9/11 Firefighters and Family Members Plot Anti-Giuliani Ad Campaign [MUST READ]

ABC News ^ | Nov. 17, 2007 | TAHMAN BRADLEY

[perfect_rovian_storm]

A group of 9/11 firefighters and victims' family members with eyes on derailing Republican Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign is close to a decision on forming an entity that would run issue ads in key early nominating states.

"TV made him a hero, and we'll use TV to take him down," New York Fire Chief Jim Riches told ABC News.

The final decision about the formation of an outside entity will happen sometime within the next few weeks after the group finalizes its plans at a meeting scheduled for after Thanksgiving. So far, though, under Riches' leadership, the group has sought legal guidance and help from political consultants.

If the group decides to move forward, it would set up a 527 committee -- or something similar to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which in 2004 helped sink Democratic Sen. John Kerry's White House bid.

This Monday, the firefighters and family members are holding a meeting at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire hoping to spread the word about what they say is Giuliani's "egregious" use of 9/11 for political gain.

The group also is considering additional trips to early presidential primary states Iowa, Florida and South Carolina.

Riches, who lost his firefighter son Jimmy in the World Trade Center's north tower, said, "We don't want him running on 9/11 or the bodies of all these dead people or my dead son saying that he did a great job that day."

He and other members of the anti-Giuliani group claim 9/11 first responders were given bad radios and that that prevented them from hearing evacuation orders when the World Trade Center buildings were about to collapse. They also contend Giuliani rushed cleanup work and misled people about air quality at Ground Zero, where recovery workers, including Riches, say they contracted illnesses.

Asked to comment for this story, the Giuliani campaign referred ABC News to a statement from Lee Ielpi, another firefighter whose son died on Sept. 11.

"I understand the emotion surrounding Sept. 11, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that it was the terrorists who attacked New York City," the statement said. "On that day and the days following, New Yorkers and the rest of the country were fortunate to have the steady and strong leadership of Mayor Rudy Giuliani."

[perfect_rovian_storm]

This is fantastic news. They're not waiting to see if he wins the general. They're trying to take him down in the primaries.

In other words, they don't want to help Hillary. They want to get rid of Rudy. Good on them!

[HerrBlucher]

Fantastic, go fire-fighters....take Rudy down NOW, that way we can crush both Rudy and the beast...yeeehawwwww!

[Sans-Culotte]

In other words, they don't want to help Hillary.

How do you know that? Most of the people who object to "using 9-11 for political purposes" are libs.

[tompster76]

This is disgusting. Rudy has many flaws and he should be challenged on those, not on this.

Everybody who lived through 9/11 remembers Rudy’s leadership. You can rewrite history and pretend otherwise (no doubt libs do it) but Rudy should forever be admired for his leadership and calm in the worst day of this country.

These unions are dem-controlled activist groups who hated Guliani because he didn’t cave in and hand out massive pensions and salary increases to them. Rudy wanted to keep taxes and debt low and carry out fiscally responsible policies economic policy.

According to pretty much every poll so far, Rudy is the strongest republican against Hillary and that’s why liberal activist groups try to take him down early on. I don’t support Rudy, but this is deplorable.

[Jacquerie]

I detect the stench of Soros and probably Harold Ickes behind this.

If you like and endorse cheap shots at your least favorite Republican during the primaries, stand by for what they have in store during the general campaign.

[Chuck Adkins]

You mean the same Rudy who had the Emergency Operations Center IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER???

You mean him?

Please, the man’s an idiot and is trying to use 9/11 to get him elected President. He’s not even a real damn Conservative. He’s been married How many times? His own kids hate him.

[Tarpon]

Union thugs, I wonder who they contribute to?

[BallyBill]

Disgusting. Rudy gave them bad radios. He should have known better and personally tested every one under all possible circumstances.

[Ceebass]

Some information on the author of the story.

http://newsbusters.org/node/11851

I sense these concerned citizens are the latest version of the “jersey girls.”

[Psychic Dice]

>>He and other members of the anti-Giuliani group claim 9/11 first responders were given bad radios and that that prevented them from hearing evacuation orders when the World Trade Center buildings were about to collapse.
I haven’t watched this story, so I might be wrong, but to blame Giuliani for bad radios within the fire department while he was the mayor sounds silly.

The purchasing decision about a few hundred (maybe up to a couple thousand) radios had to have been made several levels below him.

In an economy the size of New York’s, there is no way that the mayor could possibly have had the time to perform due diligence on every one of the line items.

Rudy was supposed to take time out each day to use his magnifying glass to read each one of the manufacturer’s warranties?

