How interesting to hear Rudy Giuliani decrying "these terrible attacks" on David Petraeus, considering the former mayor's history of lashing out against another decorated general, Barry McCaffrey.
Speaking on an Atlanta radio show on Sept. 12, Giuliani slapped at Hillary Clinton's comment that Petraeus' testimony on the progress of the U.S. mission in Iraq hinged on a "willing suspension of disbelief." Giuliani also whined about MoveOn.org's "Gen. Betray Us" ad in the New York Times, calling it "disgusting" -- in his familiar made-for-late-night-talk-radio bluster -- and "very, very unfortunate."
Of course, this was all a petty and convenient distraction from Bush and his unnecessary and very, very unfortunate war. Sen. John McCain reached for the same red herring in separate comments. But it was also sanctimoniousness-a-usual on Rudy's part. Consider: In the fall of 1998, when Giuliani was New York's mayor -- and was "quick to demonize people as moral or social defectives when their only sin is to dare disagree with him," to quote Times metro columnist Clyde Haberman -- Giuliani assailed Gen. McCaffrey. McCaffrey was then the White House drug czar.
"I think Gen. McCaffrey is a disaster," said the mayor, whose proposal to end methadone treatment in New York was criticized by McCaffrey, a proponent of expanding methadone treatment, as well as by virtually every medical expert there was to be heard on the subject of heroin addiction.
When Hillary's husband appointed McCaffrey to the drug post two years earlier, McCaffrey was, at 56, the youngest four-star general in the country and the most highly decorated Army general on active duty, Haberman's coverage of the mayor's attack on McCaffrey noted. The general led the 24th Infantry Division in the Persian Gulf War, was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest medal for valor, and received three Purple Hearts for wounds he received in the Vietnam War.
While McCaffrey was braving enemy bullets in Vietnam, the man who peacocks as the toughest, bravest, most fearsome presidential candidate was clerking for a federal judge who wrote to the draft board to win him a deferment. Later, when a draft lottery was established, Giuliani's number was high enough to keep him out of harm's way.
Despite his proven penchant for petty confrontation -- which should give voters pause as they consider which candidate they can trust as commander in chief -- Giuliani avoids discussing in any detail his core rationale for running for president, his argument that he's the right man to deal with the existence and threat of terrorism. He sticks to controlled settings, where he can sound off without risk of challenge or real engagement about his Cheneyesque foreign policy ideas.
Maybe Giuliani deserves four stars-- for winging it.