Right Idea, Wrong Man

Albany is a wretched mess and everyone knows it. Legislators are failing to take care of the public's business thanks to a dysfunctional system that fosters corruption and subsequently a few of those corrupted legislators made a power grab that shut down the government. While most of us would love to see a power sharing agreement where both sides kiss and make up something equitable, the reality is that our leaders are a bunch of petulant children who would rather strut their stuff than get anything substantive done. Even the stuff that got done yesterday is all for nothing.

The question though is what to do about it. Beneath the chaos of the moment, there are so many problems with how the institutions of our state work that there is no realistic way for them to work with the benefit of the people in mind. What we need is to re-write the rules so that government works for us, but the man that is talking about these comprehensive reforms should not be allowed anywhere near the process.

From The Daily Politics:

The former mayor’s plan, outlined in an OpEd in the New York Times, calls for a constitutional convention that would, among other hot button proposals, impose term limits on all Assembly and Senate members, as well as all statewide elected offices.

In addition, Giuliani said he would push to empower the governor to set revenue estimates on his own; change the deeply partisan way in which state lawmakers draw electoral districts; toughen campaign finance laws; make it harder for legislators to boost taxes; and establish clearer lines of succession for the LG's office, which has remained vacant since last March when Gov. David Paterson took over for the scandal-scarred Eliot Spitzer.

The article talks more about Rudy running for governor more than the actual reforms, so it should be noted that this he is probably talking about these issues out of his own self-interest and not for the good of the state. For the eight years he was mayor, Giuliani could have cared less for the well-being of our city's governmental institutions. Considering the myth of Rudy versus the reality of his tenure, his call for reforming Albany should put actual reformers on red alert.

Of course a constitutional convention should still be something to be seriously examined. If legislators can be shamed into voting for such a measure, the process should be handled by a bi-partisan committee, preferably by good, upstanding individuals who preferably have no personal interests or dealings within the state of New York. Who those people are, well that is up for debate.

Bloomberg Praises Giuliani As His Pandering To NY GOP Flips Into High Gear

Mayor Bloomberg is on the march, doing his best to advance into the good graces of the New York Grand Old Party. So far they haven't fallen for his overtures, such as the McCain communications hire. Bloomberg must really want his name on their line, because he's now gone as far as backing Rudy Giuliani for governor next year.

From MSNBC:

Saying Giuliani would make a “great governor,” Bloomberg added the former mayor would “have to run” if Paterson became the Democratic nominee in 2010, a source told the Post. The two talked about the possibility some time ago, but Rudy hadn't made up his mind either way at the time, the source said.

The mayor also indicated Giuliani would have an easy time taking down Paterson, should both run for governor in 2010, according to the Post. Paterson’s poll numbers have been plummeting ever since Caroline Kennedy’s disastrous bid (not a bid) for a New York senate seat. Controversial budget proposals amid tough economic times haven’t helped.

Polls administered by Sienna College and Quinnipiac University support the idea that Giuliani would take Paterson to town in a gubernatorial race, the Post reported.

Of course singing such songs to the Post will always get printed, so the ties that bind Rudy and Mike aren't fully known, but there are definitely no good feelings between the Mayor and Governor Paterson. If this true though, I would love to see the Governor respond to that warm fuzziness by making sure the term limits legislation moves even quicker in the Legislature and gets a nice, firm signature of his so that we can put the term limits extension to a vote.

How Saxby Chambliss Views Freedom In America

Chambliss certainly likes to talk, and here with Giuliani, he gets some big names to talk for him as well. With the run-off less than a week away, Saxby must be getting pretty nervous because to throw someone out of a public rally merely due to the fact he has a video camera (not to mention a Democratic staffer) is definitely not a good sign. In Woodstock, GA, Chambliss feels that freedom of assembly only applies if the crowd is out there for him alone.

Giuliani Looks To Cash In On Taxpayer's Giveaway

Most of us here in New York are well aware of what a scumbag Rudy Giuliani is. You don't earn the nickname "Hitler on the Hudson" lightly. His Presidential campaign scared me more than McCain's (not counting Palin at least) and he gave us another reason why this week. Millions of homeowners have been foreclosed on or are in danger of it. Our national debt is at a staggering $9,600,000,000,000.00 and is only eclipsed by our collective personal debt. The war in Iraq sucks our treasury of billions and eventually trillions of dollars. Basically we are suffering as a nation and we need to come together to get out of this mess.

