From Giuliani comes a revealing rant

CONCORD MONITOR ^ | 25 FEBRUARY 2007 | Hillary Nelson

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Temper, thin skin may hurt candidate

Have you ever noticed how really macho guys will dress in drag at the drop of a hat? Try inviting a football team to a Halloween party and you'll see what I mean. I don't know why this is so, but it is. Which is why the video of Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani that's burning up You Tube, in which America's Mayor dresses in swishy silk, red lipstick and a blond wig, doesn't seem entirely out of character.

Recorded for a press roast in 2000, the video also features a lascivious Donald Trump (playing himself) fondling Hizzoner's (Herroner's?) pneumatic breasts.

Creepy, yes. Misogynistic, yes. Embarrassing, you bet. But not necessarily out of character for a man who'd spent most of his career being a professional tough guy. And not out of character for a lame-duck mayor, unpopular with much of his constituency, who believed that his political career was at an end. Who, a year before his reputation would be resurrected in the wake of 9/11, had no idea that he'd ever be running for president.

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center changed Giuliani's fortunes in the space of a few days. His relentless on-camera stoicism in the first hours after the Trade Center collapsed - when our president looked like a deer caught in the headlights and the vice president was nowhere to be seen - calmed a terrified nation.

When several days later Oprah Winfrey dubbed Giuliani "America's Mayor," even Giulani's critics, and there were many, couldn't argue with the honorific. He was even named Time's Person of the Year.

Since then, based on that one horrible day in his long political career, Giuliani has built a multimillion-dollar consulting company. He commands astronomical fees for speaking engagements. And he's announced he's running for president. In fact, recent polling data (realclearpolitics.com) show Giuliani with a nearly 15 percent average lead over his closest competitor, John McCain.

But now that he's taken such a commanding lead, Giuliani is going to face scrutiny of his career before 9/11 and since. And frankly, his turn as a drag queen is going to be the least of his worries.

Giuliani is a problematic candidate for the Christian conservative wing of the Republican Party. He started his political career as a Democrat and still maintains liberal positions on abortion, gay rights and gun control. And then, Rudy isn't exactly a family values poster boy. He's been married three times. When he decided to leave his second wife and two children for his girlfriend, he held a press conference to announce it - without bothering to let his wife know about his plans.

The ferret fiasco

Although Giuliani may hope that his progressive social beliefs will win him a big cross-over vote from registered Democrats, revelations about his high-handed, autocratic mayoral style will certainly scare off lovers of free speech, freedom of the press and civil liberties.

Rudy's dislike of the press was notorious, earning him a reputation for "ridiculously thin skin and a mile-wide mean streak." He had a dreadful relationship with the black community, exacerbated by his stubborn support for the NYPD in the wake of police scandals involving the beating and sodomizing of a male prisoner and the shooting deaths of several unarmed men.

And then Giuliani became obsessed with seemingly minor issues in a way that seemed almost pathological. His attempt to cut funding for a Brooklyn art museum after it showed artwork he deemed offensive is perhaps the best known such incident.

But much more telling, I think, was his dust-up with the ferret lovers of New York City. In May 2001, the city council of New York considered doing away with a 1959 ban on owning ferrets. Giuliani was having none of it, calling ferrets wild animals like tigers. The ban remained in place.

When David Guthartz of New York Ferrets' Rights Advocacy called Giuliani's weekly radio program to press again for the rights of pet owners, the mayor went ballistic.

"There's something deranged about you," he told Guthartz. "The excessive concern that you have for ferrets is something you should examine with a therapist, not with me."

When the caller objected to the mayor's characterization, he was cut off.

Giuliani then began a three minute rant - a lifetime on radio - that reveals more about his own emotional issues than the caller's (you can listen to the entire segment at thislife.org, episode 146, 12/10/99). He comes across as an angry, rude man, disgusted by the very idea of ferrets, and revealingly conversant in the kind of psychobabble that people pick up in the therapist's office.

