Guiliani Deserts NYC Firefighters?

One would think that despite Guiliani's stance on family values he would appreciate those who helped him ascend to "hero" status after the 9/11 tragedy, namely New York City's wonderful and brave firefighters

Not true.

And here's why

In November 2001, our members were continuing the painful, but necessary, task of searching Ground Zero for the remains of our fallen brothers and the thousands of innocent citizens that were killed, because precious few of those who died in the terrorist attacks had been recovered at that point.

Prior to November 2001, 101 bodies or remains of fire fighters had been recovered. And those on the horrible pile at Ground Zero believed they had just found a spot in the rubble where they would find countless more that could be given proper burial.

Nevertheless, Giuliani, with the full support of his Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, decided on November 2, 2001, to sharply reduce the number of those who could search for remains at any one time. There had been as many as 300 fire fighters at a time involved in search and recovery, but Giuliani cut that number to no more than 25 who could be there at once.

In conjunction with the cut in fire fighters allowed to search, Giuliani also made a conscious decision to institute a "scoop-and-dump" operation to expedite the clean-up of Ground Zero in lieu of the more time-consuming, but respectful, process of removing debris piece by piece in hope of uncovering more remains.

Mayor Giuliani's actions meant that fire fighters and citizens who perished would either remain buried at Ground Zero forever, with no closure for families, or be removed like garbage and deposited at the Fresh Kills Landfill.

That's just horrible and when things like that go public they really start to tear away at one's reputation (see Swiftboat; Kerry, John). Something tells me that Rudy's problems will begin to build and fester into a giant mess before too long.

Hitlary *shhhh* tells what *shhhhh* she believes *shhhhh*

So if you're a major candidate in an election, you want to get your views across so people know where you stand. Not surprising the democratic party have been the party of choice for most homosexuals. So why is Hitlary so hush hush about it?

Senator Clinton is promoting exactly that, LaBarbera asserts. But politicians like her and Barack Obama "know that they can’t come out officially for homosexual so-called marriage," the Americans for Truth official says, "so they don’t take that last final step."

I don't understand. If you're running for an office, aren't you elected based on your beliefs? Personally I could care less what gay people do, and if they want to raise kids, let them. There are bad heterosexual couples raising kids too that suck. Not literally.

Is she going to court the "anti-god" group quitely to sell out to them as well? Perhaps when she talks to them she'll forget she's a churchie to change her accent for their votes too. Time will tell, and my question to a Hitlary supporter, "Would you stand by your spouse if they cheated on you?" If not, "why do you support someone to lead the country that does?"

Democrats Too Scared Of Fox news

John Edwards declined a debate hosted by the Nevada Democratic Party and Fox News stating that the cable news organization's participation was part of the reason for not attending.

In the article it states:

Online activists and bloggers quickly hailed the decision as a victory in their
campaign to urge Nevada Democrats to drop Fox News as a partner. MoveOn.org Civic Action says it has
collected more than 260,000 signatures on a petition that calls the cable
network a "mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news
channel."

You've got to be kidding me. You need 260,000 signatures from a bunch of people to say they think Fox News is a little right wing. MoveOn.org has to be the biggest bunch of losers, seriously.

Well, now that I think about it, 260,000 people signing a document on the internet sure has changed my mind. I've seen the light and I will never watch Fox News Channel again, and I will promptly send money to the DNC, PETA and MoveOn.org.

LOSERS!

Hagel Ready to Run...

...According to CNN.com it appears so.

Hagel would be the first real outspoken war critic to enter the race from the Republican side. Right now his numbers are severely low (barely getting 1%) but expect him to draw quite a few moderates away from the Guiliani camp if/when he officially announces.

Know Your Candidate: John H. Cox

Despite the recent revelations of John McCain's campaign of survival, I have decided to go for my original plan and profile Illinois candidate John H. Cox.

A quick gander at Cox's history will show you two things -- He's a neo-con and he's a highly unsuccessful candidate.

His record in elections is a very "A-Rod-in-the-playoffs" worthy 0-for-3.

In 2000 he lost in the Republican primary to replace an outgoing Congressman (losing to the former Congressman's aide).

In 2002 he lost in the Republican primary for the Illinois Senate Seat.

In 2004 he lost a bid to become the Cook County Recorder of Deeds to the incumbent Democrat. Cox ran under the platform that he was going to abolish the position (although I'm wondering if he was going to keep the paychecks).

It's really hard for me to handicap Cox's candidacy since he probably couldn't win an election in a Neighborhood Watch Association, but I move on.

A quick gander as Cox's website (when it's not down) shows that he is a conservative's conservative.

-- War in Iraq? Cox is down with it even going as far to mention the old rubbed out slogan "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here."

-- Abortion? Cox believes life starts at the thought of conception (not really).

-- Gun Control? Hogwash. Every family should own four and if they can't get a license, he has connections.

