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
destruction from within.
In a 1960 speech Goldwater warned against what I see on here on everyday - he’s not my kind of conservative so I can’t support him. I respect adhering to principles and pushing for the best candidate, but ceding the country to liberals is worse then getting a mixed bag conservative or recent convert.
There seems to be one line of thinking that if we punish the GOP by only supporting a “true” conservative and rejecting anything less, they’ll shape up. The other is, why suffer for years (possibly decades) in hopes of that theory?
If Russert is taking the lead on this, then that’s got to mean tootyfruityrudy’s downfall is in the bag.
B4DH
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Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
So far tonight on FR I have read articles attacking Rudy, Romney, Huckabee, Paul, McCain and Thompson. Until we true blue, pure, real conservatives are finished there won’t be a Republican candidate left standing who has a chance in hell of being elected. Nevermind that any one of the above would stand head and shoulders above any of the Democrats as president.
Meanwhile, the “true conservative” remains at 1% or zero in the polls. So, the naysayers aren’t supporting him, either.
Nominating liberals like JulieAnnie will be the downfall of the party.
go hunter?
And your point is?
The amir of Qatar is our friend.
Bush thanks Amir of Qatar for support
President Bush May 8 thanked the leader of the tiny Gulf country of Qatar for his nation's steadfast support.
In brief remarks at the White House after the two leaders met, Bush said Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani "showed great leadership" in leading his country to join the coalition that took on Saddam Hussein's regime.
U.S. Central Command located its forward headquarters in Qatar before the conflict began.
Bush called the amir a "reformer" and "a strong example of what is possible in his part of the world." Al Thani has promoted a new constitution for Qatar that allows women to vote and has appointed women to his cabinet.
I would have said "small minded", but your point is still apropo
By God I believe you’ve got it right; pisses me off though.
Sometimes, altura, the minority, just sitting there and watching what is rather than what it wants to see, can be right. ;)
Liz
Another seminar democrat plant
post your background please.
So why do you slime Liz like that?
Rudy deserves all the light we can give to his background.
He also deserves all the derision we can heep on him because of his own choices and positions on the issues.
All Liz does is too bring out the truth about Rudy, she maybe a little heavy handed at times, however, her heart is in the right place.
Once again, why the slime?
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This is not a slime
We just want to know the truth about Liz. Just like you I want to know the motive behind the effort. Noticed I did not use the word slime.
I listened to Rudy “Meet the Press”. As a thirty year businessman know good decision making when I see it.
I also know hidden adjenda’s when I see them.
Another Seminar Rudy Plant
post your background please.
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My background is fully posted at FR.
What about you? Seminar poster!
Rudy was lousy.
He sucked. Big time.
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another Democrat seminar poster.
Can not carry on an intelligent word process beyond hate speech.
I am not for Rudy (see tagline).
But that’s no excuse to misrepresent the interview.
I think that is actually happening across the board - and many of the filegate era are retired or out of office - and new pre-filegate folk are coming in - even the press seems to have decided Shrillery it's fair game, devil take the hindmost...as if they realize her blackmail/control of them heretofore is nothing compared to what it would be if she became president.
Shrillery's teeth must be ground down pretty good by now what with the last few weeks of negative press...Communists don't brook criticism well...
Another seminar democrat plant
post your background please.
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Liz has been a member of FR longer than you, friend.
hopefully, since FReepers can accept the truth, wherever it falls.
Even a broken clock.....
Right is right, truth is truth, even if inconvenient.
I would hope FReepers aren't expected to march, lock-step, behind ANYone, no matter what, simply because they're republican.
I was under the impression that FR was a "conservative" forum, - and Guiliani is far from a conservative
Voting Third Party in November will be the downfall of the country.
You don't remember the famous Russert/Shrilliary dust-up? Where ya been...
I'm sure some other FReeper will post it for you - I won't bother as you have a keyboard and GOOGLE available too
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