Rudy Truth Squad

Rudy Giuliani, whose only hits in the 2008 YouTube wars have come from his many, many cross-dressing gigs, got hit this week with video of his 1994 endorsement of Mario Cuomo for governor of New York.

See that cut in the middle of the video? It's important. Rudy fan Phil Klein notes that Rudy's given reason for backing Cuomo would be that Pataki would shift the tax burden to New York and stop Rudy's program of cuts.

Mayor GUILIANI: He has plans to reduce taxes that are so ambitious and so inconsistent with the performance of the economy of this state that he would, in essence, in order to accomplish that, raise property taxes in the suburbs, around New York, and in New York City. Because-

 
SHAW: And in your mind that's a no-no? Mayor GUILIANI: It would be a disaster. It would be an absolute disaster. It would be the kind of tax shift that substitutes for sound management. I've reduced the budget of New York City dramatically. I've actually reduced taxes already in New York City. But I didn't do one of those pledges and promises and one of those fancy campaign things that locks you into unwise economic policy.

In his Mitt Romney hagiography, Hugh Hewitt argues that Romney's quick, substance-free response to the YouTube of his 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy (where he basically ran to the left of Dominique de Villepin) was a masterstroke that neutralized the issue. Rudy isn't responding to this; journalists with Nexis are. That could be because the campaign's not on the ball, or it could be confidence that this stuff is bouncing off the JoinRudy carapace.

Comments

[Lamar]

Pataki has always sought to buy upstate votes with NYC money. No surprise there.

[MikeT]

Hewitt is a tool. He was on the vanguard of Republican aparachiks that convinced CA Republicans to back Arnold instead of McClintock, a man with more conservative credentials. Then Hewitt wonders why the Republicans start to look more like the Democrats in CA. The man would call it a stroke of genius if Bush defeated Lenin by running to the left of him, so long as he professed Christian faith and carried a Republican lapel.

[de stijl]

Hewitt is trying to figure out what to cover his "I heart Harriet" tattoo with.

[Nick M.]

Please, no more articles on Rudy. The giant picture of him on the right, is going to scar me for life.

Nick

[Lamar]

Re: Romney's YouTube "masterstroke that neutralized the issue."

Is it possible to neutralize an issue when you have 6% of GOP support? He's so close to the margin of error that "masterstroke" is a bit of a stretch. A masterstroke would have not only neutralized the issue, but maybe even given Romney an extraordinary jump to, say, 9%.

[Ethan]

hagiography

This word seems to be making the rounds on the Reason staff. It's a nice word. It was in last month's issue (or the one before). The only reason I knew what it meant is because it had recently been on the "Obscure Word of the Day" calendar in the office where I work. Perhaps Reason has the same calendar?

[Gene Berkman]

I was wondering when Giuliani's support for Mario Cuomo would come up. Republicans are very big on party loyalty, and Giuliani was very public when he backed a big-government Democrat for re-election as Governor.

Of course, Pataki turned out to be a big-government Republican, who used the state treasury to buy support for two re-election bids. Giuliani backed Pataki both times he ran for re-election, so principled opposition to Pataki's big spending did not seem to be a consideration.

[David Weigel]

The only reason I knew what it meant is because it had recently been on the "Obscure Word of the Day" calendar in the office where I work.

Ha! But no. It's just the best word you can use to describe a sloppy wet kiss of a biography.

[crimethink]

Nick M,

It's almost enough to make you yearn for the Carpet Humping Guy, isn't it?

In a totally masculine and heterosexual way, that is.

[D.A. Ridgely]

Could you hold the noise down, please? I'm trying to work on my autohagiography.

[Rhywun]

principled opposition to Pataki's big spending did not seem to be a consideration

Well, Pataki did manage a few tax cuts here and there during his time. And besides, "Kerry (or whoever) would have been worse." And yes, state politics routinely centers around animosity between NYC and everywhere else - with sometimes strange results.