First, We "Elected" Billary. Are We About To "Elect" Rudith?

The Stiletto ^ | April 2, 2007 | The Stiletto

[theothercheek]

Rudy Giuliani made the first serious blunder of his presidential campaign in a "20/20" interview that was broadcast on Friday. No, not the bit about wife, Judith, having a "secret" husband before marrying and divorcing Bruce Nathan, then wedding Rudy in 2003. That other bit, when Rudy told Barbara Walters that he would allow his wife to sit in on Cabinet meetings if he wins the White House: "If she wanted to. If they were relevant to something that she was interested in. I mean that would be something that I'd be very, very comfortable with." The First Lady hopeful, a nurse, unhelpfully chimed in to specify that she was particularly interested in health care.

It’s déjà vu all over again.

As columnist and blogger Dean Barnett puts it: "Bill Clinton gave Hillary Clinton 14% of the American economy to toy with as a cat does a terrified mouse." He adds that "Mrs. Clinton's effort to impose Hillary-Care on an unwilling nation was a historic blunder" and "an outrageous act of nepotism" that "violated deeply held American values" rooted in our Founding Fathers' having quite deliberately chosen to "avoid the trappings of monarchy."

Barnett explains:

"In the system they designed, the President would be no king and his wife, therefore, would be no queen. Until the Clintons, every prior president showed a demonstrable understanding of this basic fact. …

Where the Giulianis truly stumbled was in assuming that the Clintons established a new norm. Quite the contrary, the Clintons' dalliance with monarchial privilege was not only disastrous but widely unpopular. Bill Clinton's appointment of his wife to a role of such import was a moment of historic arrogance.

To his credit – or to the credit of his advisors – Rudy immediately realized he had strayed into a minefield and beat a hasty retreat in a statement issued late Friday. The Associated Press reports:

"Obviously, she will not be a Cabinet member or attend most Cabinet meetings _ if any. But she will pursue a campaign to educate Americans on preventing illness and promoting overall health." …

[T]he former mayor sought to play down his own remarks and suggested any discussion of a policy role for his wife was merely prompted by Walters' questioning. …

"Like most couples, we rely on each other and support each other, but we have different interests. My interest is in politics and deciding policy. Judith is a nurse. Her interest is in educating people on how to stay healthy."

In a column titled, "Rudy’s The One," publisher and flat-tax advocate Steve Forbes explains his decision to back Rudy’s candidacy: He cut New York City’s crime and welfare in half; displayed "Churchillian leadership" in the days after the terrorist attacks on 9/11; and is the only "real fiscal conservative" in the race, having cut both taxes and the size of government, and having turned a $2.3 billion dollar budget deficit inherited from David Dinkins into a multibillion dollar surplus. No one will write a column, editorial or commentary, "Rudith’s The One."

Americans are not voting for – and emphatically do not want – a "two-fer." Rudy and Judy need to understand this – and to demonstrate to voters that they do.

NOTE: In case I did not put all the links in correctly, this is the second item in a feature called The Daily Blade and follows an article titled, "See Something, Say Something, Get Sued By CAIR."

[Coldwater Creek]

My guess before this election cycle is over George and Laura Bush are going to look a lot like George and Martha Washington.

The field of candidates is pathetic.

[Vaquero]

My guess before this election cycle is over George and Laura Bush are going to look a lot like George and Martha Washington. The field of candidates is pathetic.

well your own tag line has the answer.....Fred Thompson for President!!

[LIConFem]

I'm not a Rudy supporter, but this is a tempest in a teacup. There are plenty of legitimate reasons not to support moderates in the primary without manufacturing more.

[johnny7]

The two-fer deal is the least of my worries about Giuliani. And I didn't vote for the first, stinking two-fers either.

[panthermom]

My choice for President is Duncan Hunter, had he went on TV and said that his wife would be sitting in on cabinet meetings, it would give me pause. The Rudy Judy lovefest is enough to make me hurl. I can't wait for the Rudy folks to defend him on this. Oh wait, I know what they'll say, "really its no big deal, he's the ONLY one who can beat the terrorists and Hillary".

[Coldwater Creek]

Disgusting isn't it?

[theothercheek]

There are good reasons to support Rudy despite his social liberalism and Steve Forbes lists them in his column - and I say this as a Duncan Hunter fan, but let's face it he's not going to be in the top tier. However, this Rudy-Judy thing is stupid and indefensible. Judy wants to be the next Mother Theresa and minister to the sick, fine. More than fine - we need skilled nurses, especially at our military hospitals. But sitting in on cabinet meetings. No way. Ever.

