TNH - The sneaky typo gremlins stole an "h" from the word Why in

Jim Sleeper’s Wy Rudy Giuliani Really Shouldn’t Be President, which proposes that this theatricality is a key to his character:

Weaselly little buggers.

Posted October 30, 2007 12:35 PM by Tania

Just so you know, this entry didn't show up in my RSS feed, or at least in NetNewsWire, my RSS aggregator, until just now. I see "Go Bags" and "Index to the Light" before "Much too comfortable in heels," even though "Index to the Light" got posted an hour after "Much too comfortable in heels." I haven't seen Making Light do that before, but I'll keep an eye out.

Posted October 30, 2007 12:38 PM by Sumana Harihareswara

I've never liked Giuliani, and there are many reasons for that. But what really solidified it for me was his relentless bullying of taxi drivers soon after he became mayor. I was a New York taxi driver for about a year and a half in the early 1970s. At that time, the job was fairly well-paying. By the time Rudy came into office, it wasn't so well-paying, and many drivers were recent immigrants. But it was, and is, a difficult and at times dangerous job. Taxi drivers perform a valuable public service, and nearly every New Yorker takes a cab once in a while. Giuliani perceived cab drivers as easy victims to bully, and he never attended the funeral of any driver murdered in the line of duty. He's scum.

Posted October 30, 2007 12:45 PM by Robert L

Sumana, that's what I get for not checking to see whether an article has published after I save it. I've changed its timestamp to correct the sequence.

Posted October 30, 2007 12:59 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Tania #1: the aitch was ferreted away...

I've thought that Giuliani was a buffoon ever since the day that he and Al D'Amato took off their ties, donned leather jackets and, accompanied by hidden camera crews, proved to their entire satisfaction that they could buy crack in Washington Heights. As that was a secret known to about 17 million people, I found it rather less than compelling.

Posted October 30, 2007 1:01 PM by Fragano Ledgister

I remember that too. We were living up there. All it did was help publicize Washington Heights as the place to go if you wanted to buy drugs. We moved to Staten Island.

Posted October 30, 2007 1:09 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

There seems to be an extra " (aka %22) on the end of the General Sedgwick link. If you know to cut it off in the address bar you get the right page, but just clicking gets you "Object not found!"

Posted October 30, 2007 1:11 PM by Mez spots link error

TNH #6: At the time, I lived in Inwood.

Spy, I recall, published copies of memoranda by US Attorney Giuliani showing him to be a serious control freak.

Posted October 30, 2007 1:25 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Fragano: Fairview Avenue just off Broadway, a bit north of 190th.

Posted October 30, 2007 1:38 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

In the past week or two, both The Nation and the Philadelphia Weekly, have featured cover illustrations with Giuliani bearing a marked resemblance to Adolf Hitler. Initially, I thought, "Hmm, that's creative." Your post, with all of its links, has transformed my earlier nonchalance into new understanding and real dread. And, how *is* it that Giuliani was able to project such an image of steadfast courage/ "insightful" leadership combined with just enough teary human warmth on such a chaotic day? I feel as if his long hoped for Wagnerian tragic drama found him ready to take center stage.

Posted October 30, 2007 1:49 PM by Ann Rose

TNH #9: Academy St, just off Broadway, two blocks north of Dyckman.

Posted October 30, 2007 1:56 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Thank you for providing such an excellent reference source for who and what giuliani is, and what to expect from this man who so loves and respects power.

I recall and have internalized all this because I've lived through it all too.

What is equally frightening is nothing one points to in terms of outlining and elucidating the facts of Giuliani as a person, as mayor, on 9/11 and his role in the extent of the disaster, people just cover their ears and call you a liar. They WANT to believe in this giuliani contruct. But I'll still point people to this entry.

Again, thank you.

Love, C.

Posted October 30, 2007 2:04 PM by Constance Ash

Ann Rose #10: In fact, caricatures of Giuliani with Hitler's mustache + the nickname "Adolf Giuliani" have been around since well before 9/11, when he was still in office as mayor.

Posted October 30, 2007 2:10 PM by Robert L

Fragano #8: As US attorney, he made high-profile arrests of a number of Wall Streeters, followed shortly (and quietly) by all charges being dropped because they hadn't actually done anything illegal.

Giuliani is also the mayor who made it illegal to walk across Manhattan (at least, conveniently, on the street I was working on, to a doctor a few blocks down that street).