So what is Rudy doing as a patriotic American?

Rudy Giuliani is positioning his law firm to cash in on Wall Street's train wreck - a move that has become a gift to political enemies of his pal John McCain.

Even as the nation's $700 billion, taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout was still being hashed out, the former mayor announced Thursday his high-powered law firm has set up a task force.

Its mission: to help corporate clients get a piece of the action - or keep the federal wolves from the door.

"Our team of former government officials and experienced attorneys in the fields of legislation, enforcement and finance are equipped to guide institutions in this quickly evolving and complex environment," Giuliani noted in a press release from his law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani.

Yep, like an alpha dog leading a pack of hungry wolves to a kill, Giuliani is attempting to take maximum advantage of our economic catastrophe and the bailout is one large tasty morsel. The NY Daily News puts the words "crass opportunism" in quotes for the article and rightly so. I'd just like to say that this latest act is hardly surprising coming from the former Mayor and goes to show he'll take advantage of any situation for personal gain, whether it be the death of nearly 3,000 people on September 11th or the unregulated juggernaut that is Wall Street.

Giuliani's Latest Project: Messing With Big Pharma

Rudy Giuliani played his part at the Republican convention and will probably be an intermittent surrogate for McCain in the next several weeks, but that isn't what will take up most of his time. Giuliani held onto his lobbying firm aptly named Giuliani Partners, albeit loosely while he was running for President. That's how he rakes in his cash, dealing with shady figures from around the world so they can have "Mr. 9/11" at their side. Giuliani will do anything for a buck and this week we learn he'll even go up against the U.S. Pharmaceutical industry to do so.

From BBC News:

Indian drug firm Ranbaxy has hired ex-New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as an adviser, the company says.

The move comes a day after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the import of more than 30 generic drugs made by the drug firm.

The FDA said it imposed the ban after it found manufacturing quality problems at two Ranbaxy factories in India.

Gee, how can Rudy Giuliani bring a pharmaceutical maker into compliance with the FDA? Apparently the FDA put the black mark on Ranbaxy for having unsafe conditions and contamination problems at their facilities. Will the Mayor go into the factory and shout "9/11, 9/11, 9/11" and make all violations go away?

Of course not, but it is important to remember that the FDA is run by a combination of Bushies and Pharmaceutical industry lobbyists. They don't care about unsafe conditions, just take a look at the dangerous drugs that have been allowed out into the market due to lax regulations. So what is the real problem here?

Well as Forbes points out, every single drug that was banned was being made by U.S. competitors. In fact, the only drug that was left on the shelves was Ganciclovir Sodium and no one in Big Pharma made it. The crony at the top of the FDA talked tough about safety and holding other countries up to high standards but she really isn't fooling anyone.

So the question is, what will Rudy do to grease the wheels at the FDA of the Bush Administration to help Ranbaxy out? I'm guessing that somehow, somewhere and some way, money and favors will be exchanging hands when and if Ranbaxy is suddenly found to be in compliance again.

Image from NY Mag

Keith Olbermann Comments On The Republicans' "9/11 TM"

Keith Olbermann talks about September 11th and what the Republican leadership did before it, about it and after that terrible day. As usual, he breaks it down far better than I can:

Shuster Exposes Giuliani And GOP Concern Trolling

This week the Republican horde is trying to do one thing and one thing only, stir up trouble in the Democratic Party. Since nothing seems to stick, despite the traditional media's best efforts with the whole PUMA thing, Giuliani et al. are trying everything to slime Barack Obama and the DNC. The latest attempt by Mr. 9/11 was to criticize President Bill Clinton's speaking position, but David Shuster blew his hypocritical cover.

From ThinkProgress:

In an appearance on Morning Joe, Rudy Giuliani tried to stir a fake controversy over former President Bill Clinton’s speech tonight at the Democratic National Convention. “Are they gonna have him on in prime-time?” Giuliani asked, “or are they gonna do to him what they did to Governor Warner and stick him in two slots earlier.” (Clinton will speak in the 9-10 pm hour ET.) MSNBC analyst David Shuster immediately shot back: “Yeah right, as opposed to sticking him on the first night of the convention like what the Republicans are doing with George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney?”

Host Joe Scarborough asked, “How strange is it that they’re putting the sitting President of the United States on Monday night, Labor Day? Doesn’t that say all that needs to be said about George Bush’s standing in the country?”

