by Lionel Bascom — August 15th, 2007 — 1 comment
If SCPols.com is any example of how difficult the coming presidential campaign is going to be for all candidates, know this, Rudy Giuliani will have to be a man for all seasons just to survive the primaries.
“South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Calls on Giuliani To Apologize for Arrogant Remarks about 9/11 Ground Zero Workers
Washington, DC - After arrogantly declaring that he was “at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers” last week, Rudy Giuliani travels to South Carolina today not yet having apologized to the police officers, fire fighters and Ground Zero recover workers he offended. In addition to his misstatements, Giuliani has also failed to take responsibility for his failure to take the steps necessary to protect firefighters from the debilitating toxic air at Ground Zero or for his failure to provide first responders with adequate radios, which was a key recommendation made after the first time the World Trade Center was attacked, in 1993.
Giuliani’s factually inaccurate statements were immediately met with criticism from New York Ground Zero workers. Battalion Chief John McDonnell, head of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association in New York, said: “I have a real problem with that statement. I think he’s really grasping and trying to justify his previous attempts to portray himself as the hero of 9/11.” Similarly, Michael Palladino, the head of the Detectives Endowment Association, which is the NYPD detectives’ union, disputed these comments and Giuliani’s risk compared to the people who were on the ground. [Associated Press, 8/9/07]
After this flurry of criticism, Rudy Giuliani made a feeble and insufficient attempt to apologize saying, “What I was trying to say yesterday is that I empathize with them, because I feel like I have that same risk.” [Associated Press, 8/10/07] His lame excuse for an apology did nothing more than underscore the point that Mr. Giuliani only seeks to exploit their sacrifices for his own benefit.
“Rudy Giuliani should apologize to Ground Zero recovery workers today when he is campaigning in South Carolina. He also should explain why he has not done more to help the first responders who are now ill, and why he didn’t do more to ensure that they had the proper equipment in the first place,” said South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler. “South Carolinians want leaders who will stand by our first responders. These insensitive comments show that Mr. Giuliani’s campaign doesn’t stand a chance. Americans are looking for a new kind of leadership, not more of the failed strategies of the Bush Administration.”
If you want more, call Jay Parmley at 803-799-7798. Jay’s the mouthpiece for campaignsandelections.com in South Carolina.
10:13 PM in Uncategorized, Ground Zero, Related Stories, We Will Never Forget, Freedom Tower News, Politics
The 2008 campaign for the president is sure to be one filled with the sincere urgency of our country’s needs. We were attacked in 1993 and again in 2001, yet our current administration has mistakenly sought world peace by means of war.
Therefore, we need a change. We need truth. Moreover, we need to hear that our president and her/his administration will directly attend to the needs of the taxpaying citizens of this country first, then move on to resolve issues in foreign matters. We cannot establish democracy in other nations until we estabish a true democracy here at home, first.
Mayor Giuliani may have been an excellent mayor for the city of New York, but our national needs are much broader and more urgent than those of New York City’s during the 1990’s. Either he needs to reevaluate his campaign strategy or find a more concrete way to defend his leadership during the 9/11 attacks.
Jeanne · August 15th, 2007 at 11:06 pm