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

Written by Tom Allison

Published

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.