Posted on 11/18/2007 8:28:46 AM PST by 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."
So if Rudy is the nominee and he beats Hillary, will you be happy or angry?
And if we nominate Thompson or someone else who loses to Hillary, will you be happy or angry?
I wish it were as simple as nominating the best candidate and letting him easily defeat Hillary. I wish to hell it was that simple, because then we would be looking at President Duncan Hunter instead of having to settle for the moderate Rudy, or the phony Romney, or the intellectually deficient Thompson.
Look, I wish Duncan Hunter would be the next President, but life is not perfect, and often we have to do things which amount to choosing between two less than ideal options.
I wish I was 6 inches taller and playing Shortstop for the Yankees, but I had to “settle” for something less ideal. Because I couldn’t be the Hall of Fame Baseball player I wanted to be, it didn’t mean that I had to try and chase an impossible dream and end up a homeless bum.
And I’m sure you make the same kind of intelligent and informed compromises in your daily life as well, which is why I find the “ideological purity” crowd like yourself so incredibly frustrating to deal with on this site. Why is Politics different from your own life????
LOL
“or the intellectually deficient Thompson”
You make these statements with no supporting evidence at all, its a bunch of blah blah without credibility. Here is Fred today with George Stephanopoulos. he did great, and he is one helluva lot smarter than Rudy Tooty!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/player?ip=69.230.110.16&affil=wsyx&debug=&catId=&id=3882871
Regarding Rudy, of course we need to make comprimises, but there is a limit and for conservatives Rudy far exceeds that limit. He is a gun grabbing, open borders abortophile, the NRTL wouldn’t even inteview Rudy for their endorsement. He is not without his positives but for conservatives they are few are far between. He is a great speaker, but so was Bill Clinton.
And speaking of Clinton, Rudy has stated himself that he is mostly in line with Clinton’s policies, if that doesn’t raise alarm bells with you nothing will.
Yes my fuhrer!
How cute. The dime store psychology is really a nice touch.
I reject your premise. I reject the idea that Rudy is the only one who can beat Hillary. I reject your idiotic assertion that Fred Thompson is ‘intellectually deficient’. Such a comment is laughably ridiculous.
I’m going to type this very slowly, so that even someone of your limited intelligence can understand: I will not vote for Rudy Giuliani under any circumstances. I will not be a party to the hostile takeover of the GOP by liberals. Not now, not EVER.
No matter how many insults you hurl. No matter how many stupid assertions you make. No matter how many freshman psychology classes you’ve taken, I won’t waver on that.
So, take your little game elsewhere, sparky. Nobody here is playing.
Welcome to Free Republic
Hang around,we can use some independent thinkers like you.
>>>>>Do you have a quote?
LOL
Yes, you lost on logic.
But I can understand your frustration. Six months of Rudy bashing and from what I see of this thread you and your master don’t have much to show for it.
See you next time.
Wow, is this the definition of being Swiftboated??? Taken down by those that know you best and you capitalize on them as your ace in the hole??
You're on a conservative forum defending a liberal RINO, poorly I might add, and you think that is akin to winning. LMAO
You're a glutton for punishment.
Some NYC firefighter’s union was a huge kerry supporter. Not sure if you are speaking of someone different.
////You’re on a conservative forum defending a liberal RINO, poorly I might add, and you think that is akin to winning. LMAO
You’re a glutton for punishment
.////
An excellent summation of your biased opinions.
And if you check my imput you won’t find anything in defense of Rudy.
Yes, you are losing your ass off.
Hardly. He was actually laughing at you. So was I when you asked for a quote. lol Funny stuff. Keep that in the act.
I guess you're unaware that Rudy ran on the liberal party ticket, as well as the Republican, all three of the times he ran for mayor.
If you bother searching, you'll find many quotes from Hizonnor that disavow conservatism in favor of liberalism.
Sorry to rain on your parade.
Ouch, Mr. Storm you just pwn3d him and made it look so easy. I guess these Rudy Tooters are all hat and no cattle, just like the mentally deranged Mittheads..... like shootin fish in a barrel, in this case bass...LOL!
>>>>>And if you check my imput you wont find anything in defense of Rudy.
You show up here every now and then, to tell us conservatives how wrong we are to bash Giuliani. I'd call that defending Rooty, very poorly. But I did find this tidbit.
>>>>>Rudy has been the next president since 9-11-2001. By all means, let there be primaries, caucuses, etc. They serve to confer legitimacy upon the eventual winner, who will be Giuliani.
Sounds like your defending Rooty to me. I know, you're just the messenger. BULL!
You are claiming that Rudy is not a RINO. On most of the issues that matter to me (and a lot of people here) he is.
Why thank you! :)
The MittWits are much more tiring with their endless strawman arguments. I swear they’re all one guy, since the arguments are almost identical most of the time.
Usually, all these RootyTooters have to offer is browbeating anyone that says they won’t vote for Rudy.
They want Rudy, they can elect Hillary without me. If they don’t like it, it’s too damn bad. :)
And if we nominate Thompson or someone else who loses to Hillary, will you be happy or angry?
My level of distress at any of those outcomes would depend in significant measure upon what happens in the congressional races. I think Fred Thompson, win or lose, is going to have much stronger coat-tails than Rudy Giuliani. Given a choice between having Rudy win the presidency while the GOP loses seats in Congress, or having Thompson lose to Hillary while the GOP regains a narrow majority in Congress, I'd prefer the latter.
Further, you seem to be assuming that Rudy would win if nominated and that Fred would lose. I think you would agree that having Rudy be nominated and lose would clearly be an inferior outcome to having Fred be nominated and win.
Cee Bass.
Cee Bass Run.
Cee Bass Boost Rudy.
Cee Bass get himself 0wn3d.
Cee Bass run away with his tail between his legs.
Here’s hoping we don’t Cee Bass get his arse banned along with the rest of his Rudy Boosting pals.
Being taken down by what liberals regard as falsehood but conservatives recognize as truth.
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