Possible Presidential Candidate Thompson Meets On Giuliani's Turf (w/Firefighter Union Head)

NY1 News ^ | July 12, 2007

[cuky]

I was discussing cozying up with Democrat Union bosses who will never support conservatives. That does not play well for Thompson in many peoples book.

[dirtboy]

Well, considering the topic of this article it does make sense for you to just drive the topic elsewhere.

It also makes sense for a Rudy booster to deflect from the past that his tenure as mayor shows he is unfit to be dogcatcher in the post 9-11 era, let along president.

[NittanyLion]

So, it’s ok with you if Thompson uses liberal democrats to attack another Republican? Just asking.

Fred's just reaching out to voters outside the historic GOP base. After all, everyone knows the only way to win this election is to attract moderates.

[nctexan]

"Many unions can also field quite an army of volunteers in supporting candidates in some regions of the country.

Good luck getting them to carry your candidate across the finish line.... unless they're DEMs.

[nctexan]

Whatever, Union boy...

[nctexan]

"Fred's just reaching out to voters outside the historic GOP base."

Going to the union bosses versus the voters is a crock. Going to the union base makes sense in the general election, but this is the primary.

What about that do you choose to not understand.

Or is Fred just going to skip the primary and go straight to the general.

Is that your point?

[George W. Bush]

I was discussing cozying up with Democrat Union bosses who will never support conservatives.

But the firefighters in NYC supported Bush in 2004. The party bosses may endorse. But the locals can do what they want. And the firefighters union is far more Republican in voting than, say, the teachers' unions.

Besides, in 2004 the NYC firefighters local endorsed Bush. They welcomed him very warmly at our 2004 GOP convention in NYC, down to giving him a C-in-C firefighters' helmet. So those firefighters represent at least a fair number of influential Republican votes. And there are 8600 NYC firefighters.

There are unions and then there are unions. NYC firefighters are not the NEA and they follow their own local agenda.

So Fred Thompson going after the same available union votes as a GOP candidate that Bush went after and got is somehow underhanded? What a load of crap.

Sounds like someone's getting their panties in a twist because the NYC firefighters don't like just one GOP candidate in particular: Giuiliani who failed to update their radios. And over a hundred firefighters died with those old radios on 9/11 but every policeman (all with new radios) got out of the towers. And some people want to whine because the firefighters actually noticed this and are not going to let Giuliani pretend he was the hero of firefighters on 9/11.

Clearly, Giuliani is being swiftboated by these firefighters. We'll see whether the public is influenced and whether it has traction with the media. It does relate to his core appeal as someone who is supposed to be able to get things done and handle emergencies.

[George W. Bush]

Good luck getting them to carry your candidate across the finish line.... unless they're DEMs.

As a general principle about union voters, you're correct.

But the NYC firefighters' local defied their own leadership and the International and endorsed and supported Bush in 2004.

These are perfectly legitimate voters for any Republican to seek in NYC, one of the few large and influential voting blocs that a Republican has a chance to get.

A lot of whining on these threads comes from some other posters who feel that Rudi ought to just own every voter in NYC because he wandered around with the cameras in confusion with no bunker to hide in or command structure left.

[Politicalmom]

PING!!

Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference

WARNING: If you want to join, be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.

[Aria]

We need a candidate who can think outta the box. Fred seems to be doing this. Why ignore potential converts?????
I believe many many people would rather choose someone who makes sense and will protect them and their country over Marxist Meglomaniac Hillary.
We should welcome such people.

[hoosierpearl]

“When asked about the controversy, the Tennessee Republican refused to weigh in and would not comment on Giuliani’s record on 9/11.”

Doesn’t sound like he is criticizing Guiliani. It sounds like Fred’s supporter D’Amato, wanted him to meet with a citizen on the front lines on 9/11, who has concerns.

This is about WOT, and Long was involved, maybe still is for all I know. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

I’ve seen a lot of interviews of Hunter and Thompson and they’ve been asked direct questions meant to elicit criticisms of other candidates and they both have not done that.

[hoosierpearl]

You have a good point with the use of the word swiftboat.

The swiftboat vets said things about Kerry because they had information and didn’t think he was fit for office. Really negative stuff. Other candidates could not or would not say anything like that, not another Democrat nor Bush.

[airborne]

Hmm nothin’ but chirping crickets from the Mitt-matics, Huntertrons and Paulanoids.

I think it's interesting to see the kind of tactics the non-candidate is using.

And the kind of people he meets with.

[ellery]

Let's get our facts straight, here -- Steve Cassidy is the head of the Uniformed Firefighters Assn., NYC's main firefighters' union: http://ufalocal94.org/

The group that released the video about Giuliani is the International Assn. of Fire Fighters.

Fred met with the head of the Uniformed Firefighters Assn., which endorsed Pataki (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F7081EFD3F590C738EDDA90994D0494D81);

Bush ( http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A15FC3E550C728CDDA00894DC404482);

and Giuliani himself (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60711FB3D550C778EDDAF0894DF494D81).

[ellery]

Clarification (i.e., getting MY facts straight): Steve Cassidy is also featured in the video, so he is involved. However, his union, the UFA, did indeed tend to endorse pubbies over donks (Pataki, Bush and Giuliani).

[HoustonTech]

I agree to some extent. However, firefighter and police unions have always been seen a little differently than other unions. These men risk their lives to protect the public so some deference is deserved.

From reading the article it does not appear that FT endorsed the attack on Giuliani, which he shouldn’t. It is unfair to lay the blame for that at his feet. Those blaming Thompson for attacking Giuliani based on this article are being dishonest. The article gives not support to that idea.

[NittanyLion]

Is that your point?

My point is a very simple one: there are some folks who think it's just fantastic when "their guy" trashes GOP principles, yet are quick to condemn someone else who simply meets with potential supporters. In a word, it's hypocritical.

[jmc813]

I was discussing cozying up with Democrat Union bosses who will never support conservatives.

What's worse, cozying up with a Union boss or cozying up with the Brady campaign?

[George W. Bush]

What's worse, cozying up with a Union boss or cozying up with the Brady campaign?

You mean this Brady Bunch?