The other side of Rudy

Forgive the intrusion, but I just had to drop you a note of sympathy in this time of trial with Rudy. Divorce is always difficult. But I would think a woman like you, a working mother with two kids in the middle of a nasty divorce, might generate at least a bit of public sympathy from women leaders, columnists, feminist spokespeople -- I dunno, somebody!

But everyone seems either too intimidated or too full of hero-worship for Rudy to give you the time of day. That is one of the worst parts of divorce, isn't it? The family lines are redrawn to put each parent in opposite camps. Kids are left in the middle. And so now, apparently (judging from the headlines around here), anybody who admires what Rudy did for all New Yorkers on Sept. 11 must also side with him in the way he is conducting his marriage and divorce. Powerful, competent men must be kowtowed to. We need them. Wives and children are private, expendable. Who cares what he does to you, as long as he was good to us?

I wanted to let you know that I noticed, if no one else did, what is too typical in cases like these. Here is Rudy, a wealthy, powerful man, whose earnings this year will probably top $12 million, or about $1 million a month. How much money did Rudy think should go to support his kids? Based on his mayoral salary, he had been ordered to pay only $1,800 a month in child support, plus half the tuition and medical expenses. Now that his real income potential is clear, how much did the Big Man offer to pay up for child support, according to the New York papers? A whopping extra $1,800 a month. That's right: $3,600 a month goes for his two kids, leaving approximately $996,400 a month for he and Judy (give or take a few hundred thousand).

Fortunately, the judge ordered temporary child support raised to more than $20,000 a month.

Meanwhile, Rudy's hired gun, divorce attorney Raoul Felder, last May (according to the New York Post) had the nerve to say, Donna, that you were "coming off looking foolish, trivial and an uncaring mother" with "twisted motives." "She is trying to cling to a marriage that's been dead for years. ... Mrs. Giuliani should get a life," he summed up.

I am still shaking my head over this one. I know that heroes are not saints. But how can Rudy -- in order to save himself some dough, which is what this divorce case is about from his point of view -- allow any employee of his to talk about the mother of his children like that?

And yes, I wanted you to know that someone noticed that this guy who pays lawyers to smear you as a bad mother is the same father who somehow found the time -- after working 15-hour days -- to spend leisurely dinners with his mistress while you were home with the kids.

Vintage Rudy. When he is good, he is very, very good, and when he is bad, he is just plain shameless.

I'm from New York, there are many things I like and dislike about Rudy. He is a gun grabbing, pro-gay, pro-abortion liberal, on the other side, He is pro law-enforcement, (on the surface) opposes affirmative action,believes in tax cuts, supports the death penalty, hates dems, and seems to like endorsing and campaiging for conservatives, especially conservatives over moderates. He supported Shundler over Franks, Simon over Riordan. He is very overbearing, and controlling, and treated his family like garbage, however, unlike Clinton, he did not try to suborn or commit perjury or obstruction of justice, he also believes in states rights and to more of an extent, local juridistional rights. He is a very very odd person. The fact that he is very partisian makes me happy, but his views do not. I know he has potential, the question is what job would be best for him to do?

I like Maggie Gallagher, but Donna Guiliani appeared onstage in Vagina Monologues - hardly a respectable endeavor for a wife and mother. Those two kids have been brought into the world by people who really don't have time to be parents - not when there are so many other interesting opportunities making demands and giving more ego satisfaction in return for their dedication than a couple of youngsters could give. Thank goodness for nannies!

The admiration and devotion of your own child is not as important to someone whose own importance is more important than his or her kids.

Any man who commits adultery and does so in such a manner as this man has done has no character. I'm not playing partisan politics, either. I put Ruddy, Bill Clinton and Newt in the same category. They are faithless men with no understanding of integrity, character or morals.

the judge ordered temporary child support raised to more than $20,000 a month.

How much of that "child support" goes to the mother? It's a hell of a lot more than any kid needs.

I'm sure Rudy would (will) gladly give more to his kids, if and when they need it. But mandated child support goes to the mother, to be used at her discretion (kids, jewelry, etc.)

I've got to be one of the biggest Rudy fans around, having lived in NYC pre-and during Rudy's rule. He literally turned the city around.

All that said, I'm in complete agreement with this article. There was some point during this mess that he kind of sued to bring his mistress home, and everyone was just shaking their heads and blaming his crazyness on his medication (!) (during prostate treatment)

He's coming off looking cheaper and lower with each turn of this divorce, and although it was clear to all that Donna made some stupid public moves (ie: V. monologues, and the 'Hanover' reinstatement, and the coy refusal to tell the NY dailies who she'd voted for in the (2nd) Mayorial election...)

....He STILL should be able to keep quiet to cover the humiliation of his wife.

He may be NY's only chance of getting rid of Chucky Cheese Schumer in 2004. I just hope Bush doesnt pick him as VP if Cheeney retires. He would do irreparable harm to the Republican party in the Excecutive branch.

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