Clip of Robin Williams and the rest of the cast of Man Of The Year. After watching it, contrast it with this Guiliani clip from Larry King Live, and try not to laugh.
Foreign Affairs magazine has engaged the Presidential campaign in an intriguing way this year, hosting essays about the foreign policy plans and philosophies of the various presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle. They have been interesting reads, giving a good feel for the underpinnings and intellectual foundations of the various candidates who have participated thus far. I think this is a fantastic idea, and have enjoyed getting a feel for the various candidates and their foreign policy advisory teams – and what their ascension to the Presidency could mean for American foreign policy.
Thus far, the essays from Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and John Edwards give you a fairly decent overview of the individual candidates — and their foreign policy teams — and what they feel is important, what changes are necessary, and where America ought to be going as opposed to where we are at the moment. I encourage you to read all three, as the conversational tone and more detailed discussions really do flesh out policy positions so much better than you can glean from debate soundbites.
And then there is Rudy Giuliani’s take. Uh. Mah. Gawd. Not surprisingly, he dives right in to talking point numero uno for the wingnut set: “We are all members of the 9/11 generation.” I kid you not — that is the very first sentence of his essay. And that is, literally, the high point. It’s like a marketing slogan in the Coke versus Pepsi wars gone very, very wrong. I expect a link to some sort of campaign jingle or perhaps some scantily clad dancing Rudy Girls in police and firefighter-inspired ensembles, a Lee Greenwood tribute and some red, white and blue confetti at any moment in some choreographed campaign burst.
I’ll let Fred Kaplan give you a feel for it, because I cannot stop laughing:
Rudy Giuliani’s essay in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, laying out his ideas for a new U.S. foreign policy, is one of the shallowest articles of its kind I’ve ever read. Had it been written for a freshman course on international relations, it would deserve at best a C-minus (with a concerned note to come see the professor as soon as possible). That it was written by a man who wants to be president—and who recently said that he understands the terrorist threat “better than anyone else running”—is either the stuff of high satire or cause to consider moving to, or out of, the country….
“President Bush put America on the offensive against terrorists. … But times and challenges change, and our nation must be flexible. … America’s next president must … craft policies to fit the needs of the decade ahead, even as the nation stays on the offensive against the terrorist threat.”
Nowhere does Giuliani outline how his policies would differ from Bush’s or, for that matter, how his notion of staying on “the offensive” against terrorists would differ from the policies of any of the top three Democratic candidates. He doesn’t seem to know how they would differ. He doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about at all.
Two months ago, when Giuliani issued some of his first pronouncements on foreign policy, I wrote that he is “that most dangerous would-be world leader: a man who doesn’t seem to know how much he doesn’t know.” Judging from his Foreign Affairs article, the breadth and depth of his cluelessness are vaster than even I had imagined.
America deserves better than a “no cliche left behind” foreign policy initiative. And yes, it truly is that bad. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the GOP front-runner. Haven’t we all had enough of the ego that wants to be President but isn’t really up to the job?
PS — Happy birthday to Old Coastie!
Related posts:
- Don’t let his track record fool you…
- Mitt Romney: Scrapping Totally Pointless, Costly and Unnecessarily Provocative Bush Missile Shield is “Dangerous”
- White House School House Rock: Lack of Discipline is Spelled R-A-H-M
- DeMint’s Sedition: Flying Off To Fight Against The U.S.
- FDL Book Salon Welcomes, Marc J. Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler, Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics
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Happy Birthday Old Coastie:)
Rudy the G. What a guy. Perfectly suited to our age of corruption. Rudy will fill the void quite nicely, after the exit of the worst prez in history. Giuliani: the perfect Rove, GOP fit.
Iowans look for dirt under Giuliani’s fingernails
The Republican candidate faces challenges as he tries to woo rural voters
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20352340/
Aside from not wetting his pants, what exactly did Mayor Guliani do? My recollection of 9/11 is that Guliani looked good in contrast to Bush cowering under his desk for a couple of days. And then Guliani sort of spoiled his goodwill by suggesting that he be mayor-for-life. And then he left.
