Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #14 – Milford, NH 01/06/08 - Official Discussion Thread

[rob777]

"Why does Fred Thompson remind me of Robert Dole?"


Good question. Dole was a go along to get along establishment figure that opposed tax cuts, who Jack Kemp called "The tax Collector for the Welfare State" and Fred is an across the board solid conservative. Any resemblance is superficial at best.

[STARWISE]

So he does! Thanks .. didn’t know that, but
I do know he has his fingers in a LOT of
financially beneficial big pots... jeesh.

http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=26

Giuliani tied to Trans Texas Corridor
His law firm exclusive legal counsel for Cintra

Monday, May 7, 2007 - Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (or TURF) has learned that one of the top Republican Presidential candidates, Rudolph Giuliani, has ties to both Cintra and Macquarie, two of the major players in public-private infrastructure deals and foreign-direct acquisition deals in Texas, most notably the Trans Texas Corridor NAFTA Superhighway.

In fact, both companies are actively involved in bidding on most of the public-private toll contracts currently being negotiated in Texas: Cintra on TTC-35, Hwy 130 bypass around Austin, Hwy 281 & Loop 1604 in San Antonio, Hwy 121 in the Dallas area, and Macquarie bid on Hwy 121, Hwy 281, and Loop 1604. Macquarie is also moving to buy-up community newspapers along the Trans Texas Corridor route.

Cintra and Macquarie are partners on the Indiana Toll Road and Chicago Skyway leases. Macquarie also owns a toll road in Virginia.

A freelance reporter, Diana Grassi, does an expose’ on Giuliani’s ties to the major players who are gobbling up control of America’s highways in her article NAFTA Superhighway has Guiliani as key player.

Giuliani’s law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, is the exclusive legal counsel for Cintra. They negotiated the TTC-35, Hwy 130, and Hwy 121 deals. Giuliani recently sold Giuliani Capital Partners to Macquarie, March 2007, in what could be construed as a way to get campaign cash from a private corporation.

“This could explain why Giuliani has spent so much time fundraising in Texas...the monied proponents of the Trans Texas Corridor, of which there are many, would like to see this man become President,” points out Terri Hall, Founder/Director of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF). “The conflicts of interest are nothing short of stunning. It also explains why Cintra keeps popping up as the winning bidder.”

A recent CNBC interview notes how Texans seem to be the only citizens who don’t have their heads in the sand on the coming toll tidal wave and massive NAFTA Superhighway scheme that edges us closer to a North American Union.

Here’s some of the most shocking revelations from Grassi’s article:

“Most interesting to the whole story is not only has Mr. Giuliani’s involvement in the NAFTA Superhighway not ever having been publicly addressed, but how a foreign company is awarded the building of a mass highway system, versus maintaining it, for the first time in U.S. history, and negotiated by the law firm of the top Republican candidate running for President of the United States.

And truly disturbing is how such will not only have national and homeland security and sovereignty implications but how it is deliberately being kept away from the Halls of Congress.

Giuliani fancies himself as an expert on homeland security issues and a law enforcer. And he has amassed quite the portfolio since 2002, earning $20 million in that year alone, by selling himself as such.

He owns Giuliani Partners, Giuliani Safety & Security and Giuliani Capital Advisors. In March 2007 he sold Giuliani Capital Advisors, a former Ernst & Young finance company he purchased in 2002, to Macquerie Infrastructure Consortium.

Not coincidentally, it is a partner of Cintra’s in its shared operations of toll roads in both Indiana and Chicago, IL.

~~~~

Damn! Maybe the reward for his excellent role as NYC mayor and America’s Mayor on 9/11 should be what he’s been able to transform his life into since then. He’s attained much wealth and apparent global security credibility and prestige from that time. Maybe he could enjoy and be content to leave it at that.

[Josh Painter]

A focus group that can’t focus?

[weston]

Tennessee Stud!! Love it. Thanks for the link,
I’ll pass it along!

[HonestConservative]

You are correct. My humble apologies, thank you.

Still works for me. Too bad though that they didn’t do it for Hunter earlier, as well as NRO.

Listening to McLame. He’s sooooo condescending.

[mylife]

He is a opportunistic weasel, and I feel that Mitt is as well. I just cant prove it.

[ConservativeMind]

I consider Moron theology to be a little strange

You might want to retract or correct your self

[Josh Painter]

In the general, I will write Fred’s name on the ballot if it isn’t printed there.

[mylife]

Ever wonder why Perry endorses Rooty?

[STARWISE]

The old SecDef, Robert?

[rob777]

"I consider Moron theology to be a little strange You might want to retract or correct your self"


Thanks for the catch. Should be Mormon. :-)

[mylife]

No, Governor “good hair” of TX

[STARWISE]

No .. just got it .. Rick, TX guv ... ;)

[Josh Painter]

Explain.

[mylife]

Them boys are in cahoots

[Josh Painter]

Mark Levin: “Fred is solid. He just is. The press don’t like him, and too much time is spent on superficial observations, but he has clearly given a great deal of thought to very big issues.”

Wow, mark nails it! “Superficial observations” just like all the Fred dissing done on this thread...

[PosterQue]

It is 3AM and I just found out my grandmother sent the guy on channel 43 her entire life savings. She bought her way into heaven. Her heat and water are turned off. I see Huckabee.

Exactly! I told my husband last night that he has a zealot gleam in his eye. He scares the cr@p out of me.

[Josh Painter]

Bluestateredman wrote: Mitt Romney is a lot more like Reagan than Fred Thompson. Was Reagan a “flip-flopper” because he was once pro-abortion?”

Reagan was never “pro-abortion.” And he wasn’t a lying weasel like Mitt.

[trussell]

Nothing was mentioned following the slip, except here of course.

He actually apologized heavily for his comment. A lady in the background said "I've heard worse".

[rob777]

"I would campaign on other issues like security and once elected raise these other issues."


The serious issues need to be raised during the campaign if there is to be any hope of creating a mandate to address those issues. A real leader will find a way to sell serious issues to the public. I see no purpose in running otherwise and will not support candidates who refuse to campaign on serious issues for fear of not getting elected.

To paraphrase Patrick Henry: "Is office so dear and power so sweet as to purchased at the price of principle? Forbid it almighty God! I know not what choice others make, but as for me, give me principle or do not bother!"