The two most prominent Democratic presidential contenders struck back today at Rudolph W. Giuliani’s comments in New Hampshire on Tuesday night, when he warned that America would be more vulnerable to another terrorist attack if a Democrat takes the White House.
To recap, Mr. Giuliani, according to Roger Simon at The Politico, had this to say:
“If any Republican is elected president —- and I think obviously I would be the best at this —- we will remain on offense and will anticipate what [the terrorists] will do and try to stop them before they do it,” Giuliani said.
In addition, he said: “But the question is how long will it take and how many casualties will we have?” Mr. Giuliani said. “If we are on defense [with a Democratic president], we will have more losses and it will go on longer.”
“I listen a little to the Democrats and if one of them gets elected, we are going on defense,” Mr. Giuliani continued. “We will wave the white flag on Iraq. We will cut back on the Patriot Act, electronic surveillance, interrogation and we will be back to our pre-Sept. 11 attitude of defense.”
He added: “The Democrats do not understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us.”
Mr. Simon asked Mr. Giuliani about his comments after the appearance. The former New York mayor, whose stewardship of the city in the wake of the 9/11 attacks has given him a springboard for discussions about national security, said:
“America will be safer with a Republican president.”
In what is perhaps a signal of Mr. Giuliani’s growing popularity in the Republican field at this early stage, both Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama took the unusual step of issuing statements criticizing the former New York mayor’s remarks. (They have rarely, if ever, directly commented on anything Mr. Giuliani has said in recent weeks as he has stepped up his campaign appearances.)
Mr.
Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low and I believe Americans are ready to reject those kind of politics. America’s mayor should know that when it comes to 9/11 and fighting terrorists, America is united. We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure. I think we should focus on strengthening our intelligence, working with local authorities and doing all the things we haven’t yet done to keep Americans safe. The threat we face is real, and deserves better than to be the punchline of another political attack.”
Senator Clinton, for her part, never mentions Mr. Giuliani by name in the statement she released, but it’s clear whose remarks she’s addressing:
“There are people right now in the world, not just wishing us harm but actively planning and plotting to cause us harm. If the last six years of the Bush Administration have taught us anything, it’s that political rhetoric won’t do anything to quell those threats. And that America is ready for a change.
“One of the great tragedies of this administration is that the president failed to keep this country unified after 9/11. We have to protect our country from terrorism it shouldn’t be a Democratic fight or a Republican fight. The plain truth is that this Administration has done too little to protect our ports, make our mass transit safer, and protect our cities. They have isolated us in the world and have let Al Qaeda regroup.
“The next president is going to be left with these problems and will have to do what it takes to make us safer and bring Democrats and Republicans together around this common mission of protecting our nation. That is exactly what has to be done and what I am ready to do.”
One other point worth mentioning. Mr. Giuliani’s stance is very similar to that raised repeatedly during the midterm elections by President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
Link to source
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/obama-clinton-criticize-giulianis-911-remarks/