Oh that isn't strange at all, George Bush is more toxic to the GOP than ever before. If it were possible, they'd probably make him stay away. And you won't see McCain anywhere near him next week. Despite all that has gone on with Bill Clinton and the primaries, he is still a well-respected party elder and will continue to be so because ultimately he is a decent man that puts out a tremendous effort to do good in the world. So while Rudy may try to throw sticks at the Democratic juggernaut (and you can watch it on YouTube), it is much easier to blow down the GOP's house of cards with a gust of truth.

Thanks, But No Thanks For The VP Advice Rudy

Rudy Giuliani is at it again, trying to give "advice" to the Democratic delegation currently in Denver. The corrupt ex-Mayor and self-proclaimed 9/11 expert flew to Colorado to make trouble, much like his cohorts at Fox News. While Joe Biden and Barack Obama team up to crush the Republicans in ten weeks time, the GOP is foolishly wasting time trying to fracture the party by playing on the PUMA crowd. Though as you can see, there really isn't much to that gaggle. Nevertheless, we'll let Rudy waste his time anyways.

From The NY Daily News:

WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani voiced his newfound sympathy for archfoe Hillary Clinton and her loyal cohorts Sunday, saying he feels their pain over her getting jilted as the Dem veep pick.

"The strong choice would have been Hillary Clinton, the obvious choice would have been Hillary Clinton" rather than Joe Biden as the running mate for Barack Obama, Giuliani said.

"It's kind of a no-brainer that that's your ticket," Giuliani added on ABC's "This Week."

A no-brainer move would have been to fix those FDNY/NYPD radios asshole. So he really has no clue in ways of saving lives or even picking a VP choice (and you know McCain isn't dumb enough to pick him). Perhaps McCain has him leading this foolish mission because our VP nominee tagged his entire existence in one short line.

Giuliani Gets Smacked Down By The DNC

For some reason the Republican pest known as Rudy Giuliani is still buzzing and bothering everyone around him in sight. John McCain, who apparently likes his former opponent's foul-smelling stench let Rudy loose on Obama concerning, what else, 9/11 and homeland security. Well once Rudy was done, the Obama campaign and the DNC's Karen Finney picked up the fly swatter loaded with truth and smushed the former Mayor.

From MSNBC's FirstRead:

In an e-mail, entitled, “Giuliani v Giuliani: 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Case,” the Obama campaign points out that in 1993, Giuliani said at the time, per the New York Times, March 5, 1994: “Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani declared that the verdict ‘demonstrates that New Yorkers won't meet violence with violence, but with a far greater weapon -- the law.’”

Also from that day’s Times: “Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani said he hoped that the verdicts would lessen tensions rather than increase them. ‘It should show that our legal system is the most mature legal system in the history of the world,’ he said, ‘that it works well, that that is the place to seek vindication if you feel your rights have been violated.’”

The DNC takes its shot at Giuliani with an e-mail with a title, parroting Joe Biden’s Greatest Debate Hits: “Rudy, ‘Noun, verb, 9/11’ Giuliani returns.”

“Democrats are not going to be lectured to on security by the mayor who failed to learn the lessons of the 1993 attacks, refused to prepare his own city’s first responders for the next attack, urged President Bush to put his corrupt crony in charge of our homeland security, and was too busy lobbying for his foreign clients to join the Iraq Study Group,” DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney said. “Rudy Giuliani, can echo the McCain campaign’s false and misleading attacks, but he can’t change the fact that John McCain is promising four more years of President Bush’s flawed and failed policies on everything from energy security and the economy to the war in Iraq.”

Yeah, now that is how its done. As long as Obama and the Democratic troupe respond to Republican attacks in this way, there is no way possible that we lose in November. We have the truth on our side, all we need to do is use it.

Rudy Wants To Cash In On Fundraisers

For all intensive purposes, Rudy Giuliani is a star in his Grand Old Party. Despite losing in flame-out fashion this past winter, he is still Mr. 9/11 to Republicans, the "Mayor that tamed big, bad liberal New York" or something like that. Due to that name recognition and notoriety, he has been sought after as a keynote speaker for fundraisers to help out incumbents and would-be Congress-critters desperate for cash when all the conservative money is going primarily to the RNC and McCain campaign. The thing is, with Rudy there's a catch to hear him utter "9/11, 9/11 and 9/11."

