Politics Hang Over Sept. 11 Ceremony (Firefighters Furious Candidate Giuliani To Appear)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Politics hang over Sept. 11 ceremony
By AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press Writer
21 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Once again, the city will pause for four moments of silence to mark the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people. Family members will lay flowers where the twin towers fell, and the names of victims will be read.

But much will be different on the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11, after tense arguments about where to hold the ceremony, whether a presidential candidate should be allowed to speak and whether it's still fitting to put on such a large-scale commemoration.

Firefighters, first responders and construction workers who helped rescue New Yorkers — and many who later recovered victims' bodies — were chosen this year to read the names of the dead in a small public park instead of the World Trade Center site. After bitterly objecting that they wanted to pay their respects closest to where their loved ones died, family members will be allowed to descend to the site below street level and lay flowers near where the towers stood.

- snip -

And firefighters and several victims' family members are furious that Rudy Giuliani, the city's former mayor, who has spoken every year at the ceremony, is doing so on Tuesday as a Republican presidential candidate.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070911/ap_on_re_us/sept11_anniversary

[DURHAM D]

1. I feel a Special Comment from KO coming on...

He was so angry last year about the lack of progress on the memorial and other issues. I bet he tears into it this year because of Rudy, and still no memorial.

[bbinacan]

2. Kind of off topic,

how many NYFD are union members?

[sce56]

3. In the Firemens own words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVxIDoi6feQ

[ribrepin]

4. Remember how they booed Hillary at some event right after 9/11

I assume they cheered guiliani. It really hurt that the firefighters would go after Hillary. No I'm not a supporter. It was like the only patriots were republicans. Well, times have changed.

[Hissyspit]

5. I had forgotten about that.

I think a lot of Americans feel foolish about how they behaved in the years following 9/11; many still in denial.

[ribrepin]

6. I wonder if Guiliani will get the same treatment

I doubt it. I can't remember Hillary speaking at another 9/11 event. I'm not even a Hillary supporter~I'm Biden girl myself, but the memory still burns.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Rudy Giuliani stokes anger with visit to Ground Zero

September 11, 2007

Rudy Giuliani stokes anger with visit to Ground Zero

Rudolph Giuliani makes a controversial appearance at the sixth anniversary ceremony at New York's "Ground Zero" today as rival presidential candidates battle over the legacy of the September 11 terror attacks.

The Republican presidential contender was hailed as "America's Mayor" for his performance in New York during the 2001 attacks that brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center - and almost buried him.

Mr Giuliani has spoken at the annual commemoration every year, and will read a poem or a passage from a historical text at today's ceremony. But his presence has provoked a furious reaction from some firemen and victims' families who accuse him of trying to exploit the event for political gain in the presidential race.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential frontrunner and New York senator, who was in Washington on the day of the attacks, will also attend, but is not invited to speak.

More:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2428868.ece

[Javaman]

8. They should pelt him with tomatoes. nt