Posted on 04/04/2007 5:46:03 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
home : news : local news : top stories My opinion: Lawrence J. De Maria - On Rudy, Steve Forbes is right By: Lawrence J. De Maria 04/03/2007 email this storyEmail to a friendpost a commentPost a Commentprinter friendlyPrinter-friendly Western Civilization is fortunate that Winston Churchill did not have to face the idiocy of a modern American presidential campaign. He never would have gotten the chance to save it.
One can imagine the naysayers: "The man who planned Gallipoli can't be trusted with our national security." Or, "he drinks too much." How about, "his mother had affairs and his father had syphilis." All true, by the way. And all totally irrelevant to Churchill's ability to lead (although early experiences and family history certainly shaped his character).
Which brings me to Rudy Giuliani, who many people believe may be the man of the hour in this time of national crisis brought on by an administration whose sins are too numerous to mention. (Well, I'll mention a few: botching the hunt for Osama bin Laden; subverting legitimate national anger and bipartisan support to avenge 9/11 by going to war in Iraq; absurd military incompetence in waging that war and its aftermath; fiscal profligacy; obsequiousness to Saudi Arabia based on family ties; cronyism and no-bid contracts).
But Rudy might not get his hour. Despite almost universal praise for his "Churchillian" actions and demeanor after the attack on New York City, his life before and after 9/11 is being systematically deconstructed in an effort to deny him a shot at the White House. Let me be clear. I didn't agree with everything Rudy Giuliani did as Mayor of New York. He was, in many instances, too high handed, and even arrogant. He made a lot of people apoplectic. Even after cutting crime to the point where New York became the safest big city in the United States (heck, safer than many small towns); ridding the streets of beggars, vagrants, squeegee men and public urinators; turning a huge budget deficit into a surplus; creating more than 400,000 jobs - all of which led to the renaissance of New York as one of the greatest cities in the world - there were still plenty of people who wanted his scalp. And they probably would have gotten it had not he showed such courage and grace under fire on 9/11. Even his biggest detractors were glad he was at the helm that day, just as the British were glad Winston Churchill (brandy and all) was around to form a government when Hitler (a vegetarian teetotaler) was at the gates.
But now the knives are out again. Some union firefighters are blaming him for not supplying the proper radios on 9/11 and putting the city's emergency command center too close to the Twin Towers. His personal life, and his relationship with his children, is mined for scandal. His choice of friends, subordinates and supporters is criticized. And this is only the beginning. Just wait. Political opponents will trot out the fact that Giuliani's father spent time in Sing-Sing (armed robbery) to link the son with organized crime. This, despite the fact that, as a U.S. Attorney, Rudy Giuliani decimated the mob in New York City, and continued to battle it as mayor.
Considering that old man Giuliani moved his family from Brooklyn to Long Island to get them away from mob influence, and that Rudy, himself, uses the term "Mafia" freely when other Italian-Americans shy away from the phrase, this smear is truly despicable. (When I hear the term "organized crime," I think of Halliburton.)
The common thread among anti-Rudy ideologues is the belief that a leader must kowtow to their agenda before being allowed to lead. The Rudy haters on the left are the most vocal, and well-known. Giuliani gored many of their oxen when he straightened out New York.
But the haters on the right are just as bad, and are harping about his stands on certain social issues, and his celebrated prosecutions of Wall Street criminals. They must have gotten quite a shock when Steve Forbes, who no one will confuse with Ted Kennedy or Ralph Nader, endorsed Giuliani's candidacy. In an Op-Ed article in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes noted that, as mayor, Giuliani initiated conservative tax-cutting fiscal policies (against fanatic opposition) that actually worked, and that there is no reason to believe he wouldn't pursue such policies at the national level. (Whether he can push through the flat tax plan that Steve Forbes favors is another matter.
