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."
That makes me laugh as well. Good thing that only a small portion of these people are unhinged, spending hours of each day thinking its somehow affecting the political landscape.
Hillary is the enemy. Anyone attacking her is helping conservatives, be they liberal, moderate, conservative or apolitical. Even if the person attacking her is Rudolph Giuliani!
Do you know that when Fred Thompson wins the nomination, Rudy will be supporting him and that his attacks on Hillary will continue? In that regard, he will be on our (your and my) side.
He will help win the RINO vote for Fred.
This isn't Rudy-boostering...this is an attempt to give a small measure of credit where I think it's due. I would hate to see Rudy marginalized to the point that he can exert no influence to encourage the vote for a real conservative like Thompson.
The man can help us defeat Hillary, regardless of what his motives might be...and that's a good thing.
‘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....’
I know someone who worked for NYC and was a Union member and feels exactly as you described. Dislikes Rudy intensely because he didn’t meet Union salary/pension demands. Your points are well taken.
I don’t even support Rudy, but seeing Kristen Breitweiser again calling herself the spokewoman for 911 widows makes me want to scream.
So which blogsite is backgrounding all these people to see how much they’ve contributed and to whom?
Yeah. Hey, you interested in a bridge I have for sale?
Give em time. I’m sure someone will.
I saw many feel the same way about Dubya.
I simply shudder at the thought of Queen Hillary. I do hope we put a good conservative candidate up. I’m just not going to work myself into a frenzy during the process.
The backing could help Mr. Bush win support from firefighters nationwide, even though the country's largest firefighters' union has endorsed Senator John Kerry.
‘Fred then takes the nomination crushes the beast.....’
With all due respect, someone will have to wake Fred if he’s going to crush the beast...
I saw Fred at Presidency IV Republican debate week-end and seemed Fred was taking a nap when he was supposed to be participating.....
When did promoting conservatism and conservative candidates, while opposing liberalism and liberal candidates, become an effort in "hate" on FRee Republic? That is an absurd remark to make.
JC said love the sinner, not the sin. Liberalism is the sin. One problem. Liberalism is a form of socialism and both ideologies undermine our Constitutional Republic. That makes them evil. I'll leave God to worry about Rooty`s soul. I'm more concerned with getting a conservative the GOP nomination. If some liberal union`s leadership wants to attack Rooty and knock him down a few pegs, I'm not about to stand in the way.
I guess I wasn’t paying attention when the definition of conservative became whatever JR and his groupies proclaimed it to be.
I also find it pathetic to see someone called “ReaganMan” violating the hell out of the Gipper’s 11th commandment.
Let me post it here for you in case you never heard of it.
http://www.mcgop.net/Great_Leaders.htm
Is the NYC's main firefighters' union 'the rank and file'?
I think not.
Per the article:
New York City's main firefighters' union will endorse Mr. Bush
And after that, they DID in fact endorse Bush. The rank and file ARE Republican. So is the NYC firefighters union.
Without studying it scientifically, it seems to me that the one getting attacked the most by the liberal media and liberal organizations is Rudy.
I assume that’s because they fear him the most. I think that THEY think the rest of the Republican candidates are walkovers.
Next, they’ll be calling us ‘Rudy Deniers’. Anything that is against Rudy is ‘Hate Speech’.
Clearly, the conservative policy as stated by the Founder of Free Republic, makes Rooty the enemy too. All liberals are the enemy around here. Hillary included. Liberalism is evil incarnate!
Yup. That is why I don't believe this is a DNC hit, it is in their best interest to wait until the general, and then wait until about Ocotber 08. Doing it now helps out conservatives more than anything cuz it helps pave the way for Fred who will easily defeat the cackling shrew.
Jim Riches is not the New York City Fire Chief. You would think ABC would tell the truth about his title and his association with Kristen Breitweiser.
I believe that a majority of the families of 09/11 victims appreciate the actions of Rudy Giuliani. That being the case it troubles me to see a group of 09/11 victim families considering taking him to task on those actions.
Rudy happened to be mayor on 09/11. He handled himself well with regard to the duties he was called on to perform in the aftermath of that event. If he hadn’t done a reasonable job, he would be taken to task for it. It seems only reasonable for him to list his actions related to 09/11 on his resume.
Rudy won’t be getting a vote from me, but that is related to his liberal views, not his actions related to 09/11.
Rudy makes the Clinton camp very nervous. The last thing Hillary wants to face is a popular man from the same state she calls home (today). If Rudy ran, she couldn’t count on New York to wind up in her column. That would seriously damage her chances.
It’s my thought that this group has a strong democrat lean, and it is probably Hillary’s minions who have pushed this type of effort. She wants to destroy Rudy above anyone else on the right IMO.
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