Posted on 04/27/2007 7:42:49 AM PDT by areafiftyone
At a fund-raiser this morning in Manhattan, Rudy Giuliani said that lessons for solving the chaotic situation in Iraq could be found in how he kicked the mob out of New York, and that healthcare, like plasma TVs, would become affordable if opened to a free market, according to an account from one donor present at the meeting.
According to Jonine Bernstein, a Memorial Sloan-Kettering epidemiologist who was among more than 100 donors attending the morning meeting at the Yale Club, Giuliani spoke about matters of defense, health care, Israel and Homeland Security allocations at the closed door meeting. Rudy Washington, who has suffered health problems in connection to the terrorist attacks, was in attendance, as was former state Senator Roy Goodman.
He also spoke about the war in Iraq, a subject he hasn't exactly been eager to discuss in depth so far in the race.
On that subject, Bernstein said, "he gave the analogy of what he did to clean up New York City and root out the mob."
Bernstein described his Iraq comments this way:
"In the past people had gone after individual families, but then, sure enough you go after one member, the other four or five or six families are sitting there really relieved. But when he was mayor he got them where it hurt, at the point of their production; laundering money and strong-arming people. He gave that analogy to Iraq, and talking about the terrorists and how it's everywhere and how we have to take it as a whole unit, and not just cherry pick."
The conclusion, according to Bernstein: "His whole point is that we are on the offense. The terrorists are attacking us, so we have to continue with that approach instead of just sitting and waiting. We have to go forward."
She added, "He was talking about doing a frontline approach."
Bernstein described the audience, which was gathered around about 10 tables, as "captivated."
"There wasn't one person on their BlackBerrys and they were all lawyers," she said.
Giuliani also employed an analogy to explain his idea for healthcare.
"He gave this analogy about plasma TVs," said Bernstein. "He said that in the very beginning plasma TVs were so expensive and only very few people could afford it. And now with greater volume and greater demand the price has dropped, and that could be a model for healthcare -- in the sense of privatization of healthcare. That if the government keeps supporting the healthcare industry it would just crush us."
There was also a question about Homeland Security funds.
"Somebody asked him how he would appropriate Homeland Security funds to New York City compared to everywhere else and he made a parallel to the Yankees," she said.
"He said somebody once asked him to be commissioner of baseball and he said he couldn’t do it because he would give everything to the Yankees."
But when he got around to answering the question, she described Giuliani as "very open-minded."
"He said that while he thinks the big major centers need a lot of protection he wouldn't ignore the smaller places. For example, in Pennsylvania, where flight 93 went down, that the school almost got hurt.
"He made some analogies that actually everything has to be all beefed up around the country and it's not just the major centers that are known targets. That you need to have the preparedness.
From there Giuliani segued into a discussion about Katrina, in which he expressed frustration about the government's response and that it raised questions about the country's homeland security preparedness.
The crowd’s attention was most rapt when Giuliani spoke about 9/11, an area in which the crowd of New Yorkers was intimately aware of his involvement. "So, he doesn't have to say much in that regard," Bernstein said. "But he did. He spoke about it."
You’re a classic example.
I hereby release myself from ever commenting to your posts in the future.
Try to find some happiness my friend - life is to short to spend it looking for conflict.
Adios.
As a matter of fact some of us support Fred Thompson! You sure seem VERY worried about us. ;>)
Ignoring them totally is not a wise move and I mean that in only one sense. Many are holding duel memberships in both forums, they need to be observed from time to time. You think they’re ignoring FR? Doubtful. I’d venture a guess. they’re monitoring FR continually.
You can run, but you can’t hide, mister liberal.
Nice historical perspective and very pertinent to today’s world.
Are you a military historian - or just a historian?
This is one of Rudy’s strong points. His other is his record as a reformer. He could run on these things and possibly convince conservatives to vote for him. But he ain’t, at least until now.
And right now, he is about as far “right” as he’s gonna get.
It would be interesting to see how tolerent they are with any Rudy-bashers that show up at that site you mention. Anyway I agree with you about Rudy, and find it most odd that anyone who calls themselves a conservative could ever support the man, especially this early in the primaries. Just makes absolutely no sense.
I think you make a fair statement.
Long way to go - an a lot of surprises and tide swings are bound to be ahead.
This will be a great election cycle - already is.
You mean, some of you RudyBoosters support Fred too? LOL
I like Fred. Hoping he will run and waiting for his decision. For now I'll keep attacking Rudy the liberal and hope we can knock him off. Fred is not a threat to conservatism, Republicanism or America. Rudy is a threat to everything we conservatives care about.
Where in Georgia do you hail from? May I ask?
I am in Greenville SC
You said it FRiend.
Well, let them monitor FR til the cows come home. It won’t stop you or I from voicing our opinions, nor will our monitoring them affect theirs. If you enjoy reading pro rudy stuff, by all means. But its a waste of time, IMO.
There’s obviously a market for liberal GOP leaners. I’d rather have them waste their own bandwidth that that of FR.
That said, I’m not a fan of banning the libs/moderates here, unless they are lying or disruptive.
Hell, this morning I heard Bill Bennett again extolling Rudy’s virtues. So our battle to derail him is not with a small new website of freepers and exfreepers, but with the mainstream conservative media. I’m penning a letter to Mr. bennett now.
I'd say anyone who promotes a liberal candidate on FR is an enemy of this forum. I understand you don't like that type of rhetoric. You need to understand, I don't care what you think. If you continue to promote Rudy around FR, FReepers will be all over you.
I am not a Rudy supporter. If however he wins the primary, then I will be. You just think you are so funny...wiping the tears...
Don't be silly. We get bombarded with enough pro-Rudy crapola right here. I'm talking about checking in on them from time to time. Like you would your crazy aunt or uncle at the asylum.
SO WHAT! They have been all over me for quite a while. BIG DEAL! What’s different?
I live in “Cummingville” - between the towns of Cumming, Gainesville, and Dawsonville, on the shores of lovely (when there is water in it...) Lake Lanier.
I’m willing to be fair to Rudy. The next president needs to be a war-fighter who will fight terrorists as ruthlessly and mercilessly as we fought the Indians in the West. I think he could be this man. But he's gotta prove it. And he has not.
Personally, I think Hillary could be this man, if she pursued the War of Islamofascism as enthusiastically she goes after her personal enemies. Fat chance of that, though...
So I was right. In the end, you will support Rudy the liberal. You guys make it too easy. LOL
I’ve read enough of all of those WA folks here to know what they think before they even say it. LOL. Between confronting the myths about him posted on this forum, and going after the conservative MSM to get them on board, I’m not going to bother with these guys.
If they say bad things about me or FR, I don’t care. If they start a religion in honor of Rudy, I don’t care. ;o)
No she won’t. He ain’t gonna win.
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