Posted October 30, 2007 2:27 PM by Seth Breidbart

Seth Breidbart #14: Illegal to walk across Manhattan? How did that happen.

Posted October 30, 2007 2:35 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Robert L @#13: I am certain that you're right about the history of "Adolf Giuliani" in various media, and it makes me wonder if reviving the images will help people realize exactly what dictatorial mindset they'd be getting in a Giuliani presidency (may it never happen)?

Posted October 30, 2007 2:45 PM by Ann Rose

Fragano: Got it. We probably saw each other on the subway some mornings.

Ann Rose, I expect they'll just invoke Godwin's Law and ignore it.

Posted October 30, 2007 2:53 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

I doubt Giuliani's presidential campaign will have much leverage outside of the Northeast. The rest of the nation is probably very leery of him given his past history, 9/11 notwithstanding.

Posted October 30, 2007 2:54 PM by John L

John 18: He's leading in nationwide polls among Republicans. If all the primaries were held today, he'd be the GOP nominee. And if enough people are sexist (if HRC is the Dem's pick) or racist (if, gods forbid, it's Obama), he could win.

Lots of people are racist. Lots more are sexist.

How do you apply for Canadian citizenship again?

Posted October 30, 2007 3:22 PM by Xopher

Calvin Trillin wrote a delightful novel, Tepper Isn't Going Out, about one man's war against a tyrannical New York Mayor named Frank Ducavelli. He'd like people to call him "Duke", but the inevitable moniker is "Il Duce".

Posted October 30, 2007 3:32 PM by theophylact

From Trillin:

It was known that when Frank Ducavelli first became a force in the city he had hoped that headline writers might refer to him as the Duke, suggesting not only nobility but the Dodger great Duke Snider. Given the mayor's interest in order and his draconian response to anyone who disagreed with him, though, the tabloids tended to go with Il Duce.

Posted October 30, 2007 3:42 PM by theophylact

I don't think Rudi has much traction at all in the northeast. It's outside of there, where all they know about his is that he is "America's Mayor", where people think he's just great.

Posted October 30, 2007 3:53 PM by beth meacham

He decided that 49th and 50th Streets were for "special" traffic only, cars couldn't use them for through traffic. (Not necessarily a bad idea, but the enforcement was really poorly done.) So cars had to turn off those streets at the first avenue. If pedestrians were crossing at the time, they'd get in the way of turning cars. So he made it illegal to cross avenues on 49th or 50th Streets on the downstream side. That meant that walking from 6th Ave. to 3rd Ave (crossing 6th, 5th, Madison, Park, Lexington, 3rd) it was necessary to cross 50th St. 5 times.

Posted October 30, 2007 3:58 PM by Seth Breidbart

I put a lot of effort in trying to absorb information, withholding judgment and remaining calm in order to have enough energy to actively try to make things better.

But reading the litany of screwups and lack of basic preparation prior to 9/11 that resulted in so many more unnecessary deaths, I find myself becoming furious.

Posted October 30, 2007 3:58 PM by Rachel Heslin

The real shame is that Rudy is tarnishing the reputations of transvestites everywhere. From now on, a man in a dress will hardly be able to run for dogcatcher without being accused of dictatorial ambitions.

Posted October 30, 2007 4:00 PM by mjfgates

For more information on General Sedgwick with rather less info on etorphine, there's usa-civil-war.com's page on the Battle of Spotsylvania.

My maternal grandmother was a Sedgwick. Given how many of her anecdotes seemed to revolve around how smart and special our family members were and how ignorant and impolite other people were, I rather enjoyed knowing that the family also included someone whose last words get included in books like The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said.

Posted October 30, 2007 5:03 PM by Lexica

Don't forget his suggestion that Bloomberg not take office in January 2002, so that Giuliani could continue to provide leadership during the ongoing crisis.

That, more than anything, scared the crap out of me.

Posted October 30, 2007 5:03 PM by Steve

Prior to this write-up, I thought Guiliani was the William Bligh of mayors - great in a storm or crisis, but lousy (to the point of being a PITA) in the day-to-day governance. Now I see that he's not so good in a crisis.

As far as his presidential hopes, the fat lady hasn't sang yet. The guy running #2 in that race, Thompson, wasn't even a candidate 3 months ago. Nor are the Republicans that enthused with any of their current crop.