From The NY Times:

Mr. Giuliani’s aides have told the National Republican Congressional Committee and Congressional candidates that if he makes an appearance, he wants the candidates to help him get rid of his presidential campaign debt.

The unusual request underscores the financial predicament Mr. Giuliani finds himself in, after he ended his presidential bid this year with roughly $3.6 million in campaign debt. Traditionally, prominent party figures help lower-tier candidates by headlining fund-raising events in return for good will and future political alliances, but do not receive funds themselves.

Mr. Giuliani’s debt includes a $500,000 personal loan that he made to the campaign, according to his latest campaign finance report.

Mr. Giuliani’s move has irritated some of his Republican colleagues, who say that the arrangement would put an additional strain on candidates who in many cases are struggling to raise money. Some say rather than making a generous gesture, the former mayor is seeking to tap local candidates’ donors.

When it comes to Rudy G., Rudy is always Rudy's number 1, no doubt about it. If he wants to suck cash from GOP candidates, more power to him, it beats the people he previously used and abused.

Rudy Maybe Out, But Still "Respected"

I was at the Skirball Center here in Los Angeles yesterday while on a bit of a break from chilly warm and stormy New York. After seeing the Dylan exhibit we wandered into another gallery and saw some amazing paintings depicting the Id, Ego and SuperEgo. They were inspired by Freud and a nice touch to end the afternoon over there. I wonder what the artists (and Freud) would think of Rudy Giuliani's battle between his Id, Ego and SuperEgo? Even though he was humiliated out of the Presidential race a month ago, he is still making money off of something he has that is ridiculously inflated.

From Right's Field:

According to the Speakers Bureau’s bio of Rudy, which, I’m betting $911 was written by Rudy himself: “Rudy Giuliani…helped lead New York - and the U.S. - out of the devastation that followed the attacks on 9-11,” because, of course, 9/11 turned Rudy into the President of the United States–er President of 9/11.[...]

And “As a candidate for president, he galvanized the national debate,” which is why of course he’s still in the race for president to this day! He’s that galvanizing.

Oh, and Rudy will show ” leaders at all levels how to transform their corporate and organizational cultures—for bottom-line success and results,” by using his own financially solvent presidential campaign as a prime example.

Finally, this paragraph is worth quoting in full:

Hero and Inspiration: As someone who found himself on the frontlines of the War on Terror, Giuliani understands the grave personal price already paid to maintain freedom. Never one to shy away from a battle —at great personal risk, Giuliani almost single-handedly took on organized crime in New York—he reminds audiences that to protect freedom, eternal vigilance is necessary. His presentations become events of international repute and scope where large, enthusiastic crowds are the norm.

Jeez, what a guy. that should be committed.

There Is Nothing To Miss About Rudy Giuliani

Obviously the progressive blogosphere and Chris Smith of the New York Magazine feel similarly about Rudy, we're all thankful he's gone. That "scary dream" as he puts it is over and for me personally is a huge relief when I look ahead for the future of our country. A Giuliani Presidency would have been the worst possible outcome of this election. Unfortunately Chris tries to spin it just a little by saying that his candidacy lost steam not because of his atrocious record and many, many deviances, but because people are more focused on domestic issues than the war (a 9/11 thing I'm assuming). Yet somehow due to his exit we won't talk about domestic issues that relate to big cities....cuz Rudy was Mayor of New York...or something like that.

From The New York Magazine:

By no means am I wishing that the carnage in Iraq had continued at the devastating levels of, say, 2006. Nor do I miss the ratcheting up of Homeland Security’s threat levels. But as Wall Street has staggered and we’ve become domestically obsessed again, the shift in anxieties has allowed the candidates to dodge any serious grappling with the long-term consequences of the war, everything from how to end it to what to do about Guantánamo and Pakistan to what incursions on civil liberties are tolerable in the name of self-defense. The United States does have real enemies. Opportunistic and self-aggrandizing his entry into the campaign may have been, but Giuliani’s run was also motivated by a sincere sense of patriotism and pain forged at the World Trade Center, and by a genuine desire to protect his people. His “stay on offense” theory of anti-terrorism was simplistic, but his presence in the race had the valuable effect of pushing the conversation a little bit more toward foreign policy.

