by Mark Silva
Sometimes, some of the best lines in politics aren’t true.
Like this line from Rudy Giuliani, Republican candidate for president: “I thought I won the debate the other night. Because I was mentioned more often than any of the Democrats were.’’
He was talking about the Democratic debate in Philadelphia. He also was wrong.
Giuliani was mentioned by name a total of six times by the candidates during the Democratic debate at Drexel University this week.
Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York was mentioned by name 21 times by the other candidates -- mostly by former Sen. John Edwards, but also by Sens. Barack Obama, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden and Gov. Bill Richardson.
Giuliani’s name only came up when the moderator asked Clinton about the former New York mayor’s comment in a Republican debate the week before that Clinton had never run anything, not even run a corner drug store. And the moderator invoked the mayor’s name again when he posed the question of experience to Obama.
But it was Biden who bit on the name, Giuliani, and who named him five times during the course of a long diatribe excerpted here: "The irony is Rudy… Rudy Giuliani, probably the most under-qualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency is here talking about any of the people here….Rudy Giuliani. I mean, think about it. Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11. I mean, there's nothing else. There's nothing else. I mean it sincerely. He is genuinely not qualified to be president.''
Giuliani, interviewed for CNBC's Kudlow and Co. last night, had a chance to respond to that criticism, and also lay claim to winning the Democratic debate by virtue of being mentioned more than any of the Democratic candidates.
But if that’s the measure of success, it was Clinton 21, Giuliani 6.
“I was mentioned more often than any other Democrat,’’ Giuliani said, repeating the line in the interview with Larry Kudlow, “and there was no opportunity to make a mistake or for me to say I saw unidentified flying objects.’’
(It was Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio who said, “I did’’ see a UFO.)
“I didn’t have to change my position four or five times like Clinton did in front of the audience,'' Giuliani said.
Asked about Biden’s remarks, the mayor said: “The reality is, the last one to raise an issue like that. Because he fits into the following category, that bit fits him, Hillary and Obama.
"They have never run a state, a business, never had the safety and security of other people on their shoulders, never had to pay a tax,'' he said. "The president of the United States is a tough job, everybody knows that. It’s not a place for on the job experience.
“Joe was overreacting to that,’’ he said. “because he fits into that category of no executive experience. We very much respect his career in the Senate, which I think is 30 or 40 years. I don’t remember. But when you’re in the Senate, there’s no accountability.
"You can pass a bill. If it bankrupts an agency, you’re not responsible for it. When you’re a mayor of America’s largest city, you have to run the 17th largest economy in the world. You have to deal with the security of eight million people.
“You learn how to be accountable,’’ he said.
For statements like the one about being mentioned more than any of the Democratic candidates in the Democratic debate.
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Comments
Rudy exaggerated? Say it isn't so. Certainly not like squirming Hillary who gave such a ringing answer to Russert's question on her experience. Of course, the media generally ignored her response that her main experience was as a social activist in Arkansas (for goodness sake) and "at both ends of Pennsylvania Ave." Not mentioning that most of that was as a wife, not an official. And the media just passed over the fact that by her own statement she has no executive experience. But Rudy, that devil, exaggerated the number of references he had. Get him!
Posted by: Lafayette | November 2, 2007 7:44 AM
Mr. Spunky is really starting to lose his luster.
Posted by: Tom | November 2, 2007 8:09 AM
I didn't see the interview, but I'm guessing that King never called Rudy out on his inaccuracy. The same thing is happening with his playing fast & loose with prostate cancer survival statistics.
Mark, with all due respect, just what the hell has happened to your supposedly 'journalist' colleagues? Why is the 4th estate so afraid, unable, or unwilling to challenge candidates when they obviously stretch the truth or outright lie, especially when it comes to individuals of a particular political affiliation?
Your profession and the citizens of this country are being done a great disservice, and I suspect that this is one the reasons why more and more people reject the MSM and instead turn to internet blogs for news and commentary.
Posted by: Radian | November 2, 2007 8:40 AM
Mark must be hungover if this is what he's calling news. Just mailed it in today, huh?
Posted by: RCK | November 2, 2007 8:46 AM
Wow, is that all you got, Mark? Man, you really got Rudy on that one!
You really wasted your time and ours on this piffle Swamp item?
Posted by: John D | November 2, 2007 9:20 AM
Radian - I couldn't agree more. Losing an independent, competent media has done so much damage to this country. Where were they covering the Bush scandals in 2000 and ever since? It's a disgrace.
Posted by: Paul | November 2, 2007 9:30 AM
Rudy: "You have to deal with the security of eight million people."
Yeah, look how well THAT worked out. What, exactly, is he taking credit for with all his 9/11 rhetoric - doesn't he recall that the Twin Towers fell?
The guy's a liar, simply put.
Posted by: Midwestern Progressive | November 2, 2007 9:31 AM
I never thought there was anything Joe Biden would say with which I would agree.
But his characterization of Giuliani is perfect, absolutely perfect.
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | November 2, 2007 9:45 AM
"You really wasted your time and ours on this piffle Swamp item?"