Posted October 30, 2007 5:10 PM by Chris Gerrib

Damn, but that's an outmoded view of freedom. Strikingly similar to J. Winthrop's of, IIRC, 1642 - thought that went out with the Enlightenemnt!

Posted October 30, 2007 5:51 PM by Rebecca

General Sedgewick got a bad rap. He knew he was in a dangerous position; every officer who had shown himself there, that day and the day before, had been hit.

He was attempting to straighten the line; the men were refusing to move as bullets whistled past. So he led the way himself. The words immediately preceding "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance" were, "What! what! men, dodging this way for single bullets! What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you."

As Winfield Scott Hancock said at Gettysburg, "There are times when a corps commander's life does not count."

Posted October 30, 2007 5:58 PM by James D. Macdonald

TNH #17: Probably. Or walked past each other in Fort Tryon Park.

Posted October 30, 2007 7:53 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Since we moved to San Francisco, people will occasionally ask me what I think of Giuliani. "I think he's a thug and a bully, and his only triumph on 9/11 was looking more decisive than Pataki or Bush--not a difficult thing to do." As someone who had an interest in public education and in the arts, living in NYC under Giuliani, my loathing runs deep.

Now I can give them the URL to this post. Will save time and provide a lot more useful information.

Posted October 30, 2007 11:08 PM by Madeleine Robins

FL#31, TNH#17: I left Inwood just after Guiliani was elected. To my eternal shame, I voted for him. Political naivety can be dangerous.

I lived at the corner of Seaman and Cummings, an address I gave out with great joy for 7 years. The double-takes were priceless.

Posted October 31, 2007 8:26 AM by vjstewart

vjstewart #33: Just a couple blocks away from me! Many's the time I've walked through that intersection (the only other one in Manhattan as suggestive is in the Wall Street area: Beaver and John).

Posted October 31, 2007 9:45 AM by Fragano Ledgister

FL#34: It always amused me there was a church on the corner of S&C too! Small, small world it is...

Posted October 31, 2007 2:44 PM by vjstewart

It appears it's people far outside of NYC who love giuliani. They really do think he's great and just what the country needs. He cleaned up New York! If he could do it here he can do it anywhere! (Nonetheless, he didn't seem to make any difference to Mexico City, despite the millions they paid him to do so.)

People elsewhere refuse to hear anything I say about him and 9/11, even when they ask me, knowing I was there. Er, here.

Love, C.

Posted November 1, 2007 4:26 PM by Constance Ash

Romney isn't any better--a man who rants about persons who are living and working in the USA without either US citizenship or official permission from the US Government, presenting himself as someone who will do tough enforcement--whose expensive house with expense yard in the expensive Boston suburb of Belmont, Massachusetts (and the formerly controversial Mormon temple in that locality, with the spire that got reduced in height from the original design intent), had the yard groom done by guess what type of labor.... Yup, folks from south of the border, who didn't have any of the proper documents to be and work in the USA....

Romney left the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with crumbling infrastructure for roads bridges and leaking cramped court buildings with overworked staffs unable to keep up with the workload, with recreational facilities unable to open for a combination of lack of personnel (funding) and/or lack of maintenance (chronic underfunding) making them too hazardous for various pools to be open for summer season, etc....

Posted November 4, 2007 2:13 AM by Paula Lieberman

Jimmy Breslin famously described Giuliani as "a small man in search of a balcony."

In case you are uncertain about how detestable he is, read this, which illuminates some extraordinary depths.

Posted November 5, 2007 11:55 PM by Bob Rossney

And doesn't know about rel no follow

Posted November 6, 2007 12:05 AM by Terry Karney says Bob Rossney is a spambot too

Bob Rossney doesn't look spammy to me. The comment's short but on-topic; the Slate piece linked to fits and certainly doesn't need google juice. It's not a copy of a previous comment. His own URL does look like spambait, but the page itself is an innocuous personal blog with real-looking content on a variety of subjects over a several-week time period, and no advertising.

I say, "Hi Bob"!

Posted November 6, 2007 12:11 AM by Todd Larason

Yeah, I got distracted, and didn't do enough follow up.

My mistake.

Posted November 6, 2007 12:53 AM by Terry Karney

I am quite baffled by the above. Just for that I'm not going to tell you how you can increase the size of your penis.

Posted November 9, 2007 9:17 PM by Bob Rossney