I mean, really. Why is he more qualified to be president than the mayor of Oklahoma City?
Christy: Are you saying that when comparing Guiliani to GW Bush, Bush resembles a Rhodes scholar?
Obviously Rudy is the ‘family values’ guy. No dysfunctionality there. Right?
ccmask at 5 — Oh lord, no. But perhaps one resembles a sort of 4th grade social studies project put together on the bus on the way to school in the morning. And the other resembles a 6th grade one put together exactly the same way, having learned no lessons whatsoever. I’ll let you pick which is which… *g*
thanks, Redd!
good video – I’ll have to rent that one…
My bet right now is that Rudy gets the nomination.
Ludicrous that he should be the Repub candidate?
Not at all.
Not because the Repubs are all loonies.
But because the way presidential nominees are selected is so deeply flawed.
My further bet, FWIW, is that Rudy beats Hill in the general election.
Reason: American voters will decide that the least evil is divided control of the federal government.
Rudy makes SNL’s The Subliminal Man (Kevin Nealon) seem like a kindergarten student.
Rudy: “Good 911 Morning! I had 911 oatmeal and Café 911 au lait for breakfast. 911 You?”
The GOP = the bumper sticker party.
We have Rudy, the values candidate. Mittie, the super patriot, flip-flop candidate. And Freddy, the anti-Hollywood candidate. Stop it GOP! I can’t stand it. And it’s time to get back to work for me.
Only kids born after 2000 are members of the 9/11 generation. Giuliani was born decades before that. As for his mythical 9/11 narrative, for starters, read this Village Voice demolition.
EPU’d from last thread:
OldCoastie @ 89
I think Rudy has a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming prez…
Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but GWB did not marry (and annul a marriage) to a second cousin, insist on installing a bulletproof lovenest at the already-attacked WTC within walking distance of City Hall during his marriage to Donna Hanover, make anti-Semitic dog-mutilator tiara-sporting Judi his third wife, put his squeeze Cristyne Lategano on the city payroll at $150K/year, and see one child say tersely, “I got my values from my mother,” while his daughter publicly supports Barack Obama.
But give Dubya time!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 7
4th grade social studies, indeed. In keeping with that, maybe Rudy can get a first year law student to serve as his Attorney General. Judge Walton might be able to pass along a name or two.
OldCoastie @ 15
I pray you are right.
And here are Rudy Giuliani’s Five Big Lies About 9/11.
Rudy’s toast. His tenure as USA for SDNY has any number of questionable calls, including his role in the design and construction of the “imperial” quarters for the USA Building in Manhattan. That his foreign policy is at best naive, and at worst, reactionary, is no surprise to anyone who saw how he addressed racial issues in NYC.
The fratricide of the GOP candidates should be most entertaining to watch. My prediction: Huckabee is the last man standing — or you end up with someone like Elizabeth Dole getting dropped in at the last minute.
Of course Giuliani’s going to be the perfect GOP nominee for President. He’s the “do as I say, not as I do,” example we all must strive for.
In the meantime, considering the fact she’s not speaking to him, it’s going to be a b*tch to get his daughter to agree to the
attention-divertingBig White White House Wedding Extravaganza in a few years, won’t it? I suppose he’ll just have to do it himself.-S
cleter @ 4
And how exactly do you know he didn’t wet his pants?
The U.S. is in a dark age.
The next president will be a dark age ruler.
As is the current president.
The quote Fred used was interesting Rudy seemed to say something, then he seems to say the opposite, then he repeats the process. I am still unsure what if anything he said? Is this an example of the Jesuit’s legendary logic in action?
However I think that long term Rudy will wear 9/11 out as an issue even for GOP voters if he keeps up his one issue repeated over and over again campaign.