[svcw]

Fire fighters or unions?

[tompster76]

“You mean the same Rudy who had the Emergency Operations Center IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER???”

Yeah, and that damn lib BUSH DID NOT HAVE FIGHTER JETS CIRCLING AROUND WTC ON 9/11!!!!
and Thompson DID NOT INTRODUCE A BILL TO DEMAND BETTER RADIOS FOR EVERY FIREFIGHTER IN THIS COUNTRY?

[Condor51]

****According to pretty much every poll so far, Rudy is the strongest republican against Hillary****

Bull, newbie troll.

According to FoxNews this morning Rudy is behind Nationally 45 to 41. AND he can't even carry his own state of NY. PLUS the lead he had in NJ is gone. So much for bringing Blue States in play. And FYI that FNC poll had McInsane leading Hillary.

Rooty is a loser and would be the EASIEST for Hillary to beat. He has more baggage than Samsonite.

BTW, I 'lived' through 9-11 and he didn't show me shiite except that he's a money grubbing, power hungry mutt using 9-11 and the DEAD for his next power grab, the WH.

[BOBTHENAILER]

In other words, they don't want to help Hillary. They want to get rid of Rudy. Good on them!

Don't kid yourselves, once Rudy is dust, they'll lovingly turn their support to the Golden Girl, born and raised in NY.

[pawdoggie]

This is fantastic news. They're not waiting to see if he wins the general. They're trying to take him down in the primaries. In other words, they don't want to help Hillary. They want to get rid of Rudy. Good on them!

Are you really as naive as you pretend to be, or are do you just hate Giuliani that much? This is coming straight from Clinton Central, Politics of Personal Destruction Division. And for that reason, if no other, we should all be opposed to it. If the Clinton machine and the Left can take away one of Giuliani's (few, in my book) solid accomplishments, they can and will do the same thing to any GOP nominee; and people like you will be their "useful idiots". BTW, how does it feel to be a dupe?

[tompster76]

McCain is doing also quote well against Hillary, but he has zero chance of winning the nominations and liberals know it. That’s why DailyKos/Soros (and apparently, some in this forum) work together and make cheap shots at Rudy.

BTW, according to the same Fox News Poll, Rudy is the only republican with fav numbers over 50% (51).

It is true that Hillary is leading Rudy (4.4% RCP AVG) but she has even bigger lead against other republicans (except McCain) so your argumentation does not make any sense.

Again, there are plenty of fair reasons to attack Rudy but 9/11 is certainly not one of them.

[HerrBlucher]

Don't kid yourselves, once Rudy is dust, they'll lovingly turn their support to the Golden Girl, born and raised in NY.

Could be, but so what? They will have crushed Rudy. Fred then takes the nomination crushes the beast.....exactly the scenario any conservative should support!

[ExTexasRedhead]

Where’s the organized group that exposes the Clintoon corruption including their numerous “room temperature” friends and associates like Vince Foster and Ron Brown? Where’s the organized group that exposes the Clintoon corruption going back to Arkansas? Everyone talks about it and no one investigates nor exposes the truth. It’s time the GOP got serious about fighting back; seven years of sucking it up needs to come to an end or the future of this country is doomed.

[pawdoggie]

"Don't kid yourselves, once Rudy is dust, they'll lovingly turn their support to the Golden Girl, born and raised in NY".

Could be, but so what? They will have crushed Rudy. Fred then takes the nomination crushes the beast.....exactly the scenario any conservative should support!

From one Fred supporter to another: funny you should say that! Fred's getting hammered with the "laziness" smear by the NYT, the DBM and all the other organs of Clinton Central, and by all appearances, it's working. And, sadly enough, there are plenty of useful idiots right here at FR who are happy to help spread the word.

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>Everybody who lived through 9/11 remembers Rudy’s leadership.

After the WTC towers came came down, Rooty ran from mic to mic, from camera to camera and was seen by Americans from coast to coast. He attended many funerals and made many speeches. Is that how you define leadership? When it suits Rooty he exploits the 9-11 events to benefit his run for POTUS. He's running on a lying liberal-RINO agenda.

Btw. When conservatives see a liberal in trouble, they should stand up and cheer. Nothing deplorable about that. Anything that helps to take down this authoritarian and opportunist, is okay with me.

>>>>>Rudy wanted to keep taxes and debt low and carry out fiscally responsible policies economic policy.

When Rooty left office, NYCity was still the highest taxed big city in America, with a pre-9-11 deficit of $2.0-billion dollars and an escalating debt total of $42-billion. Rooty was no fiscal conservative.