Stunt Man

Strange doings in Rudolph Giuliani's corner these days as he struggles to stay atop the GOP heap.

First was the bogus "surprise" cell phone call from his wife, Judi, as he addressed the not-so-friendly N.R.A.

Now, his campaign backtracks from an oddly themed fund-raiser requesting donations of $9.11. ("Sickening," is how Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd of Connecticut, in a fast press release).

But stunts are nothing new for Giuliani's campaigns.

Just call him Shecky.

When he ran against Hillary Clinton for a Senate seat in 2000, aside from engaging in an extramarital affair, then-mayor Giuliani had the state flag of Arkansas raised up a flagpole in front of New York's city hall while he completed a campaign-related swing through Little Rock.

In that lame-duck year, too, he recited, at a city hall press conference, the lyrics "Captain Jack will get you high tonight... " to suggest that Clinton endorsed illicit drug use, since the song played at a Buffalo, N.Y., hall where she received a third party endorsement (Billy Joel's song is actually about suburban ennui and alienation, but no matter). Via a direct-mail campaign to Christian Coalition Catholics around the country in early 2000, Giuliani suddenly championed the posting in public schools of the Ten Commandments (although, when it came to him, perhaps only nine).

Oh yes, and he yanked the city's subsidy and put the city legal department to work to try to defund an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum because of its "anti-religion" sentiments. Although a federal judge termed his actions unconstitutional, Giuliani stoked the controversy to good effect, raising millions for his ultimately short-lived campaign for Senate.

Just as off-kilter is Giuliani's recent boast, while in England, that he is one of the world's most famous persons (move over, Paris Hilton).

Or his half-baked accounts of grappling with terrorism for years and years.

"I investigated Yasser Arafat before anybody knew who he really was," he said in Las Vegas, thoroughly overstating his role as a U.S. attorney probing Arafat in the killing of Leon Klinghoffer by Palestinian terrorists in 1985 on the hijacked cruise ship Achille Lauro. Jay Fischer, a lawyer who represented the Klinghoffer family, told the Washington Post this week that he never talked to Giuliani about the case.

"When I heard [him] just in the last six months making a speech that he knew about terrorism because he had led the investigation, I recall turning around to my wife and saying, 'That comes as news to me,' " Fischer said.

Enough said.

Comments

[mattinjersey]

Under stunts, don't forget how he always used his 6 year old kid when he was mayor. The 6-year old boy would walk around and distract everyone.

[Camel54]

I almost hope Rudy gets the nomination as much as the right hopes for Clinton. It might be possible for even democrats to beat him.

I'm glad you brought up the Arafat thing, Rob. He really needs to be Gored with his own self-delusions. Anyone know where he stands on the SCHIP issue? I'm sure is arm and arm with W. He was probably vetoing SCHIP back in the 60s before anyone else had even heard of it. We need to skewer the republicans on this issue--every day until the election.

[OckhamsElectricRazor]

Sounds in line with Repubs. What's his public restroom behavior like??

[IntegrityIntact]

Rob, good read on the "The Rude". This man should be blocked by the entire New England Patriots team from going anywhere near the oval office.

The call from his hunnybun during his NRA speech was hilarious. Really, it is laughably staged. Does this man think the world hath no brains? This is something a high-school kid would do. And an insult to the brains of NRA members.

Rudy sucks. You want to see a real politician and have yourself a real breath of fresh air--watch Sen. Chris Dodd and Congressman Dennis Kucinich tonight in the NH debates.

Expect no ploys and gimmicks.

[larstein]

I can just see those shit kickers down South and out West voting for this queen. Imagine the possibilities of home made You Tube political ads when all the cross dressing stuff is mixed with the crazy nonsense she's been saying recently. Her nomination would at least prove that the Gops possibly possess a surrealistic sense of humor such as would be appreciated by the likes of Mark Twain, or else have decided to let the completely unhinged elements of Gopland run the show. In any event, here it comes folks, 2008 - Cat Fight of the Century: Queen Hillary vs Queen Rudy.

[Kundera]

It was an SNL skit.
Is that difficult to comprehend?

by the way, George Clooney really wasn't a doctor.