The great thing is even if there is a terror attack if Rudy is the GOP candidate instead of a terror attack rallying the frightened Lemmings resolve to jump off cliffs.
People would be left asking why? Why are we having another terror attack if Bush is such a great leader? Did Bush not listen to Rudy the Expert our Saviour in all things terror? Is that the problem?
Or maybe GOP fearmongering will run into the reality of Yes the terroists are still out there, No Americans fighting in Iraq won’t stop terror attacks because Ossama is in Pakistan and No Bush and Rudy can’t save you because they are to busy wasting time in Iraq when Ossama is in Pakistan!
Obviously, it would be suicidal for the Repugs to nominate Giuliani as their prez candidate.
I’m surprised that Rudy is still in the lead. It’s way early, though, and his opponents have not yet torn into his tender flesh with the “where’s yer dick been lately” attacks.
Greenwald today:
so the least worst in 08 will be…nuanced neo-conservatism! with a cherry on top, and a pat on the head to global poverty!
Speaking of lunatic warmongers.
Joey the Shitheel is at it again.
The road out of Baghdad is through Damascus.
We should rename Lieberman Col. Walter E. Kurtz. Kill them all……
-GSD
The huge gaps in Rudy’s knowledge of foreign policy would probably be filled by someone like Podhoretz. That makes him even more dangerous.
“…it would deserve at best a C-minus (with a concerned note to come see the professor as soon as possible).”
Great. From a C student President to a C- student.
Please, let Rudy be the Republican nominee.
Seriously, 9-11 put the Repubs in a box. I expect every single one of the R’s foreign policy essays to start with the fear of terrorism. They can thank Karl Rove for that.
Democrats will all start their essays with hope for the future (I’ll bet even Hillary will) and an evenhanded military and diplomatic approach to U.S. foreign policy.
They will also make sure they write better than my son, a rising 6th grader.
As for Giuliani’s racial record as Mayor, I have three names:
Abner Luima
Amadou Diallo
Patrick Dorismund
They died during Giuilani Time… (Please watch the YouTube trailer at the link.)
Giuliani’s piece should be entitled “Why I should be dictator” (grammar school version.)
mui @ 32
Bush’s would be “What I Ignored on My Summer Vacation”
Biodun @ 25
Some think the same about the Dems and HRC.
The image Americans have of Rudy isn’t made of facts, it’s made of MSM garbage.
mui at 32 — It really is a horrid amalgam of sloganeering with no substance, isn’t it? Blergh. I mean it — we have to do better than “YeeHaw” as our foreign policy. I have more than had enough…
Biodun @ 25
Yes we must encourage the GOP without looking to obvious.
Rudy’s doin what most politicians do when they’re ahead- stay vague…that was Clusterfuck’s strategy in 2000- other than “tax cuts” (which opponents forced him to declare on) it was all pablum..
Christy@35 – my Monday morning eyes need coffee — your comment about our foreign policy being “Yeehaw”, I read as our foreign policy being “HeeHaw”.
Jonathan @ 34:
Yep. It would be interesting if Giuliani is pitted against Hillary. It would be a nasty ugly campaign. Two candidates nominated by suicidal parties going at each other. Some spectacle, that.
And the 2000 NY senatorial race-to-be deferred until 2008, with NYC at the center of things. And 9/11 would loom larger as an issue than it already is.
Toby at 38 — LOL! Get yourself another cuppa and come on back…
Christy Hardin Smith @ 35
Sloganeering with a dangerous touch of meglomania is not a good combination for the stomach, especially before lunch.
Biodun @ 31
Rudy should ask Bruce Springsteen if he coud use the song 41 shots as his campaign song.
Shorter Obama, from the Very Serious Foreign Affairs link…
…and if they refuse to understand our “understanding” then they get bombed.
after all, they asked for it!
Mafia Don coercion, phrased like an A- student, headed for the Ivy Leagues.
