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."
The ‘It’s the Clintons and the DNC’ idea is really silly. I don’t expect much more from the Rooty Tooters though.
It’s the Dem union leaders behind this.
Not the rank & file.
To say otherwise shows you don’t know what you’re talking about.
More on Jim Riches (aka the NYFD’s Kristen Breitweiser) and his support for Hitlery:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10052007/news/nationalnews/hillary_in_9_11_air_strike.htm?page=0
HILLARY IN 9/11 AIR STRIKE
CONTROVERSIAL TV COMMERCIALS TWEAK GIULIANI, SPLIT WTC KIN
But Jim Riches, an FDNY battalion chief who lost his son and who is part of a group of family members against Giuliani, called the ad fair.
“She doesn’t show planes flying into buildings or towers falling . . . It’s not a fear-mongering ad. It’s what happened that day,” Riches said.
“I don’t think she’s politicizing 9/11, she’s trying to get help for the first responders . . . She’s telling it like it is. We were lied to by the government and Rudy Giuliani,” he added.
I couldn't agree more...but I'd like you to notice one small thing:
Rudy is the enemy who will support Fred Thompson in the General Election in '08.
Hillary is the enemy who will oppose Fred Thompson in the General Election in '08.
If Thompson gets the nomination, Rudy, Fred Thompson, you and I will all be opposing Hillary in '08.
We will all wind up on the same side...like it or not!
There is no chance you, Fred, Rudy and I will ever support Hillary Clinton!
Watch...the adage about strange bedfellows will ring true yet again.
Go Thompson!
“”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.””
Are they saying he DIDN’T do a great job that day? Reminds me of a conversation I had with my sister in NY after 9/11 who insisted Rudy didn’t do anything any other mayor of a large city wouldn’t do in a crisis. Mayor Nagin comes to mind now!
Please get new material, the "Fred is boring" line is moldy, putrid, and just plain moronic. So Fred doesn't impress you...so what? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Fred does impress a LOT of others and that includes the NRTL and the NRA. He already has one of the endorsements and, if the NRA decides to endorse in the primaries, he WILL get the NRA endorsement. I would call that pretty dang impressive!
I believe DoughtyOne hit the nail dead center on post 79.
I’m heading off to bed... almost 10pm here.
JR doesn't define Giuliani as a liberal. Neither do I. The fact you consider Rooty to be a "conservative", exposes your politics to ridicule. Rooty is the anti-conservative.
>>>>>I also find it pathetic to see someone called “ReaganMan” violating the hell out of the Gipper’s 11th commandment.
LOL The so-called "11th commandment" is a fallacy. Reagan didn't create that slogan. He also didn't follow it all the time either. If you look at the 1976 GOP primary campaign between Reagan and Ford, you'd understand.
In 1976 conservative Ronald Reagan challenged Pres Ford for the GOP nomination. Reagan savaged Ford with attacks on both his domestic and foreign policy agenda and rightly so. The Ford campaign slung some mud at Reagan as unqualified to be POTUS. Ford called Reagan a cowboy. This contentious campaigning went on through the primaries and into the GOP convention. In the closet primary election phase in US history Ford beat Reagan for the nomination.
If the moderate-liberal Gerald Ford was not off limits to Reagan`s attacks, then Giuliani is not off limits to conservative attacks on his liberalism.
Frankly, I prefer my own 11th commandment. Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow conservative in good standing. Not all Republicans are conservatives.
I've never been one to count my chickens before they're hatched. In the world of EARLY politics. Forecasting -A+B must equal C is way too huge a stretch for this feller. I'm also not one to root on Hillary Union supporters in crushing any Republican, for any reason WHATSOEVER.
Very well said.
