The Real Rudy Revealed: The Firefighters Strike Back! - Vol. 3 Issue 80

Finally! The truth about “America’s Mayor” has finally hit the mainstream media.

The nation’s largest firefighters union has launched a devastating 13-minute video that tarnishes Rudy Giuliani’s reputation as a great leader before and after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The video—distributed to firefighters and the general public by The International Association of Fire Fighters—uses interviews with New York City firefighters and families of 9/11 victims to argue that Giuliani has exaggerated his record as mayor. In the video, Jim Riches, a deputy chief in the NYC Fire Department and the father of a 9/11 victim, says:

“He’s running on his 9/11 leadership and it was lacking—and there was none. I blame Giuliani. He was the leader that day. And he was the leader for the eight years leading up to that.” See, abcnews.com.

The documentary-style video—called “Rudy Giuliani: Urban Legend”—directly criticizes Giuliani for failing to ensure “interoperability” of communications devices; placing the city emergency command center in the World Trade Center even after the 1993 terrorist attack at the Twin Towers. The video’s sharpest attack is against Giuliani’s decision to abandon efforts to recover remains of dead firefighters as he sought a quick clean up of Ground Zero.

The Giuliani campaign’s reaction was swift and predictable. Campaign officials and have dismissed it as “purely” politically motivated griping from a union that has always endorsed aligned itself with Democrats. In response, the Giuliani campaign released a “Research Briefing” featuring a quote from former New York City Fire Commissioner Howard Safir lauding Giuliani’s commitment to New York’s firefighters and emergency responders.

“Firefighters across the country have no greater friend than Rudy Giuliani,” Safir is quoted. “Those of us who have worked with Rudy Giuliani know he has always been a strong and consistent supporter of firefighters and first responders.”

The “Research Briefing” (don’t you love how they come-up with this spin?), lists citations from publications stating the ways in which Giuliani allegedly worked to improve and support the New York City Fire Department. It is true that the Union and Guiliani basically fought with each other for 8 years. Then again Rudy fought with almost everyone during his two terms.
The facts are the facts. Rudy Guiliani is a one note Johnny. His entire campaign for President is based on his supposed leadership during and after 9/11.

The problem for his campaign is the viral nature of the Internet. The firefighter’s video is not going away. It will be played again and again and here’s the worst news for Rudy: it comes down to his word against the words of real heroes. THAT is a withering prospect.

Waiting for McCain to pounce, I remain

Savant

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