It's one of the funniest pieces of radio I've ever heard. Or rather, it would be funny if it weren't real. And if the man who made it weren't leading the early polls for the presidential nomination.

[Eagles Talon IV]

"I'm still not voting for him but I like him."

If he is nominated and you will not vote for him I guess that means you will be voting for Hillary...right?

[Ge0ffrey]

You can see the work of art on this website:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec99/art_10-8.html

[Vision]

Neither have I

[FreeReign]

And then Giuliani became obsessed with seemingly minor issues in a way that seemed almost pathological. His attempt to cut funding for a Brooklyn art museum after it showed artwork he deemed offensive is perhaps the best known such incident.

The art work seemed pathological.

[narses]

Pro-Illegal Immigration

As Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics has pointed out, Rudy is an adherent of the same approach to illegal immigration that John McCain, Ted Kennedy, George Bush, and Harry Reid have championed:

"While McCain has taken heat for his support of comprehensive immigration reform, Rudy is every bit as pro-immigration as McCain - if not more so. On the O'Reilly Factor last week Giuliani argued for a "practical approach" to immigration and cited his efforts as Mayor of New York City to "regularize" illegal immigrants by providing them with access to city services like public education to "make their lives reasonable." Giuliani did say that "a tremendous amount of money should be put into the physical security" needed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants coming across the border, but his overall position on immigration is essentially indistinguishable from McCain's."

That's bad enough. But, as Michelle Malkin has revealed, under Giuliani, New York was an illegal alien sanctuary and "America's Mayor" actually sued the federal government in an effort to keep New York City employees from having to cooperate with the INS:

"When Congress enacted immigration reform laws that forbade local governments from barring employees from cooperating with the INS, Mayor Rudy Giuliani filed suit against the feds in 1997. He was rebuffed by two lower courts, which ruled that the sanctuary order amounted to special treatment for illegal aliens and were nothing more than an unlawful effort to flaunt federal enforcement efforts against illegal aliens. In January 2000, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, but Giuliani vowed to ignore the law."

If you agree with the way that Nancy Pelosi and Company deal with illegal immigration, then you'll find the way that Rudy Giuliani tackles the issue to be right down your alley.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF GIULIANI'S LEFT-WING POLITICAL POSITIONS

[advance_copy]

I think he said the right thing to the jerk caller. And the drag video is really no big deal to me. But, can you imagine what the press would with it if a video like of George Bush were out there? They'd have a field day. SNL skits, Jay Leno jokes... the fat ugly chicks on "the view" would go off on a regular basis. That's exactly what they will do to Giuliani if gets anywhere close to the Presidency. Just cannot take that chance.

[Delphinium]

This guy is nuts, wanting to control which pets some people choose? WOW, he is a control maniac.

When David Guthartz of New York Ferrets' Rights Advocacy called Giuliani's weekly radio program to press again for the rights of pet owners, the mayor went ballistic.

"There's something deranged about you," he told Guthartz. "The excessive concern that you have for ferrets is something you should examine with a therapist, not with me."

When the caller objected to the mayor's characterization, he was cut off.

Giuliani then began a three minute rant - a lifetime on radio - that reveals more about his own emotional issues than the caller's (you can listen to the entire segment at thislife.org, episode 146, 12/10/99). He comes across as an angry, rude man, disgusted by the very idea of ferrets, and revealingly conversant in the kind of psychobabble that people pick up in the therapist's office.

It's one of the funniest pieces of radio I've ever heard. Or rather, it would be funny if it weren't real. And if the man who made it weren't leading the early polls for the presidential nomination.

[Torie]

Nah, I think it humanizes him, and will make Rudy even more popular, particularly in some of the Kerry states. I am not worried at all about the impact on voters when they see the video of Rudy being in drag for a charity function. If that is the best Rudy's opponents have, this election is over before it even begins. JMO.

[ImpBill]

Went to the thislife.org and episode 146 seems to be about rats. Different episode perhaps?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

http://www.unitync.net/Broadway2004/HoneyBun5.jpg

Or saw "South Pacific".

