Unless you been asleep, on the moon, or visiting Botswana, you probably heard how former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani billed taxpayers for the security and travel of his mistress, now third wife Judith Nathan. Richard Esposito at ABC News reports-
Well before it was publicly known he was seeing her, then-married New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani provided a police driver and city car for his mistress Judith Nathan, former senior city officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com. "She used the PD as her personal taxi service," said one former city official who worked for Giuliani.Giuliani called the reports a hit job and dirty trick. When politicians reply like that to allegations of misuse of office, I believe the allegations. That goes for members of any political party.New York papers reported in 2000 that the city had provided a security detail for Nathan, who became Giuliani's third wife after his divorce from Donna Hanover, who also had her own police security detail at the same time.
The former city officials said Giuliani expanded the budget for his security detail at the time. Politico.com reported yesterday that many of the security expenses were initially billed to obscure city agencies, effectively hiding them from oversight. The former officials told ABCNews.com the extra costs involved overtime and per diem costs for officers traveling with Giuliani to secret weekend rendezvous with Nathan in the fashionable Hamptons resort area on Long Island.
When the New York City comptroller began to question the accounting, Mayor Giuliani's office declined to provide details to city security, officials told ABCNews.com today. "The Comptroller's Office made repeated requests for the information in 2001 and 2002 but was informed that due to security concerns the information could not be provided," a spokesperson for the comptroller's office said.
Does Rudy's use of his public office make him any different than Bill Clinton who carried on an affair with Monica Lewinsky when President? How do any Republicans who were outraged at Clinton reconcile supporting Giuliani?
Yes I admit Clinton, lied under oath. Giuliani probably lied to the public. Other than one of those being a crime, is it really different? I'd place a bet there is some statute or ethics rule that Rudy broke if its true about his mistress being shuffled about like she was.
Rick at Stuck on the Palmetto says-
The same people who were so famously outraged at Bill Clinton's indiscretions while in office are more than willing to vote for a conservative who is more liberal than some liberals and who used taxpayer money to help facilitate his extramarital affair while in office.Rick is doing some generalizing about Republicans, and is off about how liberal Giuliani is compared to liberal Democrats, but he makes a point. Are some Republicans being hypocritical when supporting Rudy Giuliani for President?
By the way, if Oscar Wilde is right, Rudy may not be through having affairs. Who knows, but I think even Rudy supporters will say he tends to be secretive.
"A man who marries his mistress leaves a vacancy in that position."
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2008 Presidential Race, Republican, Rudy, Scandal
Comments (5)
You do realize that by publ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by bryanD | December 1, 2007 8:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You do realize that by publishing this sensible, non-partisan article that you've put yourself on the manifest for shipment to the Eastern Front? Eastern Front NORTH: Leningrad - Moscow? Bring a sweater!
Something about Reagan's supposed 11th Commandment (from the guy who challenged a sitting Republican president in 1976, of all things!)
1. Posted by bryanD | December 1, 2007 8:22 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 1, 2007 08:22
2. Posted by Steven Foley | December 1, 2007 12:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Two problems here as I see it: (full disclosure - although I'll support whoever the R nominee is... I'm currently not supporting Rudy)
1) This allegation coming from unnamed disgruntled city officials of whom many still hold grudges and contempt for the Mayor are yet to be proven. So I find it acceptable for those who support Rudy to continue to do so until proven otherwise.
Dropping support for a candidate based on unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo or advocating others do so is pretty ridiculous!
2) These two situations are simply not analogous and you basically discredited your own argument in your post.
Lying to congress and providing security at tax payer expense are two completely different things.
The charge of hypocrisy in politics is extremely week! By its very nature politicians and those who support them have to practice some level of hypocrisy. Clear thinking mature adults understand and except this reality... unfortunately most players and pundits lack said capacity!
Btw- linking to the "Because He's The Best For America" hit-piece does little to help the validity of your article!
2. Posted by Steven Foley | December 1, 2007 12:52 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 1, 2007 12:52
3. Posted by Rick | December 1, 2007 2:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Mr. Foley:
Clinton having an extramarital affair in the Oval Office and Rudy having an extramarital affair in the Hamptons are not analogous? Your failure to see the obvious analogy and the fact that you are willing to ignore credible evidence of Giuliani's indiscretions with taxpayer monies is exactly, exactly the type of hypocrisy that I'm referring to in my post.
And I totally understand that it's a "hit piece" unless it's coming from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, LGF...should I go on?
You guys voted W into office for 2 terms. With that kind of decision-making and with that kind of thinking, why should anything any one of you have to say at this juncture have any credibility whatsoever?
.
3. Posted by Rick | December 1, 2007 2:34 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 1, 2007 14:34
4. Posted by Steven Foley | December 1, 2007 5:18 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Rick,
You are either being intentionally obtuse or your reading comprehension skills need a tune-up!
If you want to compare Rudy's extramarital affair with Bill's then do so... I have zero problem with that.
Unfortunately that's not what you did in the piece. Like I said "Lying to congress and providing security at tax payer expense are two completely different things."
Nowhere did I Ignore the charges I simply pointed out the prudence in reserving judgment (for now) and if you're going to use TPM as a credible source then you should have no problem with CBS news and Rudy's rebuttal
Regardless both of my points are extremely valid and as far as trusting R's or D's - combining Clinton's failures with an 11% approval rating for the Democrat controlled Congress and D's have just as little or less credibility than R's...you know, people in glass houses and all!!!
4. Posted by Steven Foley | December 1, 2007 5:18 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 1, 2007 17:18
5. Posted by Steven Foley | December 1, 2007 5:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Correction:
Unfortunately that's not what you did in the piece.
Should read:
Unfortunately that's not the analogy in the OP.
5. Posted by Steven Foley | December 1, 2007 5:28 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 1, 2007 17:28