Mar 30 2007
Lame Media Attacks On A 9-11 Hero
The liberal media, sensing their democrat candidates are in trouble, are manufacturing faux issues regarding GOP frontrunner Rudy Guiliani. First up is the myth that discontinuous radio frequencies, which clogged communications during 9-11, were Rudy’s fault:
Giuliani, the leader in polls of Republican voters for his party’s nomination, has been faulted on two major issues:
_ His administration’s failure to provide the World Trade Center’s first responders with adequate radios, a long-standing complaint from relatives of the firefighters killed when the twin towers collapsed.
That was not caused by Rudy, but by the different police and fire bureacracies which refused to integrate their purchasing. If a government entity at any level gives up the power to purchase it gives up authority. And so the firefighters and port authorities and city police and state police all refuse to coordinate their equipment. Many times their money comes from different sources, for instance state, city, county, various federal agencies. The Port authority would get Federal dollars from ICE or the Coast Guard and the cops from DoJ. This is not Rudy’s fault and even a bush-league reporter would know this is the case. And it is a nation wide problem that is still being worked using internet technologies and a stronger federal hand. People forget this same problem showed up in New Orleans during Katrina years after 9-11. It is not something you wave a wand to fix and it began decades ago.
This media hit piece has a second issue, which is really lame considering all the claims about how ground zero was a brewing health hazard:
A November 2001 decision to step up removal of the massive rubble pile at ground zero. The firefighters were angered when the then-mayor reduced their numbers among the group searching for remains of their lost “brothers,” focusing instead on what they derided as a “scoop and dump” approach. Giuliani agreed to increase the number of firefighters at ground zero just days after ordering the cutback.
The decision was WEEKS into the clean up, not days or hours. And the problem here is the mound of debri was a festering health hazard. There was no time to pick delicately through the pile of rubble, within which the fires did not finally go out for MONTHS afterwards.
The liberal media must want to tank their already shattered reputations further by making irresponsible and childish claims like this against one of the people who helped a city and a nation get through some brutally violent attacks. For all he did that day, this is how the AP and the Washington Post (who do not have to run any AP story) repay the man. Well, this crap will not tarnish Rudy’s image, and we all know the liberal media is heading for the sewer – maybe faster than we thought. I said a year ago investors needed to dump the NY Times stock, and I was right. The company is spiralling down as its only marketable asset – its reputation as a balanced and serious news source – was trashed by partisan hacks in management. The same is true of AP -I would get out of that one too.
And here is why. I was at a tech conference recently on the new internet tools coming out. And there is revolution coming where bloggers and individuals will be able to become their own news source. The final barrier is the cost of distributing video and voice, and the new internet protocols are coming out now to drop those prices immensely. And when that is done the news media will beset with a blog swarm they will never recover from. They will lose the content as well as the analysis and opinion (already lost to the internet). The old media is soon to be the extinct media. Good riddance.
AJ, I had a long discussion with a Austin firefighter, a Lt., about the situation of the radios in NY on 9-11. He made it very clear to me that yes, the technology is out there to provide radios that will work stories in the sky, in buildings of concrete and steel, but that city managers just won’t spend the money because of the extreme cost of such equipment. He also told me that under that situation that existed in New York that day, there was no way that the radios would have been cleared. Have you ever been in a large metal building (Wal-Mart comes to mind) when your cell phone won’t work? Same principal.
And mentioning cell phones, they also were not working in New York that day from the mere traffic that the towers were experiencing. I guess the next thing we read will be that Rudy was also responsible for that.
Fire departments, along with all other municipal departments, put their requests for equipment in to the city manager. Then it has to be approved by the municipal agency that handles the budget. No mayor can buy equipment without specific permission from the budget committee.
The writer of this piece should have a least taken time to find out how city budgets and expenditures are approved. But since the intent of the article was to be a hit piece, there was no reason the reporter would want to do that.
And while the reporter is at it, perhaps he/she should throw their ring into a pile of leaves and then try to find it. That was how it was looking for bodies (most of which no longer existed due to the heat from the fire) in New York.
Perhaps what is upsetting to the Post is the fact that Rudy, on 9-11 and after, represented the type of leadership that has made this nation great and set it apart from all others.
Do you notice how the MSM get excited about tearing down American heros while they humanize dictators like Ahmadinejad and Chavez on ABC. ABC also has that foul mouthed liar Rosie doing her best to destroy the administration every day. The MSM has gone about as low as they can go!!
9/11 Hero. For standing around and jawing? I think not. The firefighters and the cops were the heroes – Rudy was just the color commentator.
More troubling is Rudy’ G’s announcement that if he were president, his wife could attend Cabinet meetings and advise him on federal policy, an unusually overt role for a first lady.
Not to put too fine a point on it – but this is the twice-divorced, thrice-married skank who was maneuvering to move into the mayoral mansion while Rudy’s wife and children were still living there.
When asked how big a role Judith Giuliani might have in the campaign, Giuliani said, “As much as she wants.” Asked whether she would be involved in policy decisions, he said: “To the extent she wants to be. I couldn’t have a better adviser.”
Geeze, let’s see Rudy – her total credentials as presidential advisor are:
You’re right, Rudy, she’s made such a great success of her life, you couldn’t have a better adviser!
This is the equivalent of Bill Clinton divorcing Hillary and marrying Monica Lewinsky; then making Monica his presidential adviser – although at least Monica had a 4 year degree in psychology from Lewis & Clark College, rather than a 2 yr. RN from St. Lukes School of Nursing.
Soothsayer, I thought you, of all people, would be elated that we stand a chance of having a president who has a colorful past. Or is it just married, lying, cheating sex maniacs who use State Troopers as pimps that you vote for?
Ah – Retire05 – I do kind of admire Rudy’s randiness – it’s a nice change from the libido-less Bush and Cheney – but the idea that Rudy is a hero is just preposterous – and his judgment – in personal AND professional matters is suspect:
Three marriages? I’m sorry – as I recall when you get married you make a vow til death do you part .
More troubling – Rudy’s admission today that he recommended Bernie Kerik to be chief of Homeland Security – even though he had been briefed on the fact that Kerik was a mob tool.
Do we really want Tony Soprano calling the shots at DHS? I think not.
I think soothie is really Rosie. Stupid is stupid.