NPR quoted McCain saying Giuliani's 9-11 experience made him "qualified" to attack Obama on national security, but not his prior assertion to the contrary
SUMMARY: NPR's Scott Horsley reported on the attacks on Sen. Barack Obama's national security credentials by Sen. John McCain's campaign, including allies such as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and played an audio clip of McCain saying, "And I think Mayor Giuliani, who is very well qualified on this issue, having been mayor of New York City at an incredible time in American history, has put it very well." However, Horsley did not note that McCain had previously said that "having been mayor of New York City" on 9-11 did not constitute foreign policy or national security experience.
During the June 20 edition of National Public Radio's Morning Edition, correspondent Scott Horsley reported on the attacks on Sen. Barack Obama's national security credentials by Sen. John McCain's campaign and stated: "Using a line right out of the Republicans' 2004 playbook, [former New York City Mayor] Rudy Giuliani [R] said Obama showed a 'September 10th mindset' " for "supporting last week's Supreme Court ruling that said foreign terror suspects held at Guantánamo are entitled to a hearing in civilian court." Horsley then played an audio clip of McCain saying, "And I think Mayor Giuliani, who is very well qualified on this issue, having been mayor of New York City at an incredible time in American history, has put it very well."
Horsley did not note, however, that McCain had previously said that "having been mayor of New York City" on 9-11 did not constitute foreign policy or national security experience. Indeed, as TPM Media's Greg Sargent noted in a June 18 blog post, The New York Times quoted McCain saying of Giuliani's 9-11 experience: "I don't think it translates, necessarily, into foreign policy or national security expertise. I know of nothing in his background that indicates that he has any experience in it." From the September 5, 2007, Times article:
Senator John McCain took a more aggressive stance toward his Republican rivals on Tuesday, saying they lack his knowledge and experience on national security issues and questioning whether the leadership that Rudolph W. Giuliani displayed after Sept. 11, 2001, translates into foreign policy expertise.
"I think the nation respects the mayor's leadership after 9/11, and I do, too, and I think he displayed leadership at a time that Americans needed some steady hand, and I think that his conduct was very laudatory following 9/11," Mr. McCain said, when asked why so many voters identify Mr. Giuliani with the issue of terrorism.
But he went on to say: "I don't think it translates, necessarily, into foreign policy or national security expertise. I know of nothing in his background that indicates that he has any experience in it, with him or Romney."
From "McCain Courts Independent Voters" on the June 20 edition of NPR's Morning Edition:
HORSLEY: Although energy was McCain's primary topic this week, his allies also held daily conference calls to criticize Obama for supporting last week's Supreme Court ruling that said foreign terror suspects held at Guantánamo are entitled to a hearing in civilian court. Using a line right out of the Republicans' 2004 playbook, Rudy Giuliani said Obama showed a "September 10th mindset." McCain himself opposes the high court's decision.
McCAIN [audio clip]: So we have a fundamental disagreement about it. And I think Mayor Giuliani, who is very well qualified on this issue, having been mayor of New York City at an incredible time in American history, has put it very well. He doesn't have an understanding of the nature of the threat.
HORSLEY: Obama quickly responded, saying he wouldn't be lectured on national security, not when what he called the Bush-McCain approach had failed to capture Osama bin Laden and become bogged down in a war in Iraq.
Politicians, just by their very nature, are slimy. I'm sorry, this little cutesy suckup to Guiliani by McCain is just more evidence of that. I certainly know they all cozy up and conveniently forget earlier primary skirmishes, but this isn't just a policy difference, this turnaround by McCain goes to Giuliani's qualifications, ones that McCain was skeptical about a few months ago, and now he touts them? All to pander for the almighty vote.
People wonder why I am so cynical.....
For John McCain to cite and quote the opinions of rudy guilianni, as qualified about anything at all, least of all National Security, is more than just another example of John McCain having lost his bearings: it's a rock-solid certain indication, that he has lost his mind.
You have to have a mind, before you can lose one.
or....you could take bush at his own word....
o'reilly was pontificating earlier this week that 9-11 was a "failure by our intelligence agencies", except...... the failure was by the bush administration from the top down. as the 9-11 commission [the same commission bush stalled for months on, and tried to limit it's scope] pointed out:
"threat reports surged in june and july [2001]" page 256.
"there were more than 40 intelligence articles in the presidential daily briefings from january 20 to september 10, 2001, that related to bin ladin." page 254. [for extra credit, name the man who sat in the oval office for that exact period.]
"we have found no indication of any further discussion [after the august 6 pdb 'bin ladin determined to strike in u.s.'] before september 11 among the president and his top advisers of the possibility of a threat of an al qaeda attack in the united states." page page 262.
the fact is that there were warnings that some kind of "spectacular" attack was going to take place, which might have been tied together with the reports of the flight school students. it's rather telling that the owners of those flight school smelled a rat in the fact that they had students who did not want to learn to take off and land. and the low level fbi agents who investigated tried to get higher ups to take notice, but the fact is that bush and his people did not care. they were interested in taking out saddam, as evidenced by the fact that their first reaction to 9-11 was "how do we blame this on hussein". [bin ladin is their spelling.]
These criminals are so culpable through their incompetence, greed, and dark ages philosophy that they need to constantly reinforce their shield of lies, distortions, propaganda, and treason (outing of Plame).
Remember, this administration actually said that they are the ones that create what is reality. Well, how's that goin' for ya?
I was listening to NPR last Wed. evening coming home. There was a segment on "All Things Considered" about the presidential campaign. Sam Brownback was interviewed and allowed to spew the right wing nonsense about the election. I expected the next segment to be with an Obama surogate to even things out; but no, the next segment involved the kerfuffle about the Obama campaign apologising for not letting the head scarf ladies stand behind him at a rally. Then on to other topics.
All things considered? Nope.