[CindyDawg]

Nah, right the opposite.. With the Republicans that are locked in on Rudy , and the Dems that will cross over for him, I hope yall can pull enough of Hillary's side away, so the rest of us can slip a conservative president into the White House.

[Doctor Raoul]

During the Senate campaign, some Freepers went to Tuxedo Park to cheer on Rudy. Unlike Hillary's appearance just a few weeks prior, there was no "martial law" atmosphere in town that day. There were so many police cars when Hillary was there it looked like a scene from "The Fugative" or "Smoky and The Bandidt".

So while we're waiting, a Tahoe and an Impala turn up the hill towards the gated community of Tuxedo Park, but when it gets there, they stop at the parking lot briefly, and then turn around and come back down. They pull into the rain station lot next o where we were lining the road. In a heartbeat, Giuliani is out of the Tahoe and walking along the road towards the group.

For safety's sake we get him to move back to the parking lot where he suggest we all forma group and take photos, an aide does the honors wih all our cameras. He shook every hand in the group, including mine. I'm "Queen Hillary" in a long black robe with a high gold collar, a blond wig and two crowns, one on top of the other and a sign, "Queen Hillary, Thy Senator".

Now he's already shaken my hand, but about half way to the Tahoe, he turns and makes a beeline back to me. He shakes my hand again, grins, says, "You look good" and then laughs his ass off.

[x]

I guess Democrat pranksters will come to Rudy rallies dressed
A) as ferrets or
B) in drag or
C) as ferrets in drag.

[Condor51]

Have you ever noticed how really macho guys will dress in drag at the drop of a hat?

Uh, no 'Hillary', I haven't. However when I was young we had an 18 yo neighbor 'kid' who would --- but he was GAY. (His whole family was FUBAR)

America's Mayor dresses in swishy silk, red lipstick and a blond wig, doesn't seem entirely out of character .... for a .. tough guy who...

EVADED THE DRAFT. C'mon 'Hillary' (and Rudybots), explain THAT. Explain how the cross-dressing 'tough guy' Rudy is the 'only one' that can now 'protect us' when he evaded the Draft.

Rudy, like Clinton was IS a DRAFT DODGER.

Dammit to hell, the mutt wouldn't even fake it like Kerry and join the Reserves. Even Willard faked it a bit before he ran to England. Not Rudy, no. He just went to a "Friendly Federal Judge" and with his help -- EVADED THE DRAFT!!!

Jeez Louise, Klintoon was eviscerated as a Draft Dodger and NOW the GOP is letting Rudy the DRAFT DODGER run for POTUS in a time of WAR. AND being pimped no less, as the 'strongest' candidate on 'Defense'?!? That is %^$#$ absurd!

ps: Draft Dodger Rudy is NOT America's Mayor. Not now, not after 9-11, not ever.

[NativeNewYorker]

Rudy is not perfect. He certainly isn't a saint. But is he likely to be a better president than the others? My g-d, can you imagine the path history would take if my junior senator sat at the desk where Monica plied her trade?

[Past Your Eyes]

[upsdriver]

"Anyway, I HATE ferrets!"

Maybe you're not preparing them properly.

[BykrBayb]

Thanks for pointing that out. It starts about 22 minutes into the program.

[RegulatorCountry]

Captain Queegliani ... "aahh, but the ferrets."

[ElPatriota]

...Giuliani is a problematic candidate for the Christian conservative wing of the Republican Party. He started his political career as a Democrat and still maintains liberal positions on abortion, gay rights and gun control. And then, Rudy isn't exactly a family values poster boy. He's been married three times. When he decided to leave his second wife and two children for his girlfriend, he held a press conference to announce it - without bothering to let his wife know about his plans...

If Newt - whom I like - was not good enough to be "Duncan's Vice President," (per my Vanity post of yesterday [chucking]), this guy will certainly does not STAND A CHANCE with conservatives... The more the campaign advances the more resolute we'll be in defeating him... You bet :)