Giuliani: A Presidential Mistress Could Get Security Detail Too

In a hypothetical Rudy Giuliani administration, the president's mistress would receive Secret Service protection if "the people who assess it come to the conclusion that it is necessary to do this."

Appearing on Meet the Press this morning, the Republican presidential candidate argued that high-profile figures receive high-profile threats, and as such, family and even extramarital associates are susceptible to the occasional danger.

Asked by host Tim Russert whether it would be "appropriate for a president to provide police protection for a mistress," Giuliani said it would, provided "someone has threatened to do harm."

"The reality is, it all came about because of my public position," the ex-mayor remarked, "because of the fact the when people are public or celebrities these kinds of threats take place."

Giuliani was being quizzed about why, in office, his then-girlfriend Judith Nathan received taxpayer-funded security detail and police chauffeuring, even though New York City law restricts those protections to the mayor's family.

Giuliani claimed that everything done for Nathan was based on a professional "threat assessment." Russert didn't ask why, if nothing was improper, Giuliani chose to hide the costs by billing them to obscure city agencies. But he did press Giuliani if the logic would apply to a president's mistress. The former mayor said no, before going on to detail why and when it would be appropriate.

Watch the video from Meet the Press:

Comments

[disgusted48]

10:00 PM on 12/10/2007

I'm confused. Are the christian right ok with Jezebel Judy living in the White House? Rudy and Judy have openly and without shame, brazenly broke at least one of the ten commandments. They were having a sexual relationship before Rudy was divorced or even separated from his secong wife. It's just that simple. I haven't heard one religious right leader voice any concerns about Rudy's immoral behavior, when the Bible talks distainly about loose women and weak men throughout. However they were all over Clinton, like white on rice about Monica. Why the double standard?

[GenXer]

09:17 PM on 12/10/2007

Can I get him to come to my Church and he can tell us why he's should be our candidate?

[ceasenake]

07:22 PM on 12/10/2007

What about the First Husbands' Misress('s)?

[Colmore]

07:04 PM on 12/10/2007

An old comment comes to mind, that Judi should pay attention to. "A man who marries his mistress creates a job opening"

[Dandy12]

05:17 PM on 12/10/2007

Rudy is so good! He has an answer for everything. Even hypothetical situations apply. I like someone who seems to know everything. Sure makes me happy!!

[Rehbock]

05:10 PM on 12/10/2007

Hypothetically if the guy took on a mistress he is the one who would need protection ... from the wife!
He already got thrown out of his mayoral mansion due his philandering. How can any sane person want this immature self centered sleazebag. He is more than old enough to keep his fly zipped but he won't. That does not sound like Presidential material. Thought that the Republicans had a problem with President Clinton on this very point.

[dax49]

03:38 PM on 12/10/2007

where is tom delay and the rest of the republican hypocrites on this matter? what a bunch of sleaze, and their supportes are just as bad.

[ipitombi]

12:23 PM on 12/10/2007

"Giuliani: A Presidential Mistress Could Get Security Detail Too"

Why not? What's good for the wife is good for the mistress.

[studlyguy]

12:11 PM on 12/10/2007

Ghouliani how arrogant can he get,these repukes have no shame

[Nicolaus]

11:46 AM on 12/10/2007

This is a storm in a teacup.
Mayor Giuliani is perfectly within the law. The following are extracts from the NYPD directive issued by Police Chief Bernard Kerik:

...

MAYORAL ESCORT SERVICE
1. The NYPD shall offer the Mayor Escort Services for himself and his 'loved-ones.' No sex or gender discrimination would be practiced by the Escort Service staff.

2. In addition, the Escort Service shall provide all and every service requested in the context of the pursuit of the Mayor to alleviate boredom, stresses, including personal, familial, conjugal and otherwise frustrating.

3. Further, Escort Service personnel may engage in rearrangement of artifacts that may facilitate the relief of such stress. These artifacts include but are not limited to those related to stress relief while in a horizontal or semi-horizontal positions, or any other position thought conducive to higher security levels for the Mayor and his 'loved-ones.'

4. The Mayoral Escort Service shall perform errands to fetch any items or articles deemed necessary for the stress-relief operation and which the Mayor cannot perform while his is in the process of reliving his stress. These applies to articles and items required by the Mayor, or his 'loved ones.'

5. Under no circumstances would members of the Mayor's Escort Service take part in the stress-relief process, unless they really like to.
.
.

and several other stipulations that Mr. Kerik issued which totally clears the maligned reputation of the Hero of 9/11.

[win2kpro]

11:17 AM on 12/10/2007

Rudy's answer on MTP about protection for his mistress has to be the stupidest answer I have ever heard from a presidential candidate.

Joe Biden described Rudy perfectly when he said in the Democratic debate; "And the irony is, Rudy Giuliani, probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency, is here talking about any of the people here. Rudy Giuliani... I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There's nothing else! There's nothing else! And I mean this sincerely. He's genuinely not qualified to be president."

[BuffaloMeridian]

10:59 AM on 12/10/2007

Too bad Mary Pinchot Meyer didn't have one of those.

[fourex]

10:47 AM on 12/10/2007

NO protection for Rudy's whores, bookies, pimps, or bag men.

[hannitizer]

10:02 AM on 12/10/2007

Rudy, oh Rudy why take this stance?
You’d not have to go there if it stayed in your pants
Mistress or hooker, goon or bookie
Are they eligible for protection while you’re out playing hookie?

Mr. 9/11, why not just say with inflection
“All of my stooges deserve full protection”
Then, oh great one, you’d not need to worry
Just erase the doubt and laws that are blurry

Rudy, oh Rudy take this to heart
Your chances of winning…. a shot in the dark
And if by some miracle you are nominated
Your odds of collapse could not be overstated

[samuraijack]

09:32 AM on 12/10/2007

Sufferin Succotash sh sh!!! Yesh, yesh. I deservesh a mistressh. you betchash, sh, sh, sh. Oh, sh, sh, sh, shit. Jack Out.