Posted on 04/12/2007 9:41:13 AM PDT by areafiftyone
The New York Times blasted presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani on Thursday for telling Alabama reporters that it should be up to the state to decide whether to fly the Confederate flag over its Capitol.
And a political pundit in turn blasted the Times for its "silly” anti-Giuliani piece.
Discussing the flag issue, Giuliani told the reporters: "We have different sensitivities and at different times we’re going to come to different decisions, and I think that is best left to the states.”
The Times went on the attack in an editorial: "Mr. Giuliani cannot truly believe the issues surrounding the Confederate flag are just a matter of local taste. The Civil War, the civil rights movement and the Supreme Court answered that question.”
The editorial went on to castigate Giuliani for "pandering” on abortion and gun control, concluding:
"Mr. Giuliani ought to stop waving in the wind, because that would be the right thing to do. It is also not working. Southern political strategists said he’s too moderate on abortion and pronounced him dead in their states. In Alabama, the local press mocked him for failing to recognize an actual Confederate flag. Americans know a pander when they see one.”
Writing on Time Inc.’s blog Real Clear Politics, Blake Dvorak observed: "In other words, the Times wants Giuliani to stop being a politician campaigning for the presidency. Give up now, Mr. Mayor, says the Times, because conservative America will never vote for you. Is this not odd? How to explain it, momentarily leaving aside the Times’ visceral dislike of anyone to its right?”
Dvorak cites a remark from Roger Simon, chief political columnist at Politico.com: "Rudy has been very clear in front of conservative audiences that his social views are more liberal than theirs. He has not lied about that, as far as I can tell, for a second. And he’s still well ahead. What could those ‘conservatives’ be thinking?”
Dvorak concludes: "As Simon points out, Giuliani’s position in the polls scares the Times, because if he can get through the primaries, he’s got major cross-over appeal in the general election that a down-the-line conservative wouldn’t have. Hence, this silly attack.”
(((RUDY PING))))
This is one of the only things I have heard that Rudy is correct on.
In before the hysterics show up?
LOL! Oh I’m just sitting back in my chair waiting and whistling Dixie! LOL! ;-)
Me too :-)
Oh, well. We’re happy and they’re miserable.
Too many have forgotten their Social Studies.
States rights have become a forgotten idea - so powerful has the federal govt. become.
Rudy is right.
A recent poster re: the civil war stated that it was about the north’s unfair business practices more than slavery. Makes sense.
Yup! Rudy’s favorabiltiy rating is 61% today in a new Gallup poll! I’m happy as a clam!
“Stopped clock” Rudy moment.
Good for Rudy.
We aren’t only America- we are the United STATES.
Crickets for far on this issue. It will be interesting to see how they spin this strong statement on states’rights against Rudy.
I totally agree. Like Limbaugh says...
Let them rant!
“for” s/b “so”
I was just wondering how the New York Times became the standard-bearer for doing the ‘right thing?” I’ve never considered the NYT as the go-to source for deciding what is right or wrong.
Rudy = Teflon
No matter what bombs get thrown in this thread, the above statement is true.
Rudy Giuliani is too outside the mainstream. We need a more moderate candidate for the GOP in ‘08. Now that Giuliani has been connected to racism, the GOP can’t afford to run him in ‘08.
I was unaware they had ever stopped attacking him at any point.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.