A disclaimer: I worked for Steve Forbes once. He recently sent me a copy of his book about the flat tax. It makes a lot of sense to me, as would any plan that simplifies our grotesque tax code to the point where most Americans could mail their return in on a postcard, doing away with the army of tax advisers that rule our lives - not to mention the absurd Alternative Minimum Tax that now savages the middle class.)
Did Rudy Giuliani make mistakes leading up to 9/11? Of course he did (Churchill made a bunch of them before - and during - World War II). Should Rudy have vetted Bernard Kerik, his disgraced former Police Commissioner and business partner, better? Undoubtedly. Do I wish his personal life was less messy and his current wife could recall all her ex-husbands? You bet. Do I want him to cut his ties to old-time political hacks like Guy Molinari (who's running his New York campaign)? Please.
Will any of this matter to me if Rudy is in the White House when Osama bin Laden comes calling again?
Not in the least.
Sorry about the messy posting.
The first line starts here:
“Western Civilization is fortunate that Winston Churchill did not have to face the idiocy of a modern American presidential campaign. He never would have gotten the chance to save it.”
Rudy has already lost his chance at winning the nomination, he is an empty suit with no real convictions. He panders to the media as was the case with will his wife sit in on cabinet meetings, he was for it until he learned that the voters were against it, then oif course he changed his mind until of course he is elected, then it would of course be okay again.
Go home Rudy the RINO.
Oh Please...
Despite almost universal praise for his “Churchillian” actions and demeanor after the attack on New York City,
His actions were not “Churchillian” and what he faced was nothing compared to what Churchill faced.
This garbage gets posted on FreeRepublic by the very same people who jump all over the MSM for demeaning conservative views in order to promote Democrats. Even the language here is similar: "certain social issues" (euphemism for abortion/gays) is obviously a takeoff on the media's constant reference to partial-birth abortion as a "certain late-term procedure."
Rudy closed the barn door after the horses got out on 9/11.
not that he could have done anything to prevent it....but tell me, what did he do after 9/11...he mobilized the police and fire departments, he tightened security and told the Muslim prince that he would not take his blood money check.
these are things I would have expected from most Mayors...(you know, not Dinkins...but Koch and even Beam would have told the Prince, ‘GFU’.)
this does not give him presidential timber.
As with all prominent endorsements, “follow the money”.
Forbes expects monitary gain with Rudy. It has nothing to do with how “good a leader” Giuliani may be for America.
thats GFY.....
I used to suspectt
at Florida was a wholly owned subsidiary of New York; now I have proof.
Which Rudy are you talking about?
You can like or hate his positions on one thing or another, but "no real convictions"? What's the color of the sky in your world?
I thought the common thread was that Rudy opponents see clearly where Rudy wants to lead the country, and we don't want to go there.
Indeed, the talking points are the same.
To compare Rino Rudy to Churchill is and insult to Churchill.
This guy's a real intellectual dynamo. The writer is obviously not a conservative and I read better written and more cogent posts on FR a hundred times a day.
Be careful, it is considered mean spirited to post comments that oppose Rudy.
Some of the Bots have said they are withholding donations in order to whip you into submission.
Rudy has already lost his chance at winning the nomination, he is an empty suit with no real convictions.
True. I was opposed to Rudy because of his positions on abortion, gungrabbing, gay activism and Kelo type land grabbing. Now he says that he really didn’t want to support those things. NYC made him do it. It’s bad enough to be a flaming lib, but it’s worse to be one without convictions.
Whip this RudyBOT’s
Deacon, I think your’s is the better description.
We don’t want to go there, neither do we wish lending any hand moving in that direction.
But what he faced was more than any of the other contenders ever had to face. Rudy was tested by a New York cesspool before 9/11 and then he was tempered in the events of 9/11. Match his record of leadership against any of the other contenders accomplishments under fire. Rather than tear down a candidate, offer arguments for your choice in a positive light.
Rather than these anti Rudy postings, please offer pro arguments and positive comparisons for your candidate of choice. When all of your arguments are of the negative bent, you sound more like a liberal than someone who belongs on this forum.
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