all the "buzz" lamenting Kerik's taking down Rudy's star...

[salin]

How in the heck do people think that Rudy ever had a chance to run for pres? Yet we read about it all the time - especially right now in the midst of the Kerik scandals/nomination/withdrawl.

The man shacked up with his mistress while still mayor... the man had a gay couple (if I recall) living in the Mayor's mansion with him. The religious right was going to turn on this guy - and he NEVER would have made it through the primaries. In part, because the GOP has so empowered/emboldened the religious right within their party.

Sure, RUdy has ethics problems - and that doesn't seem to be a problem in the primary process for GOP folks... but his personal life - that would have killed his chances in his own party. Yet the chorus singing RUdy '08 persist.

Since those saying it - know it couldn't ever happen - what the heck is the chorus about? Distraction of attention from others (JEB!) who would then play the role as the "underdog" during the primaries - preventing that role from being taken by McCain or someone else?

Just speculating....

[JI7]

1. he makes up for a lot of it with his war mongering

and if the Republican primary had many religious conservatives running which split their vote while he more social moderate Republicans, independents, and some democrats(in open primaries) united behind Rudy.

[OneTwentyoNine]

5. Yeah,watch the RNC video,I think Rudy is the clear winner.....

Terra,9/11,Terra/terrorist,9/11

Other than that what the HELL is his platform?

[salin]

10. "I got mine"

ala Look at me... you can be good with the religious right... AND still divorce at will... do the greed and steal thing.... I am living proof that you can break all the commandments and STILL be beloved by the religious right... sorta lets the common folks know they can spout religious right stuff and defame others but they can keep doing their own "nasties" with no fear of hypocricy or payback for their actions.

[xultar]

2. Wow, a 2 for 1 sale. I guess all we need to do is wait and they will

implode. The BFEE is balancing on a blade.

[salin]

3. I think they will implode

and in such a grand scale that they take their movement down with them.

Why do I think this? Because they are at their most dangerous when they are emboldened - and they are also at their most reckless at these points in time. Add to this that they are running full throttle in so many directions (epa, worker rights, pushing more mil action rhetoric, etc.) that they will go to far - and when the tide starts to turn on multiple fronts - the ooze of the corruption lying just inside/underneath many of these pushes will be to big of an oil spill/slick for the compliant media to ignore. The more arrogant they get (and they are back to full frontal arrogance) - the more careless they get. Imo, it is inevitable.

I just dug up this old column by John Dean on FindLaw... worth reading again... http://writ.news.findlaw.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=/dean/20020719.html

[xultar]

21. I've been pissed at Fundies and Christianty since 11/02. I think I'll pray

for this one. Maybe this will get me back into church.

praying for the reveal and destruction of the false profits and those who use Christ as a weapon against heir fellow man.

I think just about any God can get behind that.

[izzie]

4. Wasn't all that down right silly? Who can believe anything said?

The nanny left 2 weeks before? Who believes this junk?

[itzamirakul]

6. What ever happened to Rudy's "papers?"

Remember he was the first mayor in the history of the city to take ALL of his papers to a private storage place instead of leaving them for the city's library? I think he said something about his staff having to go through them to sort and organize them. No one has heard anything about those papers since then. The man is like a cat hiding shit in a litter box.

His First wife was his cousin (called incest where I came from). Yet the Catholic Church continues to allow him to celebrate communion although he is on his third wife, while Kerry was banned from communion because he refused to make others follow his own views against abortion. Called hypocrisy where I come from.

Rudy got away with so much while he was mayor that he probably COULD run for Prez since he wouldn't be questioned as much as Kerik would have been by the Congress.

[OneTwentyoNine]

7. First wife was his COUSIN?!?!

Holy crapola...never heard that before. And to think how badly Jerry Lee Lewis was trashed. I know,they'll probably spin it that Rudy's cousin was alot OLDER than Jerry Lee's--heh he....

[salin]

9. hadn't heard that one either

but I do remember that there was a lot of controversy over his naming his paramour to a nonprofit board set up to help NYC in the aftermath of 9-11; and her position would have a BIG salary for doing nothing... if I recall they had to back peddle from that overt action of pre-nepotism (only "pre" as they hadn't married yet.)

[Chelsea Patriot]

19. I thought you were talking about Christine Legato, Rudia's first paramour

that he named to a big salary, do nothing job. Legato resembles Rudy. Rudia probably thought she resembled Legato during their girly, dress-up playtimes: Christine showing Rudia what blush works best for girls with their complexion.

But you're talking about the adulteress Judy Nathan and her Big Fake Silicon Breasts.

[name not needed]

15. Second cousin.

But still, ack.

[OneTwentyoNine]

17. Maybe twice removed?

Ahh...that would probably make it ok for the "moral values" crowd.

[GeorgeGist]

8. Well, Gee it doesn't take a rocket scientist...

to observe that a country which would allow, much less elect, Shrub to be President is a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

[salin]

11. great line... *sigh*

[HockeyMom]

12. From a New Yorker

Yes, Rudy's first wife was his first cousin. He got an annulment to end that marriage. Did he get ANOTHER ANNULMENT from Donna Hanover? So, the church said TWO of his previous marriages never existed? I heard he divorced Donna, but nothing was said about another annulment. If that is the case and there wasn't one and he remarried, they shouldn't be giving him communion. lol

Rudy has a LOT of his OWN baggage which goes way beyond his numerous wives and girlfriends. Those of us who live here know all about what Rudy was like before he become the "hero" of 9/11. This is why Rudy will never be appointed for national office. Would the Reps really want to open that Pandora's Box?

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Gotta wonder if Wall St. finance bankers and/or organized crime would

intervene to keep Rudy from realizing his political dreams. He used them to get name recognition when he ruthlessly prosecuted them in federal court in the 1980's. Don't think they have forgotten him.

[nostamj]

13. correction, re: the gay couple

they didn't live in the mansion. when Rudy left, he went to live with THEM in their apartment.

[salin]

14. lol - wonder what Falwell makes of that

seriously this is a so-what situation - but given the fanning of hatred the religious right has been doing for the last year - I suspect that the fact would sour many of them on him more than the many serious ethics/corruption issues that surround him.

[nostamj]

18. rich republicans can do ANYTHING

absolutely ANYTHING.

[DemonFighterLives]

22. So then it was Rudy that brought down the twin towers

According to Falwell and Robertson, it was bad morals that caused it.
I am super happy that Kerik bowed out. He was Gestapho incarnate IMO.
Ghouliani and Kerik can go to h*ll and take Kerik's busts with them.

[mandyky]

20. Rudy's star was already tarnished

I'm not usually one for politics of personal destruction but in Rudy's case, I make an exception. The way Donna Hanover found out Rudy wanted a divorce was because he called a news conference, BEFORE he talked to her. If the Family Values far right votes for that, they are more hypocritical than I thought!