The fact that a former resident of Gracie Mansion was a real contender for president was equally important. Eighty percent of the nation’s population now lives in urban areas. Yet the senators and governor still standing only give lip service to the problems in public education, housing, transit, poverty, and crime that touch millions of city lives every day. John Edwards did more to address those issues on the campaign trail than Giuliani did, but having a former mayor of the country’s biggest, most complicated city in the presidential race injected some non-Washington grit into the mix. That’s gone now, and it’s a loss for New York. And it’s just about the only reason to regret that we won’t have Rudy Giuliani to kick around anymore.

Yes, it was (and in my opinion only) John Edwards that addressed urban problems in the best possible manner. Yet by no means did Rudy Giuliani help to inject any kind of debate on how to fix our cities. Remember, Rudy said he fixed New York single-handedly. Urban blight was magically solved by kicking poor people out of Manhattan, those that didn't make $100,000 a year or more (much more) magically disappeared when you would ask Rudy about it.

The only good thing about having him in the race was to kick him around, but the kicking was done for a reason...to kick him out so we wouldn't have to see that obnoxious smug look on his face. Furthermore, New York does not lose (unless you mean the NY GOP's chances of holding on to the Senate this year), New York actually wins because by and large, we were right about him all along and then the states that voted before us caught on and left him standing high and dry.

You Need Ideas First, Then Try A Strategy

Oh poor Rudy, he had to drop out last night and then volunteered to endorse McCain. Gotta go with the candidate with the best shot if you want that 9/11 money rolling into to Giuliani Partners once Georgie leaves the White House. At least he thinks ahead for his own bank account. The problem is that neither he nor the current GOP candidates give a shit about the national bank account or anyone that doesn't relate to them (those that aren't millionaires). So if you want a 50 state strategy, you might want to come up with ideas that appeal to Americans in all 50 states.

There Are Republicans In Brooklyn?!?

Sorry to offend the 123,932 registered Republicans that live in Kings County (yes I looked it up on a pdf file) but it is still amusing to hear that some of them will be meeting tonight to figure out who to endorse when Rudy drops out tomorrow. What will these diehard GoOPers talk about? Do they go with Mittens or McCain, or maybe just endorse a McCain/Mittens ticket?

From The Daily News:

The polls aren't even closed yet in Florida, but Brooklyn Republican Chairman Craig Eaton is wasting no time in making plans for the future.

Eaton, who along with most of the state's GOP leaders, enthusiastically endorsed Rudy Giuliani last spring, has called a meeting of his county leaders for tonight at 9 p.m. to discuss a "contingency plan" in the event that the former mayor, as has been widely speculated, drops out of the race in the coming days.

"I want to be ready," Eaton said, unapologetically. "As a Republican leader, I have an obligation that our committee is ready to support the candidate won is going to run and win."

Eaton said he has no intention of jumping the gun and dumping Giuliani before he officially pulls the trigger himself. But noted that it could take weeks to get his leaders together in time to endorse a replacement candidate (most likely John McCain, he said), and he wants to make sure "every hour, every minute, every day I have" goes toward working on behalf of the likely GOP nominee.

Most of Eatons' leaders are gathering tonight at Laiyuen, an upscale Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn, to watch the Florida returns come in, so it made sense to him to hold a meeting after the Sunshine State victor is declared.

Mmmm, Chinese food. I'll take some spicy beef and shrimp lo mein with that Giuliani loss, thanks.

Well the wolf in Craig Eaton is certainly not wasting anytime with that carcass of a campaign. If he took some consideration a few months back before supporting him then this wouldn't be a problem. Then again, there really is no good pick to make in the GOP field. They're screwed any way they go. It should be interesting to see how many of the 123,932 actually come out to vote at all next Tuesday.

The Bells Toll For Rudy Today

Just as we are beginning to recover from the State of the Union, today Florida's GOP base will go to the polls to choose the nominee for the Republican ticket. Polls are showing a close race between John McCain and Mitt Romney, but Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani are trailing together in a distant third. Things aren't looking too good for Huckabee or Rudy, but it has to hurt the most for the one-time national front runner. Fortunately for all of us, it seems Rudy is starting to come to his senses, and that all of the dismal performances in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina et al. have pierced through his thin-skinned but over-inflated ego.

From The LA Times:

Rudy Giuliani appears to be pondering an end to his long pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination.

In a meeting in the back of his chartered plane en route to St. Petersburg, Fla., a short while ago, the onetime, longtime GOP front-runner told a small group of reporters, including The Times' Louise Roug: "The winner of Florida will win the nomination."

