One of the most disgusting tactics the Republicans have used is exploiting the 9/11 attacks for their own gains. As my wife (when she was 8 months pregnant) yelled at Republican delegates to the Republican Convention in 2004, "Shame on you for turning our tragedy into a photo op." The delegates were none too pleased being chased down the street by a very pregnant woman accusing them of exploiting our tragedy.
Well, as I reported yesterday [1], Rudy Giuliani (the man despised by the firefighters who were the TRUE heroes of 9/11 [2]) is the latest Republican to use this disgusting tactic. Not only was Giuliani's claim that only a Republican can prevent a terrorist attack a disgusting exploitation of a national tragedy, but it is demonstrably wrong. Clinton's administration prevented the millenium attacks. He also warned the nation that al-Qaeda was going to attack. Bush's administration ignored the warnings and the 9/11 attacks happened on HIS watch. Giuliani is wrong.
Howard Dean is taking him on and I think it is particularly important for NYC to reject "anti-firefighter" Giuliani's exploitation of the attacks on our city. This is Howard Dean's message and call to action:
Rudy Giuliani should be ashamed.
The former New York City Mayor is politicizing September 11th in his 2008 presidential bid. Here's what he said at a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire:
"If a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001... Never ever again will this country ever be on defense waiting for (terrorists) to attack us if I have anything to say about it. And make no mistake, the Democrats want to put us back on defense!"
I won't let this wannabe Republican nominee get away with remarks like these. Send a message to Rudy's campaign headquarters and tell him to stop politicizing 9/11:
http://www.democrats.org/TellGiuliani [3]
More than anyone, Rudy should understand the offensive meaning behind his remarks. When he stood at ground zero that tragic day, there weren't any Republicans or Democrats -- only Americans.
After trying to convince everyone that he was "America's Mayor," he now shows this sort of "leadership."
I will not sit quietly while he takes the fallen heroes of September 11, 2001 to the campaign trail with him. It might win over the Republican Party, but it won't win over the American people.
Rudy should know better.
Join me and send a message to Rudy's headquarters and tell him that our country deserves better from a presidential candidate:
http://www.democrats.org/TellGiuliani [4]
President Bush, not the Democratic Party, failed our country by never capturing the true culprit of the 9/11 attacks: Osama bin Laden.
Now, Rudy thinks he can take a page from President Bush and Dick Cheney's playbook, using fearmongering to gin up support. The American people didn't buy this sort of garbage in the 2006 midterm elections, and they're not going to buy it in 2008.
Show Rudy -- and all Americans -- that the Democratic Party won't stand for this sort of attack. We're delivering this petition personally to the Giuliani for President campaign headquarters, so give Rudy a piece of your mind.
Demand an apology now:
http://www.democrats.org/TellGiuliani [5]
Sincerely,Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
I wrote Giuliani's HQ and told them that I am joining with the firefighters [6] in saying "not just, 'No,' but, 'Hell no'" to Rudy Giuliani.
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