Despicable Newsweek article covers for Giuliani: compares NYC firefighters to Swift Boat Liars

[ProSense]

Newsweek: Rudy: 'Swift Boat-able' on 9/11?

Giuliani faulted by firefighters

Newsweek recently reported, “As Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign rolls along, there are more and more voices protesting that he’s not the 9/11 hero America considers him to be. First among them: some firefighters.”

That’s an understatement. First, it’s not just “some”; it’s the nation’s largest firefighters’ union. Second, they’re doing more than just protesting.

The nation’s largest firefighters union is set to launch a video on Wednesday that seeks to tarnish former mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s reputation as a strong leader before and after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

<...>

As you may recall, in November 2001, six weeks after the 9/11 attacks, Giuliani decided to limit the number of FDNY searchers who could recover the remains of their fallen colleagues. The fight between the mayor’s office and the fire department grew rather intense. Ultimately, as Mark Kleiman described it, “nce the Bank of Nova Scotia’s gold bars had been recovered, Giuliani ordered that the remaining rubble — including whatever bodies were still there — scooped up and taken to a landfill. When firefighters held a protest, he ordered them arrested.”

It’s safe to say there’s some bad blood here — which isn’t going away anytime soon.

Post Script: Some media outlets are already comparing this conflict to the Swiftboat Liars.

But Giuliani may well prove a tougher target than John Kerry. Before the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth launched their attack on Kerry’s Vietnam record in August 2004, most Americans had only a vague sense of his bio, leaving him susceptible to a counternarrative. But the image of Giuliani as 9/11 hero, as the voice of resolve when all other authority was absent, is deeply ingrained in the American consciousness.

The comparison is ridiculous. The Swiftboat attackers were lying; the International Association of Fire Fighters aren’t. It’s really that simple.

Now, if the comparison is about targeting a presidential hopeful based on his perceived strength, then maybe there’s something to this. But even that’s flawed — John Kerry was a legitimate, decorated war hero, being maligned by liars, while Giuliani’s heroism is largely a media creation.

more

"Rudy Giuliani may turn out to be the sleaziest presidential candidate ever"

The Full Rudy: The Man, the Mayor, the Myth (2002)

PERHAPS THIS IS something of an existential question. But do we really have to pretend that Rudy Giuliani has more than a snowball's chance in hell of getting the Republican presidential nomination? Or can we all just stipulate that a multiple adulterer, who supports gay civil rights and choice, has deep and on-going ties to mobbed-up and now-disgraced Police boss Bernie Kerik, has a largely unscrutinized (outside of New York) resume, and had the bright idea of locating the NYC disaster center in the already-once-bombed World Trade Center probably will have some rough sledding in Republican primaries?

(posted here

[Cha]

1. Gawdamn newsweak.

They're down on bush but want ghouliani who Rolling Stone has a story that says he Worse than bush.

[malaise]

2. It's all good

Firefighters are a powerful group. Ask Rudy why he wasn't allowed to speak at the firefighters' funerals recently. It's great if he makes them angry.

[ThomCat]

3. Were they nearly as supportive of Kerry against the

Swiftboaters at the time? I don't remember them being critical of the Swiftboaters.

[rubberducky]

4. The firefighters will win this one. People respect firefighters

Not so with polititions.

[ProSense]

5. Two articles in two days: Giuliani’s 'swift boaters'

Giuliani’s 'swift boaters'


Newsweek seems determined to make Ghouliani the victim while smearing firefighters.