He then went on to predict he would win. And his spokeswoman, Maria Comella, said later he was speaking with confidence.

Well of course he had to say that he's going to win, or else that would just be too "Fred Thompson-esque." Nevertheless if he stays true to his statement, his predicted third or fourth place finish today should finish his candidacy for good. Of course it was doomed from the start. New Yorkers more than anyone knew Rudy the best, and it was only a matter of time until the rest of the country got to know him like we do.

Attention Florida Shoppers: Beware Of The Hitler On The Hudson

Rudy Giuliani has been tanking across the country, he has less delegates than Ron Paul and McCain has surged past him, even in New York. Rudy is staking everything on Florida. And that is why he must be crushed in the Sunshine state next week. This man must be stopped cold. I write a lot about him, I know, it may be a lot, but if people outside New York knew him like New Yorkers do, the less they like him. So I hear he is still in the running down there so I want to make sure he is toast in a week from now. He runs on how he turned New York City around right? Well take a look at how he performed as Mayor, and tell me if you want that from your President.

From The New York Times:

In August 1997, James Schillaci, a rough-hewn chauffeur from the Bronx, dialed Mayor Giuliani’s radio program on WABC-AM to complain about a red-light sting run by the police near the Bronx Zoo. When the call yielded no results, Mr. Schillaci turned to The Daily News, which then ran a photo of the red light and this front page headline: “GOTCHA!”

That morning, police officers appeared on Mr. Schillaci’s doorstep. What are you going to do, Mr. Schillaci asked, arrest me? He was joking, but the officers were not.

They slapped on handcuffs and took him to court on a 13-year-old traffic warrant. A judge threw out the charge. A police spokeswoman later read Mr. Schillaci’s decades-old criminal rap sheet to a reporter for The Daily News, a move of questionable legality because the state restricts how such information is released. She said, falsely, that he had been convicted of sodomy.

Then Mr. Giuliani took up the cudgel.

“Mr. Schillaci was posing as an altruistic whistle-blower,” the mayor told reporters at the time. “Maybe he’s dishonest enough to lie about police officers.”

Mr. Schillaci suffered an emotional breakdown, was briefly hospitalized and later received a $290,000 legal settlement from the city. “It really damaged me,” said Mr. Schillaci, now 60, massaging his face with thick hands. “I thought I was doing something good for once, my civic duty and all. Then he steps on me.”

And that is just one story out of many. He figuratively bashed in the heads of anyone that crossed him. If you worked for an agency, even one that fights for AIDS patients and speak ill of the mayor, your funding could disappear overnight. Former mayors like Dinkins and Koch spoke out against his authoritarian ways and Rudy responded by trying to crush the careers of anyone who worked for them, people like Richard L. Murphy and John Beckman.

The article in the Times is extensive and worth the read. Some of the stories will make you laugh from the incredulity of it all, and be shocked from the insanity that was our former mayor. After reading it, I can't imagine anyone voting for someone like that, unless you believe in an authoritarian-bordering-on-fascist America.

NY For Paul Sounds The Death Toll For Rudy!

Despite how I feel on the issues (and there are many) with Ron Paul, I never question the tenacity of his minions. One in particular here in the Empire state by the name of Jim Ostrowski caught the eye of the Daily Politics though they didn't post this link to his blog. Perhaps they just got an official press release, whatever, the point is, NY for Ron Paul came out hard against Giuliani in their bid to win New York. Of course it is highly unlikely for Paul to win anything besides his current six delegates and multiple wins over Rudy Giuliani. Nevertheless, if they can beat Rudy, they can say stuff like this.

Buffalo, New York. January 21, 2008. Thousands of supporters of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul are promising to work hard to pull a major upset in the primary election scheduled for February 5th, New Yorkers for Ron Paul announced today. Jim Ostrowski, one of the group’s organizers said: “Now that Rudy Giuliani’s campaign has collapsed, New York State is wide open and we intend to fight hard for those 87 delegates.”

In the winner-take-all primary, 87 delegates will be awarded, the largest single block of Republican delegates in the country. Recent polls show John McCain gaining on Giuliani but reports are that a new poll will show John McCain ahead. “That’s because of publicity from New Hampshire,” Ostrowski said, “not because of any great enthusiasm for McCain who lost here in 2000.”

