Posted on 12/09/2007 6:19:49 PM PST by Liz
WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani doggedly insisted Sunday that threats against then-girlfriend Judith Nathan prompted the NYPD to launch her taxpayer-funded chauffeur services. "These were all based upon threat assessments made by the New York City Police Department ... of what was necessary to protect her life, my life, other people's lives," Giuliani told NBC’s Tim Russert. "Every single thing done here was done based upon the assessment of someone else that this was necessary." His explanation of Nathan's car service doesn't square with Friday’s Daily News exclusive report, citing multiple witnesses and a law enforcement source, that she was being protected by city taxpayers months before the affair was revealed in May 2000. "The threats were after" their romance became known, Giuliani maintained yesterday.
The only guest on Russert's "Meet the Press," Giuliani endured the most exhaustive and at times withering examination of his personal character and business dealings of his campaign. To the glee of fellow Presidential contenders who've grudgingly marvelled at his political staying power, the Republican frontrunner spent nearly all of an hour playing defense, attempting to deflect a flurry of questions about his relationship with indicted pal Bernard Kerik and Kerik's mistress Judith Regan, controversial corporate clients and his own tangled personal life. "He's held up in the polls a lot longer than anyone thought," a neutral GOP consultant predicted, "but the baggage is finally starting to catch up with him."
Giuliani said again that he did a poor job of vetting Kerik but denied he allowed personal loyalty to trump his judgment. He said he knew Regan was Kerik's publisher but wasn’t aware of their Ground Zero love nest in a pad reserved for recovery workers. He defended the activities of his security and legal businesses as "ethical, lawful, decent work," but said he won’t release a list of his clients because he's promised many of them confidentiality.
In one seemingly contradictory answer, Giuliani said he’ll consider further disclosures at a later date: "I'm not going to do more than what is absolutely required, and we'll go further than that." Predictably, Democrats piled on. "Rudy Giuliani's refusal to be honest about his shady past is becoming a chronic habit," Democratic National Committee spokesman Dag Vega jabbed. As voters learn about his penchant for covering up scandals, they will continue to turn away from his candidacy."
The usually-combative candidate was uncharacteristically subdued throughout the grilling. Somberly dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and TK tie, Giuliani employed many of the timeworn techniques of damage control. He turned the tables on his inquisitor - "that's a stretch," he politely complained once - and borrowed from the Watergate scandal's signature "mistakes were made" rationale.Stealing a page from Hillary Clinton’s script, he wielded a tactical laugh now and then. He blamed the media for hyping the facts, and invoked the memory of a fellow ex-mayor to explain his poor judgment about Kerik. "As one of my predecessors, Fiorello LaGuardia, used to say, 'I don't make many mistakes, but when I make them, they're big ones.'"
That was a reference to LaGuardia's celebrated 1941 wisecrack: "When I make a mistake, it's a beaut." In a rare interlude from his self-defense chores, Giuliani took issue with ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 1992 remark that homosexuality is an "aberrant" lifestyle. "I don't believe it's sinful," he said. "It’s the various acts that people perform that are sinful, not the orientation that they have." The corps of sinners, he added, includes His Honor: "I've had my own sins that I’ve had to confess and had to deal with and try to overcome, and so I'm very, very empathetic with people, and that we're all imperfect human beings struggling to try to be better."
With David Saltonstall
bttt
Rudy is the darling of the “character doesn’t matter” wing of the party.
That would be like be saying:
CHICAGOFARMER
Another Seminar Rudy Plant
post your background please.
Who cares about Rooty’s investments in Qatar — it’s not like it’s a surprise to anyone.
A democrat plant?
Since 1997?
I doubt it.
Nah....some of us old guys are still up....
The way I see it -— Rudy wasn’t dragged into that interview.
The camera attracts some of these guys like a moth to a flame..
If one has a sordid past and “business” subjects he doesn’t wish to discuss in public — then one should avoid the MSM cameras!
None of us are perfect, or even near perfect -— but Rudy is so deeply flawed it’s impossible to consider him a viable candidate for office of President of the United States..
ALL candidates should get the type “grilling” Rudy got..
Most don’t have the courage to submit — or believe they are smart enough to bullshit their way through the interview.
Rudy was wrong...
I read the entire Sunday Morning Talk show thread and this is definitely a minority opinion.
He did the same to Hillary too! Maybe his FBI file is outdated.
If you don’t want people to react to your thread, I suggest you post it elsewhere.
Free Republic folks are informed, opinionated and not afraid of you.
![[Image]](http://eyeball-series.org/kerik/pict45.jpg)
The emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, left, shakes hands with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, center, as New York Police Commisioner Bernard Kerik, right, looks on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001, at World Trade Center disaster command center in New York. His Highness made a donation of $1 million
Rudy was lousy.
He must have repeated the fact that there are U.S. soldiers in Qutar at least a dozen times to several different questions.
He sucked. Big time.
Is that the guy who Rudy gave the check back to?
Rudy has had lots and lots of business dealings with Qatar since 9/11.
What are the odds?
Yes, since when do FReepers laud the likes of Tim Russert?
Not a good trend, imo.
Giuliani returned a donation from Alwaleed bin Talal. That picture is of Giuliani and the emir of Qatar. Different donation.
“Tim Russert provided a great public service. Thanks to Russert, Rudy exposed numerous glaring personality and character flaws.
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He did the same to Hillary too! Maybe his FBI file is outdated.”
No, Rudy kept the money from this guy, the Qatar emir--he's the guy that protected Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and praised Hezbollah for their victory over Israel in Lebanon.
Russert couldn’t lacerate a cabbage.
I'm sure you can find it somewhere.
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