More on Jim Riches’ and his fellow union bosses:
IAFF HAS HISTORY OF SUPPORTING DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
IAFF Endorsed Dukakis In 1988. (“Firefighters’ Union Endorses Dukakis,” The Associated Press, 8/2/88)
IAFF Endorsed Clinton-Gore In 1992 And 1996. (IAFF, “America’s Fire Fighters Endorse Clinton-Gore,” Press Release, 8/7/92; IAFF, “Fire Fighters Endorse Clinton-Gore,” Press Release, 8/23/96)
IAFF Endorsed Gore In 2000. (IAFF, “Fire Fighters Endorse Gore For President,” Press Release, 1/21/99)
In 2004, “IAFF Was The First Labor Union To Endorse Democrat John Kerry’s Race For The President, And Its President Was At Kerry’s Side Through Much Of The Campaign.” (Fox News’ “Special Report,” 3/8/07)
IAFF Did Not Poll Its Members Before Making Kerry Endorsement. “‘I think the thing that really teed off a lot of firefighters was that nobody was polled about that,’ said David Powell, a nonunion member who serves as chief of the all-volunteer Reedley Fire Department. ‘The members were not asked about it.’” (Michael Doyle, “Union’s Support Ignites Firefight,” Fresno Bee, 8/8/04)
What’s going to come out is a lot of anecdotal stuff and sob stories and things of that nature that will be used to blame Rudy for whatever they can.
I’ve been saying for months that this was going to happen after he got the nod. I’m very thankful that, instead of trashing Rudy after he got the nod, they have decided to derail him now.
I do believe there are a number of folks involved in this movement that really think Rudy did wrong and is exploiting 9/11 to his benefit. I think that if this were entirely motivated by partisan politics, they would have indeed waited until the general.
I don’t believe that Hillary fears Rudy in the least bit. In fact, Rudy or Romney is probably their easiest bet to win. I think that she’s aware that she can run to the right of Rudy and that Romney’s position changing makes Hillary look like a decisive candidate.
No matter what propaganda RudyTooters throw at you, NY is NOT in play. The ONLY scenario that MIGHT put NY in play has to do with illegal immigration and open-borders-Rudy ain’t the guy to bring that about.
Firstly, as posted above by a few others, the firefighters union supported Bush in 04.
Secondly, I am a conservative first and a Republican second. I don't buy for a second that anyone who has an R by their name should be supported regardless of their political inclinations. That would mean that if Hillary decided to become an R I should support her withou consideration of her politics.....get real!
Perfect, it is that faction that is connected with The Jersey Girls that are pushing the anti rudy movement among firefighters. The rank and file firefighter in NYC supported Bush, the union heads in NYC did not.
Jim Riches (International Association of Firefighters) on Hillary Clinton:
“I don’t think she’s politicizing 9/11, she’s trying to get help for the first responders . . . She’s telling it like it is. We were lied to by the government and Rudy Giuliani,” he added.
Looks like my thoughts on this hit pretty close to home. Thanks for the post.
You mean the same Rudy who didn’t go to either the firefighters command center (on West St) or the police command center (on Church St), but ran uptown talking to the press as he went?
You mean the Rudy who gave a no-bid contract to replace the radios that didn’t work in the first WTC attack with untested radios that didn’t work in the second attack and cost at least 120 firefighters their lives?
You mean the Rudy who insisted the Emergency Command Center be built in the WTC complete with a cigar rom for him, even though he was warned that was a bad idea?
You mean the Rudy who lied and said Jerry Hauer insisted on building the ECC in the World Trade Center, when the truth is Hauer wanted it in Brooklyn and Rudy overruled him? (Hauer has documents to prove his story.)
Are you talking about that Rudy?
It was pointed out that the guy who wants to take Rudy to task is a supporter of Hillary. That pretty much puts the issue to rest. IMO, the time to take Rudy out is now, not two weeks before the primaries.
Candidates want the home state advantage. Rudy is enough of a leftist that he can pull votes away from Hillary. By the time next November comes around Hillary isn’t going to look right of just about anyone in this nation.
I’ll believe Reagan’s own words rather than your interpretation of them.
>>>>JR doesn’t define Giuliani as a liberal. Neither do I. <<<<
Do you really expect anyone to believe anythng you have to say after that?
Nor do I, however, Rudy is NOT a Chaffee, Snowe, Hagel, Paul, etc. You can come back with the standard FR Rudy slams, but he ain't one of those, and by the way, NO ONE on FR sways my opinion, including Jim Robinson.
That would mean that if Hillary decided to become an R I should support her withou consideration of her politics.....get real!
You get real.
Now, lest you freak out and construe this to mean I'm a Rudy supporter, I'm not. Like I've said, it is way too early to count anybody out and I'm keeping my powder dry until I make up my mind who's got the ideas, horesepower and mindset to earn my vote. Nobody has thus far.
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