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You know something? What’s bothers me about the current state of the debate on FR and within conservative and Republican ranks is that there’s a heck of a lot of transgression of Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

What bothers me is a bunch of folks, including Rudy, rewriting history in an attempt to silence discourse.

Reagan's "11th commandment" was not Reagan's at all, but that of California state GOP chairman, Dr. Gaylord B. Parkinson, who issued the edict in 1965 to deal with grievances between candidates, requiring that they be aired privately or the candidates would be subject to discipline by the GOP. It was issued after Republican George Christopher attacked Republican Ronald Reagan, accusing him of being a member of three communist front groups.

The 11th commandment applied to candidates, NOT voters! It was not intended to eliminate all vetting of candidates, all discussions of issues, or mention of the candidate's past record, particularly that which is clearly in the public record.

Here is what Reagan's biographer said:

“Rudy Giuliani knows as much about the 11th Commandment as he does about conservatism, which is very little. The 11th Commandment was a term created by the Chairman of the California Republican Party, Gaylord Parkinson in 1966. Reagan adopted it to mean that one Republican did not attack another Republican’s patriotism, fidelity or sobriety. Politicians like Giuliani hide behind it when criticized by another on issues, which Reagan did plenty against Ford in 1976 and George Bush in 1980.”

The 11th commandment-----Thou shalt not speak ill of fellow Republicans-----applied to candidates, NOT voters. It was not intended to eliminate all vetting of candidates, all discussions of issues, or mention of the candidate's past record, particularly that which is clearly in the public record. What bothers me is Rudy and his Tooters rewriting history in an attempt to silence discourse.

As usual, calcowgirl's research is impeccable, and significantly elevates the discussion. Thank you, calcowgirl.

Giuliani's blathering is intellectually facile----and transparently obvious; he will say anything b/c he is consumed with an irrational lust for power.

In Giuliani's irrational, power-crazed mindset----US citizens are merely pawns in his power-grab. Giuliani needs to consider that the US is not a Third World banana republic. US citizens are not subject to the self-centered whims of an irrational, power-crazed dictator.

Rooty's campaign is engaged in a VERY dirty game played by remorseless people: the religious cleansing of the Repub party. The "Everything For Us Nothing For You" RINO types are squatting in the Repub party, plotting to kick so/con Repubs to the curb to obliterate all signs of the party's all-important social conservate base.

Rooty's Plan A was to thumb his nose at conservative primaries. Now he belatedly discovered he REALLY needs conservatives b/c he's losing in conservative strongholds-----crucial early primary/caucus states. That explains Giuliani's erratic contradictory statements on key issues.