT include Dick Clark as President! Didnt we learn anything after the Dole campaign?
Two thoughts:
1) Do ya think those who lost loved ones in the deliberate attack might be biased in their feelings?
2) If Rudy runs for Pres. in '08 - and I'm still alive - he has my vote.
As ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani testifies at a hearing in Manhattan by the 9/11 commission, Sally Regenhard, whose son Christian died in the World Trade Center, yells out in protest.
These greedy, obnoxious 9-11 families have got NO MORE invested in this than the rest of the United States! They are NOT on higher ground than those of us whose reletives were not in the towers.
On 9-11 the UNITED STATES was attacked - the "victims" are just that-VICTIMS. They have no higher authority - nor have they lost more that ALL OF US lost.
I'm rambling I know, but I am SICK and TIRED of hanging on every word that is spoken by the "victims" a-hole families! Our sons and daughters are at WAR they are DYING because of the 9-11 victim families.
STFU you effing bunch of liberal, greedy, SOB's!!!!!
Rudy is a great crisis mayor. He is also pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, and pro-gun control. He would be a disaster as President.
His name is Christopher Brodeur. Unlike the other protestors, he is not identified as the relative of ANY victim. Additionally, I checked the victim's like. There are no Broduer's on it. This does not mean that he couldn't have had a married sister who died, but I doubt it.
He has always been a critic of Rudy. A lexis nexus would turn up a bundle on him and his antics.
Hightlight: "the second reason I'm running is more plausible, and that is to embarrass the republicans"
The loud mouthpieces with the "Blame everybody but the terrorist" attitude, are rude, obnoxious, and in some cases, probably looking for more money. They're using the deaths of their children to express their own political opinions. The press of course, is more than happy to accept their rantings as the opinion of all the families, and nothing could be farther from the truth.
There is a silent majority of victims families who support Rudy, the Fire Dept. and the President.
They may not blat every time somebody says jump, but they'll be voting in November. And they won't be voting for Kerry. Many of them arn't even silent, but the press tends to ignore them.
Wait a sec....so if Dick were to run agasint Rudy for the nomination....you think Dick would win? No chance!
besides....with Bush supporting free trade, amnesty aka WORK PROGRAMS for illegals and tax-cut and spending...Bush isnt acting all CONSERVATIVE himself these days
For which party?
Which of these policies would you say that Rudy opposes?
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