Posted on 05/29/2007 3:13:05 PM PDT by SUSSA
Here’s an unwelcome birthday gift for Rudy Giuliani, as he travels around the city raising money: protests from fire fighters and family members of September 11th victims.
They've shown up in the past at Giuliani's presidential events. Today, they’re gathering in Bay Ridge, and they have plans to follow him nationwide starting sometime around January, according to Jim Riches, a deputy chief with the fire department whose son was killed in the World Trade Center attacks.
“We have all the UFA, the UFOA, and the fire members are all behind us -- the International Association of Fire Fighters,” said Riches. “And we’re going to be out there today to let everybody know that he’s not the hero that he says he is.”
The group’s complaints center on the faulty radios used by the fire department that day and what they say was a lack of coordination at Ground Zero.
And Riches disputes the notion that Giuliani provided any form of leadership on September 11 or in the days following.
“If somebody can tell me what he did on 9/11 that was so good, I’d love to hear it. All he did was give information on the TV”
“He did nothing,” Riches continued. “He stood there with a TV reporter and told everyone what was going on. And he got it from everybody else down at the site.”
Newsday, Sep 6, 2004. pg. A.36
Only a few labor organizations have endorsed President George W. Bush, while more than 70 workers' groups support Sen. John Kerry (D- Mass.). But does it matter?Who is the uninformed pest?Bush's endorsement from the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York last week coincided with the GOP convention and raised the question of whether endorsements from labor organizations make a difference to voters.
(snip)
See above. These same fireman endorsed President Bush in 2004, not John Kerry.
On what basis do you call them "lying Union bastards"?
The Gipper would not approve. He fought the Rockefeller wing of the party for years, but never resorted to anything like this.
NEW YORK - Within minutes of arriving in his GOP convention city, President Bush was embracing New York firefighters human symbols of the Sept. 11 attacks that defined his first term and are a main focus of his re-election campaign.Firefighters chanted "four more years" as Bush and first lady Laura Bush arrived Wednesday night at a community center for Italian Americans in Queens, about a half-hour's drive from midtown Manhattan where the president will accept his party's nomination tonight.
Video of Bush accepting the endorsement of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, a union representing the city's firefighters, was shown in the convention hall as delegates cheered.
(snip)
He and Jimmy Hoffa were long time friends. Hoffa pushed him to run for gov. The Teamsters backed Reagan against Ford and in both his ellections. Reagan was a union president. He had nothing against union members.
As stated above the firefighters’ union bosses backed Bush. It’s the rank and file that shows up to Swift Boat Rudy. It will be the ran and file that Swift Boats his butt in the primary states.
Wow, the photoshopping on that picture is amazing! Really looks like Giuliani.
The Teamsters also endorsed Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and GHW Bush for president.
As to Hoffa, I’d never heard that. Since Hoffa had already been convicted when Reagan was running for Governor, that doesn’t sound right.
At the time of the gubernatorial election, there was a big union power struggle going on as Cesar Chavez and his lefties from the NFWA were merged into the AFL-CIO. The Teamsters didn’t like Chavez and his commie buddies, at all.
What puzzles me is the venom that my fellow
freepers spew @ Rudy. Here's Hillary spouting
off about "Shared Prosperity." That's one of the
neatest euphemism for socialism/commumism I've heard.
If Rudy is the Anti-Christ what are the Clintons'?
Is there anyone worse than Rudy? Would Chavez be
preferable? Does our world revolve solely on gay
rights & abortion? Isn't hate speech & PC speech
a more real threat to our freedoms? How about Global
Warming being the new religion?
Wouldn't it be great to set "mischief afoot" by pitting
the GW folks against AlQaeda? While we're at let's
sic Cindy S against Nancy P.
Hoffa was president of the Teamsters when Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild. Before the 1962 Governor's race Hoffa pushed Reagan to run and offered union support. Reagan didn't do it but some people think it was Hoffa who first put the idea in his head.
Roy Williams used to say that Hoffa pestered Reagan about running and Reagan got sick of hearing it. I don't know if that's right or not but that's what Williams used to say.
Were they scum when they backed Bush against Kerry? Would you rather they backed Kerry?
I think you have it bassackwards. The rank and file cheered Bush and Rudy and jeered Hillary.
I don't think anyone called Rudy the Anti-Christ but, in response to your more general question, there are certainly liberals of different degrees. But it doesn't change the fact that they are indeed liberals, even when they choose to put an "R" next to their name.
As to your other questions, Rudy is hardly a stellar candidate for freedom, abusing constitutional rights as mayor, calling for national gun licensing, surveilling citizens in public places, performing public frisking, etc. He has said that he supports National ID Cards and supported McCain's Campaign Finance Reform. His sanctuary city policy only contributed to the huge illegal immigration problem we have today. And as to Global Warming, Rudy said he "definitely" believed in global warming while praising Schwarzenegger for being a "progressive" leader on the environment.
Opposing Giuliani is opposing liberalism and his authoritarian views. Pure and simple. That's pretty much what FR is all about, isn't it?
BTW, these "union goons" have supported Republicans in the past, including an endorsement for George Bush in 2004. Those who try to write off their criticism just look silly.
The union officials hand out the endorsements. As pointed ot above the union endorsed Bush. Want to bet they don’t endorse Rudy?
Want to bet the public has a higher regard for the firefighters than for Rudy?
Interesting. I can usually find stuff in the old LA Times archives, but I’m not finding anything about this (or any reports of the parties you mentioned). What is your source? I would like to read more.
Conversations with Roy Williams. I heard that story from him several times and just assumed it was true.
I do know that Reagan and Hoffa were friends going back to the 50’s when they wer both dealing with the studio bosses on union business.
Thanks. I may have to research that more, some day.
The Firefighters union backed Giuliani in both of his mayoral campaigns. The rank and file worked phone banks for him. Rudy made the President of the Union, Thomas Von Essen, his Fire Commissioner. Von Essen is currently in business with Rudy at Giuliani partners.
The criticism cannot be written off to Hillary for anyone who knows the history or wants to look at facts.
Good. He deserves it. The truth will always come out. Fortunately, it's coming out before Rooty Tooty gets the GOP nod.
Good. Saves us the effort. He has to go.
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