Rudy's sales pitch: I'll "Get Rid of" Terrorists' Homelands

The Tampa Tribune Editorial Board


Published: January 11, 2008


Rudy Giuliani marched his way into America's heart when he walked that dusty boulevard to the twin towers after the attacks of 9/11. He became a national hero that day, a leader in a time of crisis.


Giuliani's strong resume is attractive to conservatives. He investigated corruption as a U.S. attorney and tackled crime and code enforcement as New York's mayor. His campaign to fight a culture of lawlessness by enforcing even minor laws – like fixing broken windows – is a case study in leadership.


But despite his leadership after 9/11 and his turnaround of a crime-ridden city, Giuliani is not the person best positioned to lead America's interests and ideals.


For all it offers, New York City is not reflective of the nation and Giuliani's disposition is not a good fit.
The mayor is a tough-talking New Yorker – a little too tough for our tastes.


In a conversation with this editorial board, he said the way to end terrorism is: "You get rid of the nation states that support it," opening the door to a host of possibilities.


He casually dismissed the National Intelligence Estimate, a consensus by the nation's 16 intelligence divisions that says Iran suspended its nuclear ambitions in 2003. Iran deserves microscopic scrutiny, no question, but Giuliani should understand that Americans will not support an invasion based on gut instinct.


Giuliani's posture on Iran is worrisome because he says that even knowing what we know now, he'd still invade Iraq.



He says the war wasn't about weapons of mass destruction, but about getting rid of a regime that sponsored terrorism and defied the United Nations.


Now hold on a minute, Mr. Mayor. Americans did not support this war to create regime change in Iraq. They supported this war because our president and his administration told us they imminently feared a mushroom cloud over cities like yours.


While national security remains paramount in selecting the nation's next leader, with unemployment reaching a two-year high and job growth stagnating, Giuliani sounds too much like a single-issue candidate. Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. said it best when he said that for Giuliani, a sentence was "a noun, a verb and 9/11."


So that you know, our assessment of Giuliani has nothing to do with his personal life. We expect perfection from no one.


However, we are concerned about his judgment in promoting sidekick Bernie Kerik to be head of Homeland Security, his closed-door approach to governance and his refusal to take responsibility for any of the errors made in the aftermath of 9/11.


If you believe President Bush has us on the right path, Giuliani is your man. He stands for more of the same.



http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan/11/giuliani-presidency-would-represent-more-same/