Look at John D -- feeling entitled to speak for the masses. Talk about an ego trip. When John D speaks for himself, he thinks he's also speaking for humanity. He's the alpha and the omega on every issue. If he says torture is not torture, then torture is not torture. If his time was wasted than everyone's time has been wasted. Boy, with such high stakes why do you routinely show up at the Swamp to drop a hook and a line?? Why not use your journalistic je ne sais quoi and apply to the Swamp as a journalist so we can see all that brilliant sense you hide from us and according to you everyone else just happens to lack??
Posted by: turtle | November 2, 2007 10:05 AM
Biden should stick to 'recycling' JFK's old speeches.
Posted by: Brian Harkins | November 2, 2007 10:14 AM
"Turtle," thank you for your attention.
In reality, "Turtle," I am not even close to ever being on an "ego trip."
Having said that, you Lefties can't seem to get enough of me. You folks save my Swamp items, look into my life, spend a surreal amount of time concentrating your efforts on me. While a little weird, I do get some satisfaction in knowing that whatever I write here (and regardless of whether it's meant to rattle you folks to the hilt or not) just really gets under you and your ilk's skin!!!
Posted by: John D | November 2, 2007 11:40 AM
"John D," thank you for YOUR attention (gee I must be pulling those same strings).
"In reality, "Turtle," I am not even close to ever being on an "ego trip."
There you go again. It must be so because you say so. Need I say more.
Having said that.
"and regardless of whether it's meant to rattle you folks to the hilt or not"
Not only dose he speak for humanity, but he also thinks he can control others. What a sick sick little puppy. Need I say more again.
Posted by: turtle | November 2, 2007 11:53 AM
LISTEN, the only people who think Rudy isn't a psychotic lawbreaker who belongs in prison for umpteen violations of Federal law as mayor, are people who trust our lazy media.
You can't find me one Republican who would vote for Rudy---when they know the truth about this crook.
EX:
find me one GOP voter who wants Rudy to double the national debt, as he doubled NYC's debt in just 8 years.
PROBLEM IS, voters will never find out any of these facts, b/c the media is dishonest, dishonest, dishonest.
WATCH how often they write about fundraising, hack endorsements, or polls INSTEAD of real issues the voters care about.
EX:
how many voters want Rudy, the mayor who gave himself a 50% pay raise, gave his mistress (uh, that would be the Lategano one)a 150% pay raise, gave Kerik a 150% pay raise, and gave cops and firemen less than a 15% pay hike?
ZERO.
Rudy even gave the entire City Council (whom HE said were worthless democrat hacks who do little work!) a 75% pay raise (in exchange for money for Kerik et al).
LUCKY FOR RUDY the voters will nevr know this or any of the other 30,000 scandals by this classic sleazebag mobster.
(Sorry, I'm just believing Rudy himself, b/c he said his dad was his role model, and Rudy admitted in Time that he knew his dad was mobbed up. I BELIEVE RUDY!)
For more Rudy dirt you won't read in the media:
GiulianiSCANDALS dot blogspot dot com
Posted by: cxb | November 2, 2007 12:08 PM
Michael Moore may be obnoxious but at least he supports his arguments with facts. John D. is just obnoxious and really makes one wonder if he is not a typical mainstream Republican.
Posted by: Sam | November 2, 2007 12:20 PM
Sam, Michael Moorer support his arguments with facts?? Hahahahaah, heeee heeee, haaaa haaaa, oh my you're funny, heeeee, aw hahahahahahaa, Michael Moore supports his arguments with facts!!! Ohhh. hohohoho, hahahahaha, hohohoho hee heee, hahahahahaha!!!!!
Thanks for the laugh of the week!!!
Posted by: John D | November 2, 2007 3:19 PM
So John D.,
A little neo-con idiot test for you!!!!!
How many M. Moore facts are actually lies? Which facts, and from which movie? Have you read his books?
You know what. Don't bother answering, everyone knows you don't have an answer.
Why don't you just go work on getting your ass kicked in another war? Republicans are good at that because in reality, Republicans are just all the little dorks from all over the country that me and my liberal friends used to just whoop on and take lunch money from.
Quit gettin all mad about that big truck you bought not really compensating for something else thats a little under developed. And quit taking it out on third world people you can't fight back.
Posted by: Josh McDonald | November 2, 2007 4:09 PM
Rudy The Lizard King, is starting to look like a pattern liar.
Check this out;
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/opinion/02krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
Posted by: C.Morris | November 2, 2007 5:34 PM
English is my second language, yet I can tell when somebody make an half joke. It seems obvious that Mr Giuliani did not mean it verbatim. I see constantly people being misquoted or incorrectly paraphrased. and then tons of ink on it. Why?
Posted by: GIANNI MAGGI | November 3, 2007 4:10 PM
"There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11. I mean, there's nothing else. There's nothing else. I mean it sincerely." - Slow Joe
"... the ..." - Rudy
Looks to me like Biden's comments aren't accurate either, yet you focus only on Rudy.
What about a fallacious, ad hominum attack attracts you posters?
Why not do it now to Biden, if for no other reason than to verify your original (laughable) attack on Rudy?
Posted by: John K | November 3, 2007 11:02 PM