Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor, new multimillionaire, and Presidential wannabe, admitted yesterday that he is fundamentally a worthless sack of s***. This was not news to the hard-working firefighters or police officers of New York City who have watched him milk glory from his photo ops for the last seven years.The Mayor of 9/11's hopes of support from the firemen and cops of NYC were on the rocks as the ex-Mayor inserted his foot into his mouth once again.
Giuliani admitted Friday on Mike Gallagher's syndicated radio show that he misspoke when he said he spent more time at ground zero— exposed to the same health risks—than the clean-up workers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"I think I could have said it better," he told the radio host . "You know, what I was saying was, 'I'm there with you.'"
The former New York mayor struck a very raw nerve with firefighters and police officers when he told reporters at a baseball game in Cincinnati this week "I was there working with them. I was exposed to exactly the same things they were exposed to. So in that sense, I'm one of them." Fire and police officials responded angrily, saying Giuliani did not do the same work as those involved in the rescue and cleanup from the 2001 terrorist attacks, which left ever-rising numbers of those workers sick and injured.
Unless I misjudge what I saw at ground zero last month, it appears those workers actually did more than put on hard hats and stern faces, pose for photographers, and issue pithy sound bytes.
This latest Giuliani imbroglio makes you wonder about the Republican Presidential field's prospects. The first tier of Thompson, McCain, Giuliani, and Romney all appear to be faltering, in either fund-raising, support, or both. How long can it be before Newton Gingrich holds his nose and wades into the fray?
---o0o---
