Iran and Rudy

Okay, so Iran is not currently developing nukes. Looks bad for our intelligence services, doesn't it, but that's no shocker, am I right? We sort of take that for the granted. Here's what the Iran news really does, however; it knocks Rudy Giuliani right out of the race.

Think about it. He's got some big negatives, in some ways combining the most negative aspects of both Bill Clinton and Bush the Younger. Giuliani is a pro-choice hawk with a penchant for keeping his fly open. He favors a generation of warfare to defeat Islamo-fascism and has been all over the map on gay marriage/union. His one abiding strength, however, has been as American's Mayor, America's Air Raid Warren, the man on the street with the bullhorn calling the all clear.

What propelled him into the future was clearly not domestic policy. Aside from the Republican boilerplate that all taxation is evil and the government is your enemy, he has no domestic policy. What he has is 9/11 and all future 9/11s. He was the guy to bump off Bin Laden and then knock on Ahmadinejad's door. But if they're not on the verge of nukes, then what the hell do we need Rudy for? He's been tarred with Bernie Kerik's very shmutzig brush and the good folks of Iowa will receive plenty of reminders that his second wife and children learned he was leaving their home forever via a televised news conference.

No, all he had was that bullhorn and the air raid helmet. I think the Iranians just pulled the magic carpet out from under him.

Comments

[fourex]

The only people Rudy knocked off were some brave NYC firefighters who were sent in with Rudy toy radios.

[sweethatttrick]

As a Manhattanite, Wall Streeter, American and plain ol' human being, I CANNOT get this question out of my head since the morning of 9/11.
"What did Mayor Rudy Guiliani do to safeguard NYC and the WTC AFTER the 1993 WTC BOMBING?"
"What escape plans were instituted for WTC employees and NYC citizens?"
NONE!!! I keep hearing the recording telling the WTC employees "stay in your offices, all is AOK" after the first plane attack on the first Tower. This haunts me every day since 9/11. How many lives could have been saved if Rudy Guiliani had truly been proactive and a "Mayor-in-Charge" by creating a plan post-'93 WTC attack?
This man failed NYC as a Mayor as I see it.

In today's Global world, Rudy Guiliani has none of the critical skills to manage the US Presidency with strategic visions, actions and choices of the "right stuff" persons in key spots.

I fear for our citizens' lives if he is elected.

[Asim]

Islamo-fascism?? what is that?who manufactured it AND why??? israel has proven time and agin over the past sixty years its racism,fascism and apartheid regime:would any one in the media dare to introduce and circulate Judo-fascism??

I know for fact that Muslims are not in any way,shape or form,fascists-the term is invented and promoted by racists and Islam bashers to divert attention from the attrocities of israel against the dispossessed Palestinians.

[Garvagh]

Rudy Giuliani showed his true colors as a stooge of the right-wing militarists hoping for a US attack on Iran as a part of an effort to keep the West Bank and perhaps even the Golan Heights. He was one of the most dangerous men on the planet, until the news came out this week about cessation of development activity on an Iranian nuke.

[wrabbitt]

Why does it matter which candidate has a worst past,congress has been stealing from America for years, Iran is counting on the American Policy makers to run around and point fingers. Which is working. If you put one and one together it comes up two. Ok, we went to war in Iraq, for reasons that never came true, "W" wants to Attack Iran for the same reasons.Think about it if Iran had a Nuclear Weapon,where would they use it? My guess is Israel, who in turn would turn Iran into a lifeless desert. Do they pose any threat to us? If Chauvez gets a nuke maybe,but,Iran is like attacking Attilla the Hun lots of troops but, not lots of real threat. maybe, they will not hide behind their women, and children.

[checkmoot]

Sure, Clinton and Guiliano are both serial adulterers but Guiliano had the cojones to assign a police detail as chauffeurs to his current squeeze to drive her, her friends and her family around on the taxpayers dime. Can you imagine not only the cost, but how mortifying it must have been for police officers to pull duty as basically servants, to the Mayors girlfriend ? ?

[Bob Egan]

Why would anyone that believes anything that this Administration says expect to have any creditability?

The President of Iran, now has more creditability, internationally than the president of the United States!

[clifwest]

Mr. Bergman,

As a registered Democrat for fifty three years, almost as long as you have been alive, I wouldn't count Rudy Giuliani out, not yet. Although I am not a fan of his, I question why you bring his personal life into any discussion as to his ability to lead our nation? The reference to his zipper was a cheap shot, since you failed to spell it out to your readers that Bill Clinton's zipper has been up and down more than an elevator and his personal infidelity has made a mockery of his marital oath to Hillary. I wonder if his oath of office was taken with the same tongue in cheek approach, don't you? I weary of members of my Party thinking that everything a Republican does is open to criticism but if we do the same thing, it's perfectly fine. I wonder about those people who make these distinctions, don't you?

[newworldman777]

I am simply baffled that Rudy was ever able to reach this level in the "race to the White House," because his candidacy seems to be so absolutely shallow. He is simply one of a number of one-dimensional Republican candidates who has chosen a divisive issue -- one that appeals to a certain segment of our uninformed society -- to utilize as a springboard platform that he hopes will propel him into the White House.

The question is this: Which candidate has chosen the most popular divisive issue? Rudy (Mr. 9-11), Tancredo (the xenophobic anti-alien all-American, the grandson of Italian immigrants, who, were it not for the sake of Ellis Island, would have been just as "illegal" as the Latino illegals whom he villifies), McCain (embracer of Bush and his Iraq War, even after Bush/Rove campaign machine smeared his name, insulting his little adopted daughter in the process), Thompson (back-to-the-basics, right-wing, conservative traditionalist, just don't expect him to expend much energy seeking office -- not his style), etc. etc.

Sad thing about it is, this type of strategy often works in America's elections.

[Greensleeves]

And yet fair comedian-Giuliani is no laughing matter.

[BritPatJax]

He also, as are many here, entirely in denial as to what actions and policies on our behalf, and aimed at Arabs, might have triggered the radical behavior of Muslim terrorists?

[jwod]

Well he's still got the failure of Bush's pursuit of bin Laden to go to. Maybe he'll want to threaten to bomb Pakistan.

[realistic2008]

Does anyone remmber Reagan's enemies do jour? he found anemies in his soup and in every corner of the planet, why? that was his excuse to give the war merchants the biggest arms buildup and the creation of the most terrific WMDs which of course we never used them since they were for maintaining world peace; however he showed the word the US power by attacking Granada. Deja vou with Bush the difference now is not that little brown guy from Nicaragua (Daniel Ortega), it is the little brown guy from Iran whom outshines him in the world stage and that is heresy; thus the need to embark in a cruzade to evangelized Islam as per the actionable memorandum he got from God.

[dsigeorge]

Islamo-fascist, police-state fascist, they rise from the same evil base. Rudy should be able to recognize the fascist enemy by simply looking in the mirror. I trust the magic carpet can be used to cover him up when he is through.

[Kendo Nagasaki]

Bush should put Rudy in charge of Guantanamo. He will extract confessions by the truckload.