Toby Wollin @ 38
The folks at HeeHaw would probably be able to collectively come up with a more coherent foreign policy than Rudy.
“I expect a link to some sort of campaign jingle or perhaps some scantily clad dancing Rudy Girls in police and firefighter-inspired ensembles, a Lee Greenwood tribute and some red, white and blue confetti at any moment in some choreographed campaign burst.”
PLEASE, don’t give them any ideas, this commercial might just be a hit with “the base.”
No doubt “someone” in NYC would come up with another version, “Rudy Guys”, in red-white-and blue drag …
I have had it with this blog! How dare you attack “America’s Mayor”?
He’s more like America’s Dirty Uncle.
-GSD
Christy Hardin Smith @ 35
Especially when YeeHaw means lets do it again.
epu’d……..rudy is already laying ground for the possibility of bloomberg running……on charlie rose…..said he was glad to see bloomberg continue ‘his’ programs in the city……and that his regret was that he did not take over the schools……like bloomberg did…….but he made it sound like he/rudy had paved the road for everything that bloomberg did/is doing…….was pathetic…….
everyone should watch it, he is one slick individual.
rwcole @ 37
True but if we focus on this Pablum and ask voters on tv to explain what Rudy really means we can force people to both laugh and think about the issues. I wonder if we force 6 GOP talking heads to read Rudy’s postion papers seperatly and then explain his ideas in their own words if it would be like the 1,000 monkeys with a typewriter writing Shakespeare.
The sad thing is that getting a C- from the prof along with a note of concern is exactly what the lizard brains want. They don’t want no egg-head in office. GWB was a C- student just like the rest of these folks. Heh, let’s have a beer!
scory @ 20
Lizzy Dole? Jeb will get nominated by the GOP’ers before Lizzy Dole.
Sadly, this could apply to Hillary as easily as it does to Rudy.
Yes, Rudy is unqualified. Yes, his foreign policy “vision” is pathetic. Yes, he is a scary, racist authoritarian. But he does have some executive experience. Hillary may be more benign, but she is also less capable.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 35
Well, as one of my bumper stickers says:
things come undone @ 42
Bruce would never. I have a feeling that Bruce feels the same way about Rudy as he does Bush.
The history channel watcher in me can’t help but remember that during WWII, among the major lend lease articles sent to Britain by FDR were firehose (for the bombings), and other necessities of life. I can’t understand why Iraqi citizens can’t get the same amidst the civil war bombings. We could probably help more Iraqi civilians pull through with less “high” technology and more humanitarian and prosaic stuff like a new plant for lighting the city as any New Yorker would want his or city streets lit. But Ghouliani wants his X-Ray superfly satellites.
Space, I will be critical of Sen. Clinton for lots of things but to claim she is less capable of governing than Rudy Giuliani is some seriously lame talking pointery.
Back to the drawing board.
-GSD
This truly is my very favorite part of the Rudy Foreign Affairs essay (and I mean that in the snidest possible terms):
He provides absolutely no “new ideas” on what needs to be done about these “new challenges.” But he does use every cliche and foreign policy neocon trope in the book. I have no idea who helped him write this craptastic non-plan. But they need to go back to grad school — this time to somewhere that they teach writing skills and critical thinking. It is honestly that bad. It’s really saying something that Rudy’s essay makes Mitt Romney’s look thoughtful and strategic by comparison. *g* Although both Obama and Edwards do excellent jobs with their repsective pieces and truly do deserve a longer write-up and walk through at some point in the future when I get time to do so.
Let’s include sentient beings as part of the deal too, right Giuliani? (Sorry reading too much Paula Volsky).
