RudyWatch I: On "Venom" and MoveOn

Seeing Rudy Giuliani fulminate against Hillary Clinton and Moveon for "character assassination" and "political venom" this week was like watching Larry Craig denounce homosexuality.

Recall that Giuliani was famously abusive as a U.S. Attorney, ordering some Wall Street traders to be handcuffed in front of their shocked staff, with charges later thrown out. And since he ran his mayoralty based on reverse Lincoln -- with malice toward all and charity toward none -- his words in the Bush-Petraeus context are an unadulterated example of what psychologists call projection or average citizens call hypocrisy. But since he can't run in Republican primaries on such stalwarts as family values or on guns, gays, god and abortion, he has to overplay the war/patriot card.

Venom and assassination? When former Mayor Ed Koch, who endorsed Giuliani for reelection in 1997, titled his biography Giuliani: Nasty Man? Let's see:

• *When a black private security guard Patrick Dorismond was wrongly shot to death by police who implied he was a drug dealer, here's how Giuliani comforted a grieving family: he illegally and selectively released Dorismond's juvenile record and personally attacked him as "no altar boy." (In fact, he had been an alter boy.)



• When Brooklyn City Councilman Steve DiBrienza enacted a bill to limit the number of beds at City homeless shelters, Mayor Giuliani vetoed the measure, and then retaliated by sending an eviction notice to a city building housing a senior-citizen center and non-profit children's center in DiBrienza's district. Here's a guy who would go to that length because I beat him on passing a law that requires smaller-bed shelters,DiBrienza told the New Yorker. "Because we would not blink, he would throw kids, seniors, and the mentally ill out into the street. I mean, could I have written a better script to expose the fact of what he was?"
• When the New York City media reported in 1994 that Giuliani's newly appointed Commissioner for Youth Services had failed to pay his taxes, the Mayor's press secretary called several reporters to assert that the Youth Commissioner of predecessor David Dinkins, Richard Murphy, had engaged in a variety of financial improprieties. The Giuliani commissioner had to resign but the smeared Murphy fought back -- and a year later the city's Department of Investigation dismissed the charges against him as exaggerated and false.



• When it appeared that he would run for and possibly win a U.S.Senate seat in 2000, he pushed to change a 140 year-old rule that my office of Public Advocate was next in line in case of a vacancy because he didn't want a Democrat like me to succeed him. We fought his effort "to change the rules in the middle of the game...for political and personal reasons." He lost 76% to 24% in a public vote.

It's odd to watch the party of Joe McCarthy, Karl Rove and Swift-boaters complain about opponents who allegedly impugn the patriotism of political opponents. But it's particularly humorous to listen to Giuliani complain about MoveOn and Hillary Clinton for their criticisms of Petraeus...or protest those who raise "personal" questions about his wife and children. For when he had to, he would routinely engage in personal search-and-destroy missions against those who stood in his way.

On the venom front, Giuliani urges reporters to make Churchill analogies when he was far closer to a Nixon governing by enemies list.

Comments

[dougd]

Is it an example of "projection" when moveon accuses Petraeus of betrayal?

[CitizenE]

I don't know Rudy Giuliani personally; I have nothing to say about his person. He understands less than nothing about the middle east; his health care plan is a bait and switch designed to profit large corporations, fat cats, and the insurance industry while moving the nation further towards insolvency and the emergency room. Insofar as I can tell he does not have one coherent policy program by which to govern except the Dick Cheney policy of fearmongering. His politics are creepy. I'll let his family and friends speak for themselves.

[kroses98]

He ended his second marriage on television to his unsuspecting wife, after fooling around with his "lover" in front of the entire "world." His own children hate him and are supporting other candidates. This, alone, should give you a clue to this man's character (or lack thereof)! For more information on this complete "shmuck," go to: ***therealrudy.org***

[tgood]

Sigh. It seems the only time the presidential hopefuls in either party can be trusted to tell the truth is when their mouths aren't moving. Am I the only one who is tired to death of these career politicians who are going to "listen to the people" until they get into office, that is.

What a choice. None and None.

[spicegal]

I believe it was reasonable for Moveon to question whether or not we could actually expect to hear the truth from General Patraeus. We have been mislead(betrayed) and lied to on so many occasions by this administration that I find it hard to believe anything they or one of their designees says, and that would include General Patraeus, who I suspect is another Bush loyalist.
As for Guilianni, the thought of him as president is extremely frightening. He's another Bush, but with more brains. He would be an unscrupulous tyrrant, another Karl Rove who not only demonizes those who disagree with them, but seeks serious revenge. With Guilianni, we'd we that much closer to a full blown dictatorship.

[dora rice]

Rudi Guillani, another Bush/Gonzales all wrapped in one.

[BARRISTER]

Rudy is no different to Senator Craig, save that Rudy's cocksucking is of the political kind

[mari2JJ]

Based on a Giuliani criticism, I find it amazing that any Republican can worry about Hillary, Move-on.org or anyone else. His so called far right conservative stand just does not wash. Get a load of this guy in drag at http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/election2008/ig/Election-Funny-Pictures/Giuliani-In-Drag.htm
He is not your usual conservative Republican no matter how much he tries to act the part. His conversation with Trump may be all in fun, but it surely looks strange. Wonder if he uses it for a political picture?? Slinging mud just opens one up to these sorts of reminders. What he does is his business but than all this name calling just elicits this response and sure enough, someone sent me the site.

