Ex-NYC Mayor Dinkins Breaks Silence On Giuliani

The collapse of Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign in Florida may have been perceived as a sudden if not spectacular political phenomenon. But the man who preceded Giuliani as mayor of New York says that Giuliani's shortcomings as a candidate were always there. The media were just too scared to write about them.

In a phone conversation with the Huffington Post, former New York City mayor David Dinkins offered a blunt assessment of Giuliani's presidential bid: Rudy's veil had merely been lifted.

"I can only say that I'm not surprised," Dinkins said. "I don't think he should ever have been so high in the polls and I might add that I really blame the local media for that. They knew of his frailties and flaws and skeletons in his closet. But they didn't write about it or the stories just didn't have legs. And the reason is Rudy is very vindictive and [the press] was afraid of being denied access. So the general public is just catching up to stuff local people have always known."

Dinkin's remarks were a rare reflection on the man he battled twice - wining in 1989 and losing in 1993 - in mayoral elections. The Harlem Democrat has traditionally shied away from discussing his political successor, concerned about the impression his comments would leave.

"I have avoided talking to the press about Rudy because I felt that before his fall from grace - as it were - that anything I said would be taken as sour grapes," said Dinkins, "that I would be piling on, which is how I feel now that he has fallen."

Not all former New York City mayors feel such restrictions. Within hours of Giuliani's third place finish in Florida, Ed Koch, who once supported Giuliani and then soured (even writing the book "Giuliani: Nasty Man") offered a concise take on how he felt.

"The beast," he said, "is dead."

Comments

[UNCLEJOE]

In the 1950's at the hight of Mafia notoriety, the ten top most wanted FBI criminals were of blue eyed German and Irish extraction. The number of Mafia members in FBI files was listed as 2,800 members while the 1950's U. S. census listed 11 million American Italians; the ratio of Mafia members to the total Italian American population was lower than one mafia member in 0.00025 of the total Italian American population. in other words it would take 100,000 Italian American to produce 1/4 of a Mafia member or One in ever 400,000 Italian Americans was a member of the Mafia. And the Mafia predominantly hired an organization to carry out their murder assignments, named 'Murder Incorporated, a strictly Jewish Organization located in Brownville, Brooklyn.
Sorry to disappoint you crime loving pundits, but Italian Americans were hard workers who built the early NYC buildings and infrastructure and monopolized the barber shops industry like my father and uncles first jobs in this country and shoe shine parlors and filled the concert halls opra houses with classical musicians and virtuosos. The first US Marine Band Organised by John Philip Suza Consisted of Sicilian Musicians that Suza hand picked on his trip to Sicily and brought to America with their familes.

As a Sicilian, my first paying job was as a self-employed shoe shine boy at seven years old; my post was under the Brighton elevated trains on Kings-highway in Brooklyn under the protecting of my 17 year old neighbor Henry Disiano who helped me build my all wood shoe shine box and donated my first shoe shining polish, cleaner and brushes; that was in 1930.
So next time someone brags he's a Sicilian, it's because of his artistic creative background and humanitarian culture.

[Tankan]

Politicians use God as a stepping stone as fits their needs!

Rudy reaped exactly what he sowed, contempt!

[Dannydel]

Anyone who reads Vanity Fair, would have been scratching their heads that this egomaniacal, vindictive, serial husband, with the Zsa Zsa marriage fetish and the Nixonian lust for revenge, could ever have been taken seriously. And as for his bug eyed, social climbing sycophantic 3rd wife, trying to imagine her as first lady would be like trying to imagine Laura Bush as First la....oh, sorry, I forgot.

[Colmore]

Is Pat Robertson mad at God now, for lying to him? Pat was told by God that Rudy was the "man" to promote. Pat should get his hearing checked, or go to his "alone" place to meet with God and ask what went wrong. Huckabee has God's phone number, he received a call on his cell phone, remember? Maybe God is as disgusted with the US as the rest of the world.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Rudy did not even make it to the finish line. This can only mean one thing, there is a GOD.

[bikerdude]

Rudy is a fascist. More Musolini than LaGuardia.

[Dunollieman]

letsmakesense : You have obviously partaken of the Paultard koolade. Ron Paul is as immaterial to this race as Nader was the last time. Ron Paul is a racist s.o.b. and nobody has the balls to come right out and say it.He is also three steps away from the dementia ward at the local psych.hospital. Go Hilary.

[Ides]

Ed Koch should kick Rudy in the Good 'N' Plenty, stand over his writhing body and shout, "How'm I doin' now, chump!"

Pure entertainment.

[rh654]

LOL - Dinkins - what a stud - coming out AFTER Rudy is out of the race to tell us all what he thinks.

The real guts is telling everyone what you think WHILE the person is still in the race.

While no Rudy fan - it is pretty gutless to kick someone after they LEAVE the race.

[letsmakesense]

Good job American voter.
You lifted Rudy's veil without help from the MSM(wonder why they did not do their job of reporting the Rudy facts to the public?).
No we are going to lift Hillary's veil:
Voted for war, Patriot Act, Nafta. Cafta, open borders e.t.c.
Then McCain's veil will be lifted.
Lifted by the people not the mainstream media.
When, we the people, finish our investigations on the internet about all the media sponsored candidates we, the informed people, will elect Dr. Ron Paul.
NBC works for GE
Google works for you and me.
Check it out on your own.
Do not let the Corporate Controlled Media select your candidate.

[IndependentMeans]

McCain is too old, 72, dementia is evident in all but 14% of people his age. WAKE UP VOTERS, THIS IS VITAL!!!

[IndependentMeans]

McCain is too old, 72, dementia is evident in all but 14% of people his age. WAKE UP VOTERS, THIS IS VITAL!!!

[littleblackcat]

We can all be happy Rudy's out. Now unless we all want desperately to remain locked in this illegal war for the next hundred years, get your repu friends to get their heads out of their butts and GET RID OF MCCAIN!

[Purple Girl]

This shit pisses me off. If they know something that this politican -in Public Servant clothing- is involved with Illegal/Unethical/Unamerican activites it is their DUTY to speak Up before the SOB seizes more power. I disgusted with th eformer Mayors and , as usal, the Media.
Reports should be fettering out such insights and information. WE'll decide how to use it. We need not be spoon fed nor sheltered.
In fact EXPOSURE to the light would be the best disinfectant for what ails this country, No pardons this time!

[dadixon]

Crime was going down before Giuliani got to office. So I wish folks would just do simple FACTCHECKING! I'm a New Yorker and I've never known anyone I knew personally that like him.

Factcheck.org is a nonpartisan fact-checking organization that goes after everyone. Giuliani just leaves a more bitter taste in your mouth.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/the_not-quite_truth_about_nyc.html

... and this is just for fun...
http://newyorkersagainstrudy.com/