-- Tax Control? Cox wants to do away with the IRS because all those numbers and additions get confusing. He's down with the "Fair Tax" which I can safely say I don't have an opinion on yet. However, I'm very worried about the people who support it.

He also wants to repeal the "No Child Left Behind" Act and promises to veto any budget that isn't balance. Cox supports marriage between a man and woman and says that the family farms are the backbone of this country.

His videos are pretty slick but he's asking for donations to keep them on air. Dude, why not try YouTube, it's free and more popular.

As for odds of victory. Well that would be nil. However, if they let Cox in the debates he could be entertaining.

McCain Staffers Escape...

...Despite his status as a war hero and generally loveable grand-fatherly figure, some McCain insiders say he's actually batshit crazy and his campaign is on the verge of collapsing.

"One of the top aides to the Republican leadership told me that McCain has lost so much support, he's simply beside himself. He's wringing his hands. Things are sinking fast—in two or three weeks, we'll know if there is any recovery."

Hmm, maybe I should do my next KYC feature on him instead of John H. Cox.

Conservatives Busts McCain...

...Despite being a war hero, grandpa-like figure and generally a decent guy, the conservative wing of the Republican Party continued to take cheap shots at John McCain.

"I will represent the Republican wing of the Republican party," 'B-Team' Candidate Jim Gilmore said.

Notice he said nothing about representing the people of the United States of America.

Meanwhile Colorado candidate Tom Tancredo excited the crowd with fiery racist remarks.

"It's great to celebrate diversity," he said. "It's when we make a state religion out of it that's a problem."

I wonder where the Colorado representative stands on Jim Crow laws?

Morning Chat (3/6)

Many mornings your fearless Strategery '08 leaders sit for a virtual coffee (or green tea in RCL's case) and chat about the issues. Here is one of those chats.

**********************************************

David: Ha ha. You're just mad that she's a GOP sista

RCL: No, I'm serious, you stay off my side of the ledger. I won't interfere with your unfair bashing of Hillary and Al

David: I figured since she wasn't a candidate yet... but okay

RCL: If anyone is going to speak about Condi's big ass teeth, it's going to be me

David: But it's an interesting theory

RCL: Condi's huge choppers. It is, but she's so not a candidate. Why are you guys bashing McCain so much?

David: I'm not following mccain, they don't like him because he's a left righty

RCL: So is Guiliani

David: that's what they need

RCL: at least McCain is a war hero and a loveable grandpa-like figure like Ronald Reagan, but alive and a war hero.

David: he's also viewed as a wacko

RCL: by who?

David: the righties, because he spent too much time in a cage

RCL: Oh yes, that rational group of thinkers over there

David: that's what i heard, he's very visable, i wish he'd won in 2000

RCL: You, me and about 100,000 men and women of the military

David: i've never talked to anyone in the military that's against the war only the few that moveon.org takes and exploits

RCL: that's because you don't talk to the generals and the people in charge

David: Nope

RCL: One of your own, Joe Scarborough, even said this week that every high-ranking officer in Iraq believes this war has completely failed. Joe Scarborough. NOT a liberal. I mean Joe is about as non-liberal as it gets, a real white dude

David: so

RCL: almost transparent

David: the muslim population will explode in the next 20 years anyway

RCL: Here's my issue with Condi in the race, besides those massive choppers, she's going to be linked with Bush and the people ain't having it

David: she's a black chick and you hate it

RCL: I actually like many elements of Condi. I think she's very smart. I think she's very smooth because she wisely avoids a lot of the media missles that target the Bush administration. She's not teflon, but she's close, she's stayed loyal to the administration without getting dragged into the negatives

David: my brother says she's a sell out

RCL: That goes without saying

David: whoring out Dubya's failed policies

RCL: but who doesn't sell out in politics? Politics is the only profession where selling out is considered a positive

David: like hillary changing her accent with every speech to please people

RCL: She doesn't do anything my mom didn't do, Mom's voice in New York and her voice in South Carolina are very different.

RCL: Can you believe Hillary was the leader of the College Republicans at Wellesley College

David: she went downhill

RCL: but civil rights influenced her political life, yeah those damn civil rights

David: i didn't know that though. Is wellesley college all liberal?

RCL: Umm no it's a LIBERAL ARTS college

David: figured so

RCL: all-female liberal arts college

David: i still can't stand her. Hi, i live in arkansas, hi i live in washington, oh, let's move to hippie NY and become a senator

RCL: you don't even know why you don't like her...Because she moves?\

David: she's a yes ma'am, and will do whatever it takes to win votes, no backbone

RCL: a yes ma'am?

David: yeah, and national health care sucks, hold on

David: okay, work called, yeah, national health care sucks and so does she

RCL: so it's the national health care thing that bothers you

David: that's one thing, plus she usually votes straight liberal

RCL: no she doesn't

David: i'd vote for obama before hiltary

RCL: that's fine. There's no problem with that. But these reasons...most of them aren't even true
yes National health care is an issue, but she does not vote straight liberal, check her record, it's scarily moderate.