[Aaron]

Rudy Giuliani is the worst kind of political opportunist, a man entirely bereft of any ethical or moral compass, don't believe me? Just ask any of the lawyers who worked for him in the 80s and 90s. They'll tell you stories that will curl your hair and immediately make you dismiss any thought of voting for him. Simply put, the man is criminal filth, no better, and perhaps significantlyworse than many of the people he put in prison.

We've had our full measure of brigands and pirates, shysters and con artists in the White House, say no to Giuliani a resounding NO I say.

The only Republican candidate who's worth a damn is Mike Huckabee. If the Republican Party wanted to offer up someone who is in the same league as John Edwards, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, he would be their choice. Thankfully for the Democratic Party, they don't have the character or intestinal fortitude to run a relatively uncompromised candidate of quality.

The presidential election is a foregone conclusion, the only way a Republican winds up in the White House in 2009, is if the elections are fixed. A possibility that I will not be willing to dismiss until after all the votes are tallied.

Obama 08, genuine leadership for this new century.

[JimLarkin]

Where was Giuliani's indignation when we were inundated with " Osama/Obama...Obama/Osama...elect someone named Hussein?.... more hypocricy from the party that invented it

[Oracle101]

I have a feeling of deja-vu with yet another Republican expressing outrage over some far-left comment and demanding an apology. This a standard Republican strategy and they have done this a million times. If Mrs. Clinton had a dollar for everytime she's been called by the Republicans to apologize for whatever she said or did not do her husband would be able to give up his speaking gigs. The outrage over any perceived insult and demand for apology is in the Republican Book of War against the Left. Let's remind Mr. Guliani of how his own party thrashed the war record of Max Cleland to win an election.

[IntegrityIntact]

Great work calling Tooty Rudy out on that nonsense he's trying to pull with the NY Times, Mark. (Lova ya on MSNBC).

But where Tooty fruity Rudy is Dead Wrong is wheN he attacks Senator Clinton for raising LEGITIMATE DIALOGUE about the so-called "Petreus Report". She's doing her civil duty to her constituents to call it what we all know it is: BULLSHIT.

Moveon.org's running a wonderful TV AD in response to President Psychopath's speech last night. They want to air it on Monday and I donated $50. I urge anyone who can to do the same.

Hey Tooty Fruity Rudy--lay off the Senator. You keep up these silly-nilly tactics, (attacking an esteemed American politician for voicing her honest and warranted objections)and not only is the Senator gonna beat you for the Presidency come 2008--she's gonna bash you soundly.

Why?

The American People are fed up and disgusted and on the verge of revolting for this very crap being pulled on us by President Psycho and his cohorts.

Lay off our Freedon to Speak you twit.

[TheIndependenceParty]

General Petraeus was put before the world as a straw man for Bush, ... and Ghouliani decided to use him as well. Petraeus is just another in a long string of generals, ... who floated to the top of the bowl as one of only a few who would not tell Bush to shove his plans up his ass! There is talk Petraeus even fashions himself a latter day Eisenhower, ... a future Presidential potential. To that I say, ... Do your work first, General, and skip the political aspirations!

But Rudey Ghouliani seems so impressed by the uniform, ... its assumed worthiness of awe and respect by all who confront it, ... even by Senators and political interest groups.

As a past firefighter I ask why the former mayor is so awestruck with the good general's military uniform, and yet has repeatedly and consitently disrespected the FDNY in Parade or Turnout gear, ... it's members and other first responders. Is it the whiff of smoke on their collars for which he holds such disdain?

Rudey is hollow through and through. There is no one home inside the grinning, screeching, Mr. Ghouliani, ... "Il Douchey", ... I am sad to say. There is no military service, no foreign service, no fire service, no police service, no federal office, nothing but a thug from the Big Apple with 9-11 dust on the lapel of his shiny silk suits.

When my brothers and sisters in NYC tell me to beware, ... I listen. Every one of the people I respect from New York tells me that "Rudey" is as bad, or worse, than he seems. At the moment he seems more like a man interviewing for a couple hours a day on AM talk, ... than a man deserving to become the President of The United States.


More than

[smartstuart]

Rudy Mussolini is at it again! Noone questions Petrayus' past service and valor in that service. However, "Betrayus" failed to train the Iraqi troops, and 180,000 weapons have gone missing under his watch. Ever since that op-ed piece in 2004 promoting to Americans what surely WAS NOT happening in Baghdad -he lied , and painted a rosey pix, this general has politicized himself-just what the military should NOT do. What about the constitution, general....you sold it out and replaced it with your un-abashed ambition!!! So, other than to bash Hillary...what the hell is ROOTIE blabbing about??? Petrayus HAS Betrayed us!!!!

[Qbear]

Purple Heart Band Aids worn at the RNC Convention Rudy addressed
http://static.flickr.com/18/68726110_2c7787453b_o.jpg

WHERE'S my APOLOGY...Rudy

[GenXLiberal]

ya, where's the outrage America. Oh that's right, it's ok to mock veterans who recieve the purple heart but it's not ok to speak up about our young men and women dying for the GOP's political gain. Ya, fuck you conservative media, I mean MSM.