[Oztrich Boy]

Oh wait, I know what they'll say, "really its no big deal, he's the ONLY one who can beat the terrorists and Hillary".

Be fair BaWa is more terrifying than Hillary and the Terrorists.

[sportutegrl]

The real issue, it seems to me, is that I don't get to vote, anyway. I live in Pennsylvania, and get my GOP candidate picked for me by the New Hampshire libs. None of this matters unless we have a single nationwide day for primaries.

[raybbr]

"Rudith" ping

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Judolph?

[betsyross1776]

Be careful, Rudy's people will come after you in here and they are nasty. They remind me of the Clinton police. Rudy has too much baggage and it is going to come out in the wash. I don't see him as the American hero they are making him out to be.I think we all , us conservatives, better take a good look and support another candidate before Carvelle and Bagalla get their hands on Rudith. The more I see these Rudyites in here , the way they try the New York bully on people ,the more I think we conservatives are supporting the wrong guy. Look what they did to Bush with one DUI, which he was never even charged with. Hanover, his first wife ,and a lot if New Yorkers don't like Rudy and his wife. I do not want to see Hillary in the White House. That is what will happen if we continue down this path. We have to work for another person. I a leaning to Rommney , as a Catholic , the man lives a clean life and loves his wife. Looks to me like another GW Bush. I like that.

[betsyross1776]

I could go for that guy also.

[betsyross1776]

They do not defend this in here. they come like rabid dogs who have not eaten in a week. Sound familiar, remember the Clinton police. Well take a look at the way his people act in here. Do you really want them in charge.This article is right on the money.

[not2worry]

I guess we are going to have a National Day of TAKE YOUR WIFE TO WORK DAY.

IMHO this was one huge mistake by Guliani. If Mrs. G wants to be President, then let her run.

Maybe he can now add her to the ticket for VP if he has that much confidence in her wisdom.

[Valin]

FYI

Home > Issues > Campaign Finance Reform
http://web.archive.org/web/20020817064152/thompson.senate.gov/issues/finance_reform.htm

Senator Thompson has been a supporter of the McCain/Feingold campaign finance legislation. That bill would ban the unlimited amounts of soft money that currently flow into the coffers of the national parties and helped create the numerous scandals and violations we saw in the 1996 presidential campaign. Senator Thompson believes that by banning soft money contributions and fully disclosing the source of donations to political campaigns the American people will be able to have more confidence that the decisions made by their leaders will be free from the influence of big money donors.

[betsyross1776]

I think he is too liberal to take on the terrorists. I think she would talk him out of any action he would take. I don't want another wife in the White House making policy. We did that with Clinton. Judy is no conservative, you can tell that in her life style and the way she chases men. I don't want her there to make America the way it was during Clinton.

[theothercheek]

Well, to be fair, HE's the one who's running for office and she's just along for the rollercoaster ride. If it were reversed, then Judolph would be more accurate.

[Valin]

Giuliani: Wife Won't Be Cabinet Member
http://www.townhall.com/News/newsarticle.aspx?ContentGuid=8f79a614-57b7-4212-a356-4e28ff91c9ec

Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani said Friday his wife will not be a member of his Cabinet or attend most high-level meetings as he sought to clarify his previous statements suggesting she would play a significant role in his administration.

Giuliani, in interview comments released Thursday, had said he'd be open to his wife attending Cabinet meetings on issues in which she's interested. "If she wanted to. If they were relevant to something that she was interested in. I mean that would be something that I'd be very, very comfortable with," Giuliani told Barbara Walters on ABC News' "20/20."

Late Friday, the Giuliani campaign issued a statement in which the former New York City mayor suggested that would not be the case.

"Obviously, she will not be a Cabinet member or attend most Cabinet meetings _ if any. But she will pursue a campaign to educate Americans on preventing illness and promoting overall health."

(snip)

"Judith and I got a good laugh after we heard that she would be a member of the Cabinet, especially after she made it clear in the interview with Barbara Walters that she is not particularly interested in politics or policy," he said. "Like most couples, we rely on each other and support each other, but we have different interests. My interest is in politics and deciding policy. Judith is a nurse. Her interest is in educating people on how to stay healthy."

(snip)