This is from Real Clear Politics
Election 2008 National Head-to-Head PollsRudy Giuliani (R) vs. Hillary Clinton (D)
Poll Date Sample Giuliani (R) Clinton (D) Spread
RCP Average 07/15 to 08/14 - 44.4% 44.6% Clinton 0.2%
Rasmussen 08/13 - 08/14 800 LV 47% 40% Giuliani 7%
Quinnipiac 08/07 - 08/13 1545 LV 43% 46% Clinton 3%
NBC/WSJ 07/27 - 07/30 1005 A 41% 47% Clinton 6%
FOX News 07/17 - 07/18 900 RV 41% 46% Clinton 5%
Battleground 07/15 - 07/18 1000 LV 50% 44% Giuliani 6%
CHS:
This goes to your earlier post on the Washington Post’s Rove piece.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..id=topnews
The whole article, aside from being meant to minimize the criminal implications of Rove’s activities, seems one to file under “methinks the lady doth protest too much”, especially given that Solomon wrote it. I was surprised that no one pointed out the White House’s unsolicited denial of interference in grant and contract decisions:
“White House officials say Rove had two basic rules: the first was to avoid meddling with grant and contract decisions made by career government employees; the second was to make sure they complied with the Hatch Act. “What was surprising was how adamant Karl and his whole team was that we involve the lawyers in our discussions to make sure we didn’t come up with things that ran afoul of the law,” DeBerry said. In March 2002, then-White House lawyer Brett Kavanaugh gave such a briefing on the “do’s and don’ts regarding your participation in politically related activities,” according to the invitation.”
The denial isn’t in response to a specific public accusation, but rather one can infer they had this in mind:
“The U.S. Office of Special Counsel and the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee are investigating whether any of the meetings violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from using federal resources for election activities. They also want to know whether any Bush appointees pressured government for favorable actions such as grants to help GOP electoral chances.”
Shouldn’t we conclude this wasn’t just the Hatch Act and staging campaign appearances?
Terrorists’ War on Us Terra’s War on US. I bet he hopes the media will pick up on that and fly way with it.
Impeach Gonzales.
Indict Rove and Chee-knee.
Exorcise Bush.
Now back to the morning maelstrom….
gb@the tude says-”
Rudy makes SNL’s The Subliminal Man (Kevin Nealon) seem like a kindergarten student.
Rudy: “Good 911 Morning! I had 911 oatmeal and Café 911 au lait for breakfast. 911 You?””
that was hilarious……..and that’s what he did on charlie rose the other night…….not all 911, but similar, he kept sticking those ‘i’m a level-headed businessman’ talking points in there at every opportunity. he didn’t miss a trick…….
brendan at 60 — I think that was the point of my piece, wasn’t it? That the public “protest to much” activities of the Rove PR brigades was meant to get out in front of something that we haven’t yet seen in detail. I tried to make that pretty clear — that there is something going on that they are using Solomon’s more than willing stenography skills to mask.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 57
He provides absolutely no “new ideas” on what needs to be done about these “new challenges.” But he does use every cliche and foreign policy neocon trope in the book. I have no idea who helped him write this craptastic non-plan. But they need to go back to grad school — this time to somewhere that they teach writing skills and critical thinking. It is honestly that bad. It’s really saying something that Rudy’s essay makes Mitt Romney’s look thoughtful and strategic by comparison. *g* Although both Obama and Edwards do excellent jobs with their repsective pieces and truly do deserve a longer write-up and walk through at some point in the future when I get time to do so.
Ghouliani’s advisers are saying “it’s positively Churchillian” I bet. They forgot about the firehose though. Churchill was a more pragmatic imperialist. And of course, Churchill admitted he was an imperalist.
Speaking of Rudy, does anyone know what happened with the issue of psychologists’ participation in torture and related techniques at the convention of the American Psychological Assn in San Fran this weekend?
glad i renewed my subscription to FA – can’t wait to digest this tripe.
maiumom at 53 — mwahahahahahaha! Good one!
if the result of a guilani victory in the general election wasn’t such a bloody nightmare, it would be absolutely hysterical comic relief!
the scary thing is that when the following questions get asked, the true colors of the gooper fruitcake right shines clearly.
How can one vote for the most racially biased individual that has run for the president in probably more than a century!
