rudy giuliani

Rudy Giuliani is a problem for the GOP. The right-wing pundits try to dismiss this, but the Christian Right is making sure their concerns are known:

Alarmed at the chance that the Republican party might pick Rudolph Giuliani as its presidential nominee despite his support for abortion rights, a coalition of influential Christian conservatives is threatening to back a third-party candidate in an attempt to stop him.

The group making the threat, which came together Saturday in Salt Lake City during a break-away gathering during a meeting of the secretive Council for National Policy, includes Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who is perhaps the most influential of the group, as well as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, the direct mail pioneer Richard Viguerie and dozens of other politically-oriented conservative Christians, participants said. Almost everyone present expressed support for a written resolution that “if the Republican Party nominates a pro-abortion candidate we will consider running a third party candidate.”

I have always said this country needs more political parties. We have grown too diverse for all our political beliefs to be summed up into two parties. This could become the opening for such a division. Personally I would like to see both parties split into two. Our democracy really needs this.

There was a lot of attention give to General Petraeus saying he didn't know if Iraq was making us safer. For those that missed it, here it the clip from yesterday's Senate hearing:

This was a very damming answer and could be detrimental to the warring morale of our troops. For their commander to say he "doesn't know" if their sacrifice is making their country safer speaks volumes. His explanation of not thinking about that is also very poor. I doubt there is a person in this country who hasn't asked themselves that very question. It amounts to our very purpose of being there. It also is one of George Bush's key reasons of the war. How many times do we hear Bush or other supporters saying "If we leave Iraq today they will follow us home".

Even more profound is the day that this horrible statement was made on. Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. For 4 1/2 years since those attacks, our nation's military has been focused on a war, in a nation, that has nothing to do with the attacks - and for what? The people who killed almost 3,000 of our citizens is still on the run and this idiot is sitting before Congress saying that the last 4 1/2 years has not made us safer?

Petraeus did not only betray us with this comment, he betrayed the soldiers, who are sacrificing tirelessly for this war.

Speaking of betrayal and Petraeus, there has also been a lot of talk about the Move On ad. Republicans are out there quickly yelling that Democrats should denounce Move On. Here we go again with the morbid hypocrisy that is constantly exhibited on the right. Again on the anniversary of 9/11, Ann Coulter was speaking in the "Freedom tour", with people like Rudy Giuliani. This is a person who said the widows of 9/11 cherish their husbands death. What hasn't the GOP denounced those statements? I guess they believe the same thing Coulter says. After all - that is what their own rules dictate in this.

Well - he sure didn't do it during the debate. Hell he didn't even mention Bush's name:

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said in Iowa on Friday that President Bush's response to terrorism will ensure his legacy is that of "a great president."

"He will be, I believe, a president who will be viewed by history for this one decision as being a great president," the former New York mayor told about 100 Cedar Rapids-area Republicans during a quick campaign stop in eastern Iowa. "He decided in a flash to put our country on offense against terrorism."

Now let's get this straight. Failing to catch the man behind one of the deadliest attacks in our nation's history is great.

• Having the number of terrorism attacks since 9/11 increase worldwide is great.
• Having an administration lie this nation into a war with another country that had nothing to do with the attacks on us is great.
• Destroying the rights of every American, along with Habeas Corpus is great.
• Allowing the al Qaeda to resurface because Bush decided to go after Saddam instead is great.
• 3,362 soldiers dying because of a war of lies is great.
• Allowing our military to reach its weakest point in modern history is great.

I am sure there are a lot of other "great" things I have missed. If this is what Giuliani gauges greatness on then I would hate to see what he considers a failure.

This should pretty much end the debate about Giuliani. Put him in the White House and all we will get is Bush 3.0. If he thinks Bush is so great then he won't change anything in the execution of the "war on terror" or Iraq. Just what America needs - more of the same failed policies.