Friday, July 13, 2007

Giuliani Called Off 9/11 Recovery Efforts After $230 Million in Gold Bullion Recovered

Here's the video the New York City Firefighters put out to debunk the urban legend of Rudy Giuliani, hero of 9/11. I knew he didn't get the firefighters working radios in the 9 years after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and that's why so many -- 343 -- firefighters died, and I knew he put the emergency command center on the 23rd floor of the World Trade Center Bilding 7

But I didn't know that his controversial decision to end the recovery efforts for the bodies of the thousands killed there was made after the Bank of Nova Scotia's $230 in gold bullion was recovered. Then he started sending trucks of debris containing body parts to the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island. No wonder the firefighters hate him. Rudy is no hero.



Giuliani Bungled Preparation in Years After 1993 Attack on Trade Center.

Critical failures by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani before, during and after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, raise serious questions about his ability to be commander-in-chief.

In this thirteen minute documentary, fire fighters, fire officers and family members give dramatic testimony about Giuliani's leadership failures. Their dramatic stories tell how Giuliani failed to provide the FDNY with radios that worked, which led to the deaths of 121 fire fighters inside the World Trade Center's North Tower because they were unable to hear orders to evacuate.

Fire fighters also point to Giuliani's poor judgment in placing his emergency command center at 7 World Trade Center, a known terrorist target after the 1993 bombing.

This video documents the mayor's lack of respect for the fallen when he called off the recovery effort at Ground Zero on Nov. 1, 2001, after $200 million in gold bullion was recovered.

"We produced this documentary because we need to make sure our members know Giuliani's real record," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger.

"The UFA participated in this video to correct the myth that Rudy Giuliani has perpetrated on the American public," said Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, IAFF Local 94.

The Giuliani campaign defended the former mayor's record by issuing a release that lists items he purchased for FDNY.

"But the campaign, with its response, has neglected to address the charges of failed leadership outlined in our documentary," President Schaitberger said.

"Purchasing equipment for a fire department doesn't qualify any mayor to be president," said Jack McDonnell, president of New York City Local 854, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.

"If that's the litmus test for president of the United States, then most mayors in this country qualify for the job. Giuliani is running on his 9/11 record, and his 9/11 record is laced with failures in preparedness and response," McDonnell said.

The IAFF has not made an endorsement in the 2008 presidential election. Local 94 supported President George W. Bush in the 2004 election, while the IAFF
and Local 854 endorsed Sen. John Kerry.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents more than 280,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in every state in the United States and in Canada. More information is available at www.iaff.org and at www.rudy-urbanlegend.com.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Steinbrenner Has Dementia

MSNBC: Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has faded from public view.
Chris O'meara / AP

Have you been wondering all season, where is George? As the Yankees sank into irrelevance, playing like crap across America, where were the Steinbrenner ultimatums? The tantrums? The threats to fire everyone?

Apparently Phil Mushnick of the New York Post spilled the beans on July 2nd in an article entitled "Who's the Boss?".

All reasonable signs indicate that his [Steinbrenner's] dementia--he turned 77 on July 4--is now so profound that he is being carefully hidden from public view, appearing in only occasional, circumspect quotes issued by his longtime personal public relations man, Howard Rubenstein.

Sad. Now he probably doesn't even remember that he once called Dave Winfield "Mr. May", or that Billy Martin called him a convicted liar, or that Ronald Reagan pardoned away his conviction for illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon. (wikipedia)

It's not as much fun to kick around Brian Cashman or Joe Torre with our 10-game lead in the American League East. Steinbrenner made such a perfect villain and clown at the same time. Who could forget the supposed fight in the elevator at the 1981 World Series? Or these other lowlights?

Forbes Media: A Steinbrenner Dilemma

MSNBC: Steinbrenner no longer Boss of Bronx zoo
Barely a peep out of Yankees owner as his team continues to struggle


recordonline.com: Shaky Boss deserves a break

We Got To Get Us A President Who's Smart



via Atrios.

Actually, dumBush butchers the English language with "I know we got to" and "We got to" all the time. Below are examples, all linked to the official White House website. We have to get rid of this moron.

First, I know we got to keep our economy growing.

That's why I know we got to put math and science in place.

I know we got to make sure our programs for low-income children are fully subscribed, to make sure America's health care system works.


After all, we got to eat some.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Michael Moore Bags a Wolf

Michael Moore today on Wolf Blitzer's CNN show:



P.S., Michael Moore, I still haven't forgiven you for supporting Ralph Nader.

I'm on a Break

SI Neg. 78-19159. Date: 1978...Malachite, a copper mineral with swirling patterns of bright and dark green, is often used for jewelry. This specimen, from Zaire, is from the Gem and Mineral collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. ..Credit: Dane A. Penland (Smithsonian Institution)
flckr


I'm taking a little time off from the blog. Busy making pieces for my five-week, 10 class raku class, and catching up on a little summer reading. Right now I'm in the middle of Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle, Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and Seymour Hersh's Chain of Command. Highly recommend all three, as well as the other political book I just finished, Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq'a Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran.

Regular posting should resume next week.

Oh, and here are three new additions to the blogroll:

Chad Finn's Touching All the Bases
Describes itself as "Commentary from a New England sports journalist who remains a fan at heart." Good writer and posts great old baseball cards.

The Soul of Baseball
Describes itself as "A blog dedicated to the memory of John "Buck" O'Neil - player, manager, scout, coach, spokesman and friend. The book, "The Soul of Baseball," is in bookstores now." But it's so much more. He goes all over the place and you'll enjoy the trip.

Group News Blog

A group blog started by the readers of Steve Gilliard's The News Blog who kept the blog going during his illness.