David: the majority of her votes are liberal

RCL: she sides with the right on almost 50% of her votes

David: there's no way in bloody hell she does, yer a liar!

RCL: am not, check her record!

David: i will check her record, for me to poop on

RCL: See you don't care about her record, every one says "check "such and such's" record" and no, one ever does, they just believe what they believe.

David: No, i just don't have time to research it at work, but i will, i just don't believe it, but i'll check it out to prove a black hippie from florida wrong

RCL: you do that

David: i will

RCL: you won't do it

David: not today, no

RCL: I might not even be telling the truth but you'll never check

David: yes i will

RCL: you won't, you'll check one vote and base an opinion on that one vote

David: no i wont biatch

RCL: I'm going to post this conversation to give you incentive!

David: ok

Bush setting himself up for Condi

Will Dick Cheney step down for health reasons and set up Condi for the Veep, thus, a candidate for 2008 taking down both Hitlary and Obama at the same time?

Guiliani: Leave My Peeps Alone

...Already the former NYC mayor is annoyed by the press and has asked them to stop reporting on him and his "blended" family.

"I believe that these problems with blended families, you know, are challenges _ sometimes they are," he said. "The more privacy I can have for my family, the better we are going to be able to deal with all these difficulties."

Meanwhile others suggest the Republicans will ditch the 9/11 "hero" as soon as they find out who he really is. According to Zogby, over 50% of Republican voters have no knowledge of his standing on social issues.

Know Your Candidate: Mike Gravel

I picked this guy first because, hey, his name says Gravel.

Let's see how it sounds:

"President Gravel has again decided to finance his hippie reform by taxing the working man."

"In other news, President Gravel met with the French Prime Minister to talk about how to be a big wuss."

Okay, not too bad....

So this guy is from Alaska. That seems like a pretty conservative state to be such a whino democrat. I personally have been to Alaska, and I'll say, it's probably the prettiest place I've ever been.

So this guy supports an immediate withdraw of troops, A National Health Care System, and Eliminate the Income Tax. Hey, 1 out of 3 isn't bad!

I'll give this guy a fair chance:

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE

Medicine and medical technology in the United States is the finest in the world. However, it is also one of the leading causes of bankruptcies. With the rising cost of healthcare, it is time to rethink our approach. The solution to the healthcare crisis is a national, universal single-payer not-for-profit U.S. healthcare system.

So let's see, rising costs of health care, the solution is to do a single-payer not-for-profit system. So in other words, we'll just keep raising taxes each year. Great plan there gravelman. Sure, it works well up north. Just ask the people who are dying for transplants.

WAR IN IRAQ

The Senator was one of the first current or former elected officials to publicly oppose the planned invasion of Iraq in 2002. He appeared on MSNBC prior to the invasion insisting that intelligence showed that there were indeed NO weapons of mass destruction, that Iraq posed no threat to the United States and that invading Iraq was against America’s national interests. Since declaring his candidacy for President, Senator Gravel has called for an immediate and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq combined with aggressive and skilled diplomacy to end the sectarian violence currently consuming Iraq.

"Given the extreme importance of any decision to go to war," he continued, "and I am anguished to make this statement, that anyone who voted for the war on October 11th based upon what president Bush presented to them is not qualified to hold the office of the president of the United States." [LINK]

Well, that should make for an interesting election. At least he didn't vote for the war before he voted against it.

THE FAIR TAX

There is only one one entity in the U.S. that pays taxes; the individual. Business and corporations do not, they merely collect taxes from the consumer and pass it on to the government. The Fair Tax proposal calls for eliminating the IRS and the Income Tax and replacing it with a progressive national Sales Tax of between 19 and 23 percent on newly manufactured items. To compensate for necessities, such as food, there would be a “prebate” for families below the poverty line. An average family of three that lives below the poverty live would receive an additional $3,000 a year.

I actually agree with something like this. This would help people save more money, etc, but who knows how that will work.

Gravelman states that Education is in shambles, but fails to point out the problem. Why is Washington DC first in funding, but last in Academics? Quit focusing on standard of living and focus on the damn parents!

I give this guy a 200 to 1 shot to win in the spring of 2008. So that means he'll fail to raise any cash and throw his support to some other guy who has no chance.

Newsweek: Guiliani Continues Smackdown...

...Already known a guy who supported brutality of minorities and legal immigrants, former NYC mayor Rudy Guiliani wants to add war veterans and senior citizens to the list of those he has either abused or been supportive in the abuse of.

How else can one explain an 25-point shellacking in the polls over loveable war hero and grandpa John McCain?

In other news, Guiliani sucks as a father according to his son.

""I got my values from my mother," 21-year-old Andrew Giuliani told ABC in an interview quoted on "Good Morning America" yesterday. "She's a strong influence in my life."