How can one vote for the most insensitive whoremaster who was fucking his mistress in the same house at the same time that his current wife and kids were still living with this sick bastard?
How can one vote for someone who suggested strongly that one of his closest aides be appointed as head of homeland security even though it would be just about impossible for him or anyone with a drop of honesty to not know that this piece of garbage was mobbed up, was screwing women in an apartment that was being provided by the city, and….., and…..
sO, AS THE CHIMP SAID- BRING EM ON!!!!!!
and if by any chance, this piece of scum was to win the election- simply pack your bags and get in line to leave this country at the soonest possible opportunity!!!!!!!!!
With the news of Lieberman’s WSJ Op Ed shilling the need for the US to tangle with Syria to save us from Terra (Think Progress) I “smell” a Lieberman post later today here – :-) -Take out the boxing gloves.
recoveringlurker at 66 — I know they were looking at potential limitations and other possible actions, but I haven’t heard yet what ultimately happened on it. Have been looking for a press release or a release of findings or some such, but haven’t found anything as yet to tell me what was ultimately done.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 64
Yes, of course. My apologies. I just thought it was worth adding the quotes. They really hint at the dimensions of the huge shitstorm you’re sensing.
recoveringlurker @ 66
Good question – be back in a few with the latest….
GSD @ 56
That was a WTF for me also. Hillary is the only person who could walk into the WH and start doing the job on day one. Al Gore would be a close 2nd. When people talk about experience, they don’t talk about all of the years she was with Bill as Gov and Pres.
American Psychological Association August 19, 2007
Well maybe a stormy Monday morning has me extra cynical, but all this talk about how absolutely unqualified to be president Rudy is, makes me feel like his chances are good.
Who would have thought George W. Bush could have won against a sitting vice president in a time of economic prosperity?
If it comes down to Rudy vs. Hillary, I think Rudy is a shoe-in.
I saw an article about the DLC by Lakoff this morning over on Alternet and I think he hits the nail on the head. All this DLC-influenced triangulation crap has proven to be absolutely disastrous to the Democrats.
Even in 2006, I think the Dems did FAR worse than they should have considering all the corruption and scandal that just permeates the Republican party right now.
Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy is probably the only reason Dems have their slim majorities right now — and yet Rahm Emannuel likes to take credit for it — even though his poster boy, Harold Ford, was one of the big losers in 06.
We are facing possibly the worst crisis our country has ever faced and we need Democratic leadership to get us out of this mess — possibly to save our Constitutional democracy — and yet I just don’t see it happening.
The top two in the Democratic Primary both come across as being more interested in their own ambitions than any principled values.
I think many of us probably like what Edwards is saying, but I get a sense that many people don’t believe he really means it (I don’t happen to be one of those). And you have to get near the bottom of the polls to find a candidate like Dennis Kucinich who seems to be motivated purely by principle — and not many people give him a snowball’s chance to get the nod.
Where is today’s JFK, or FDR? Heck, where is Harry Truman when you need him?
Our candidates need to get their fingers out of the political winds and just try genuine values and honesty for a change.
Focus on points with which most of us agree and don’t be apologetic for your progressive values even where they may digress with middle America.
In all of this fog, I find it more telling than anything that about 2/3’s into the Larry King video Rudy pontificates that The Battle of the Bulge was an intelligence failure because the allies failed to notice the movement of 300,000 – 400,000 no wait – 500,000 “Soviet” troops. Even someone talking that fast would have said Vermacht or German troops without even a pause. Provided that they knew what they were talking about.
I’m sorry, I haven’t read the entire Giuliani FA piece, but where does he brag about the 29 hours he spent at Ground Zero?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08…..ref=slogin
MSM sides with the candidate who has the best perceived entertainment value.
Bill Clinton vs. GHW Bush
Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole
GW Bush vs. Al Gore
GW Bush vs. John Kerry
Rudy vs. Hillary
Hillary better show cleavage a LOT more.
