Giuliani's Nasty Robocall For McCain: Obama Soft On Sex Offenders, Drug Dealers

The McCain campaign and the RNC are launching a new robocall effort attacking Barack Obama for being soft on crime and suggesting that he would not keep the streets or families safe.

Readers in Colorado and Wisconsin write that mid-day Wednesday he received a recorded message from Rudy Giuliani that says Obama does not support mandatory prison sentences for certain kinds of crimes like drug offenses and murder. The call, the reader notes, was paid for by the RNC and McCain/Palin '08.

At the same time, a reader in Minnesota writes that she too was the recipient of a call alleging that Obama was soft on street crime and criminals. That call was not automated as it is against state law.

Hi, this is Rudy Giuliani and I'm calling for John McCain and the Republican National Committee, because you need to know that Barack Obama opposes mandatory prison sentences for sex offenders, drug dealers, and murderers. It's true, I read Obama's words myself. And recently, Congressional liberals introduced a bill to eliminate mandatory prison sentences for violent criminals -- trying to give liberal judges the power to decide whether criminals are sent to jail or set free. With priorities like these, we just can't trust the inexperience and judgment of Barack Obama and his liberal allies. This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and McCain-Palin 2008.

Greg Sargent at TPM has posted audio.

The call is the second in as many weeks to paint Obama as possible dangerous to national interests. The first such effort told recipients that the Illinois Democrat was friendly with former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.

The current call comes, it seems, from a Washington Times article which reported that in October 2003 NAACP debate, Obama said he would "vote to abolish" mandatory minimum sentences. "The mandatory minimums take too much discretion away from judges," he said.

It should be noted, however, that Obama has clarified that position while on the trai. The Senator said he would "immediately review sentences to see where we can be smarter on crime and reduce the ineffective warehousing of nonviolent drug offenders." His stance is bolstered by several studies of criminal behavior which show that "mandatory minimum sentences are less effective than discretionary sentencing and drug treatment in reducing drug-related crime."

Comments

[dschausf]

anyone ever notice Giuliani looks like a Clutch Cargo character? It was an old cartoon where the lips on the characters were very creepy and the faces were frozen.

[Diogenes08]

Guiliani wants to automatically lock up all sex offenders? Better watch out, Rudy, there have been calls to make urinating in the bushes a sex offense...can cross-dressing be far behind? Seriously, if you're out on a deserted highway or at a contstruction site with no port-o-san handy, and answer the call of nature, you may be charged with a sex offense. Hey, the 'tough on crime' crowd has got to have SOMEONE to demonize now that gays have been accepted on prime-time, so make everything a sex offense - and be sure not to draw distinctions between rapists and hard-hats whistling at passing fems.
And automatically lock up all drug dealers? Your pal Rush and his doctors had better watch out too....

[rozgeorge]

If Rudy Giuliani keep talking his dentures are going to fall out. Wouldn't that be better than watching tired Sarah Palin on saturday night live. Don't get too excited old man.

[Donald-Iowa]

The only job Rudi is qualified for now is as a drug runner for Rush Limbaugh. He's throughly disgusted everyone that ever supported him and even McCain doesn't want to be seen in public with him. It's truly a sad commentary when your entire life can be summed up in a picture wearing a hard hat and carrying a bullhorn and endlessly repeating 9-11, 9-11, 9-11...I was there, remember me......

[Nooneyouknow]

Didn't Rudy get knocked out of the presidential race very quickly because even Republicans didn't like him? Can't imagine they like getting phone calls from him now...

[AlwaysFairDem]

Who take pervert Giuliani seriously? Do you?

The guy is a low life!

[Academic]

I'm sure many people are familiar with the old saying "it takes one to know one". And with Rudy's own personal and sex life not above reproach I don't think he's in any position to lecture anyone on morals or anything else for that matter.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[arvay]

This is the same kind of crap he used against black NY City mayor David Dinkins. Or, as Jackie Mason, campaigning for Guiliani called him ""a schvartze with a fancy mustache."

That's the kind of cheap, contemptible gutter politics this self-aggrandizing pushes at the American people.

[T-Bear]

Oh my gosh, did Rudy spit all over the phone while he was recording that ludicrous robocall? He sounds like and old cross dressing white version of Mike Tyson.

[JoeSausage]

Haven't the base stoned this philanderer to death yet? If Leviticus is going to be tossed around as proof that God hates gays, then the Neanderthal base better start stoning the adulterers like Giuliani and McCain.

[luvangelHussein330]

Rudy, what color lipstick is in for fall?

[pattyfish]

Oh Rudy...shame on you

[Yuma]

Cheater!

[Yuma]

OMG! C H E A T E R!

[lgion69]

This is man truly trying to position hiself for somthing bigger in the conservitive party. I realy don't understand how a man of his used to be stature could stoop so low to make a robo call. He went from running for president to to making recordings. He evidently didn't think this through. He shows know self resspect for doing this.

[buddbo1]

Rudy is soft in the head and in the pants. I can understand why his children have no contact with such a low life loser!

[bartonfink]

I don't recall a public figure having this kind of appeal, and by appeal I mean an obvious inner corruption that actually manifests itself as a shadowy darkness that emanates from the person himself, since nixon at the nadir of his public life.

are there actually people who respond to this guy in a manner consistent with his perception of their response? I imagine whole roomfuls of people spontaneously finding a reason to leave the room when he begins to speak