Fresh off his best showing, 14% and second place in Nevada, Ron Paul is poised to enter the first rank of presidential contenders on Super Tuesday. Ostrowski said that “when New York Republicans hear Ron Paul’s message of lower federal spending, border security and avoidance of costly nation-building oversees, they will vote for Ron Paul over Washington insider McCain.” Ostrowski noted that Ron Paul’s proposed spending cuts will particularly help New York which traditionally sends more tax dollars to Washington than it gets back.

“Before you vote for John McCain, ask yourself: can he beat Hillary Clinton in November?” Ostrowski said. He noted that Ron Paul exit polls show him doing well among the very groups a Republican needs to attract in November: independents, opponents of the Iraq War, moderates and young people who want the country to move in a different direction from the one that Washington insiders like Clinton and McCain have in mind.

Wow, fourteen percent in Nevada, thats.......still terrible, especially in a more libertarian-minded state than most. Paul certainly has raised a lot of money and fame, but votes are still few and way too short of the *cough* front runners. I know, they're all terrible on the right and anyone could have a shot, but the likelihood of Paul emerging from that dust cloud is still slim to none.

P.S. Thanks for dissing Rudy, I still loving hearing sweet nothings like that.

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

Everyone talks about change but who can really deliver it in a beneficial way?

Twelve Days To Go For Giuliani

There's less than two weeks to go until Florida decides on their Republican of choice for the general election. Unfortunately for Rudy, his southern-most firewall state isn't too hot for him anymore. Now that everyone knows he's supposedly staking it out in the Sunshine State, Republicans all over the place are ruing the day he ever started this race and their own mental acuity for thinking about voting for him in the first place.

From The Gothamist:

People have been wondering about former mayor Rudy Giuliani's campaign for a long time (his presidential campaign plan notebook went missing last January! he pays more attention to his friends' advice versus that of election consultants). Now, with the Florida primary on the horizon, it seems his New York-based supporters are starting to worry.

The first few weeks of the new year have brought Giuliani embarrassing finishes in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan as well as national polls - ones he used to lead with large margins - where he is now tied or in second or third place. The Times reports "supporters say they are confident that if Mr. Giuliani carries Florida or runs a very close second, he will remain the odds-on favorite" to take all delegates from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. But Cooper Union historian and Giuliani biographer Fred Siegel thinks Giuliani winning Florida requires "a miraculous comeback. I wouldn't bet on it."

Also, Giuliani's strategy to concentrate on Florida might be backfiring among voters. One Florida conservative told Newsday, "It concerns me that he really hasn't campaigned a lot, and he's placing everything on Florida," while another said, "He squandered his lead." And more damning, a Giuliani fan said, "I haven't seen him put out the effort yet." Ouch, but he does have 12 events scheduled for the Sunshine State this week.

I know that Republicans are having trouble making up their minds and placing their chips with any of the elephant candidates, but when it comes to this pachyderm things are looking pretty bleak.

No Wonder Giuliani's Kids Hate Him

Ah, here's a little candidate psychology for you this morning. Everyone knows that his mostly grown kids despise him. Caroline, his daughter even endorsed Barack Obama on her facebook profile. So much for supporting dear old Dad. Now, could it be how he left their mother, giving her the news at a press conference in City Hall? Or is there something that goes back, way back to when they were just cute little peanuts in diapers?

From RawStory:

In the course of the New Hampshire primary, Darren Garnick, a writer for Slate.com., set out on a quest to photograph his 5-month-old daughter Dahlia being held by every one of the candidates.

Darren and his wife Stacy appeared on CNN on Monday to describe the results and show off some of the photos.

Barack Obama held little Dahlia like someone who knows his way around babies, cradling her securely and looking into her eyes. "I would vote for him just for that," was Stacy's comment on the photo.

Hillary Clinton also got a top score from Garnick. "Hillary's a natural," he said. "She was very warm."

In the photo with Rudy Giuliani, however, Dahlia is wailing and Giuliani seems almost as upset. "Rudy wasn't happy," said Garnick. "Dahlia smiled for the first two seconds and then she started crying and Rudy was panicky. ... He didn't want to be photographed with a screaming baby. ... He tossed her right back to me like a football."

This isn't a Jets or Giants game Rudy, we are talking about young precious life, the kind you are now protecting (or claim to at least) from the point of conception. So when they come out into the world, this is how you treat them? If they make you look bad, toss em' back? I don't blame little Dahlia for crying, I'm sure he had it coming.