From the Giuliani clip from Larry King Live in Christy’s post:
Giuliani: “Sometimes you wake up in Brooklyn and say ‘Gee I can do this.’”
Yep. When I used to live in Brooklyn, I’d wake up and say, “Gee I can do this.” Meaning, I could fly to Paris without taking an airplane.
Richmond @ 70
I think his India visit deserves scrutiny as well. I wonder how China might react as well, which has troubled relations with India.
Rudy’s tryin ta be FOR the war- but not really FOR the war- if ya catch my drift..”I might stay in I-Rock–or I might not- but whatever I do- I’ll be STRONG in doin it.”
If ya can get away with a posture rather than a position- well that’s about the best that can happen.
Rudy’s gotta get past the knuckledraggers to even get into the general election- to do that he’s gotta appear ready to nuke the world- after that- he’ll need to start havin some second thoughts about the I-Rock strategy.
Classic politics.
Fresh thread with some Susan Collins news…
recoveringlurker @ 66
Via TPMMuckraker, the Boston Globe has an article.
SufiLizard @ 76
I’m in the camp that believes that even though the GOP machine was able to steal far less votes nationwide than they did in 2000, 2002 and 2004, they managed to steal well over a million around the country in 2006, through machine manipulation, voter suppression and illegal elimination of minorities from voter roles in states controlled by the GOP. We need to keep the pressure on the national Dem organizations to oversee the registration of Dem voters, the continued investigation and reforms of voting machine deployment, and strongly support elected officials and public advocacy groups which investigate voter fraud and voter suppression.
Happy Birthday, Old Coastie!
Semper Paratus
recoveringlurker at 66 says-”Speaking of Rudy, does anyone know what happened with the issue of psychologists’ participation in torture and related techniques at the convention of the American Psychological Assn in San Fran this weekend?”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..newsletter
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 54
Joe I was going for snark. But Rudy actually is clueless enough to want a song about his police’s departments brutality as a campaign song.
On Larry King Live, Giuliani also said: “I’m humble.” Yeah right.
Giuilani wouldn’t be on the charts much less off the charts if not for 9/11. It was a stroke of luck for Rudy and he’ll ride it to the white house, throughout his term at the white house and into history books. Nothing like having a good PR team. American mythical history.
Love that Robin Williams clip! LOL! Just posted it on my otherwise non-political blog.
- BobbyG, nom de guerre
To inspire a Republican candidate to discuss any policy in any detail should be his Achilles Heel. None of them know sh*t from shinola. They are cardboard cut-outs.
But, Al Gore (and John Kerry) exposed the vacuous mind of Dubya (and layed it bare for all to witness!) and the networks called it for Dubya.
christie-
there isn’t that much meat in this howard kurtz article, he leaves out most of the rove ‘doings’, HOWEVER, he DOES say, in plain english, that karl rove leaked valerie plame’s identity to two reporters…….that he did……i thought it was worth posting for that……
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..newsletter
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 51
Uh? What Imperial Quarters for the “USA building”? If you mean One St. Andrews Plaza–when Rudy was there it has ripped carpeting and 1970’s vintage meolmine desks.
The real wood matching purniture came during the elegant (but not very productive) Otto Obemeier years. Lats of redecorating, people had to dress up more for work; but not so many major investigations or any new initiatives.
If you are referring to the the space in the the new courthouse at 500 Pearl Street, that wonder of Imperial Architecture and decoration was the babay of Senator Moynihan.
During it’s planning stages Moynihan used to prowl around the original courthouse (currently closed for abestos abatement) with a pad and a tape measure trying to figure out what to ask the architcts to do.
It was almosr impossible to get Rudy to engage on the subject of the physical plant at USAO SDNY other than to get him to agree that it needed upgrading. He never seemed to know any of the specifics about how the building was being managed.
However, if you want to ding him on the command center at the WTC–have at it. Plenty of people agrued against that. But don’t forget Bernie Kerick’s role in that decision.
Speaking of the Republican “ego that wants to be President but isn’t really up to the job”
How’s Macacca doing these days?
I’ll have to watch it now, Christopher Walken is in it!!!
BoyGenius @ 94
Good point, considering that the R’s are still floundering around searching for their “man” desperately and in full futility mode.
Any doubt that Allen would be the frontrunner, if he hadn’t opened his big mouth and spewed his garbage so publicly?
Imagine the parallel universe where Allen beat Webb and is running for Pres. as the “Next Bush.”
Not hard to imagine, it almost happened.
Viva la Blogs!
Media reaction to the recent foreign policy pronouncements of Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani provides a case study in double-standards. While Obama received a hellstorm of criticism for his statements on attacking Al Qaeda bases in Pakistan and the use of nuclear weapons, the mainstream media has been essentially silent on the blatantly bizarre and downright dangerous national security vision Giuliani penned in the pages of Foreign Affairs.
For the details, see:
“Media Double Standard on Obama, Giuliani Foreign Policies.”
Furious @ 97
Not everyone is as stupid and deluded as the last bunch of voters who voted for Bush.
There are millions of single women (that’s my focus, anyway) who want better health care, who want ANY affordable health care.
Get voter registration forms, pass them out, pick them up, turn them in.
Rudy Giuliani’s No-Think Tank; Another Bush like Leader Who Needs to be Surrounded by Yes Men
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Rudy, another needy ego driven emloyer like Bush?
I think we’ve all had enough of a President that insists on being surrounded by toadies and unbili-cytes. It always leads to second class insular policy.
I therefor recommend to you the following paragraph:
“Rudy surrounded himself with a very small group of people. The ‘Shrewdies,’ some called them—because they all said yes to Rudy. I’ve always thought that he had a surprisingly small inner circle—and they were not always the best and the brightest.” The same complaint followed Giuliani into politics, where he sometimes seemed to be deliberating inside an echo chamber. Loyalty is the virtue that he most prizes, and its absence in an aide is the surest route to exile.
From “Mayberry Man” The New Yorker, Peter Boyer,
8.20.07
Labels: Giuliani, lickspittles, toadies, yes men
Christy–I’m on China time at the moment, and half a day ahead, so when I saw your paragraph about Rudy I thought I was reading a Trex post. Are your forelimbs tiny, too? Is it catching? Please, somebody, produce that ad and put it up on Youtube: the Nation’s Mayor with the Vegas-showgirls First Responders. Yea! It would be a ‘Springtime for Hitler moment.” Choreographed by Godwin, of course.
I couldn’t resist. To the tune of the Brady Bunch. (kind of apropos with the current Republican field)
They are terrorists.
I’m a realist.
They all are a very scary scary race.
They have aims, to rend us unsunder.
That is why I, Rudy, am in this race.
To be President,
To be President,
I know about terror fear and woe.
It’s just not a simple calculation
That is why I Rudy am is in this race.
Fight the terror,
Vote the Mayor,
I bear the 911 scars on my face.
They have aims, to rend us unsunder.
That is why I, Rudy, am in this race.
I know how
to be an asshole.
that is how I will win this war.
It’s just not a simple calculation
That is why I Rudy am is in this race.
“A strong military is, more than anything, necessary to sustain peace.” — Obama
It’s statements like this which leave you wondering whether Obama thinks about larger concepts or is mired, though very well versed, in smaller details/issues/situations.
Meanwhile, John Edwards said,
“We must lead the world by demonstrating the power of our ideals, not by
stoking fear about those who do not share them.” — Edwards
and
“we must ask ourselves far-reaching questions” — Edwards
There’s a lot more emphasis on over-arching concept and then focus on specifics right down to the nitty gritty.
I like the structure and how he tied together the high-level conceptual thinking to specific policies. If only he gave a few speeches which sounded this way.