Caption(truthout.org): A crowd marched in New York
in the largest protest ever at a political convention.
(Photo: David L. Ryan / Boston Globe)

Well ladies and gents, I don't know what to say. I watched the prime time speeches of John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. What can I say? I know this is a sensitive issue to talk about this way, but I think they are exploiting the tragedy of September 11, 2001 to further the case to re-elect this president, and I think THAT is disgusting. I am not saying we should pretend like September 11th never happened, quite the opposite, BUT you have got to be careful that that event is not politicized in any way.


I think Rudy Giuliani was the biggest offender. Let me say, that I like Rudy Giuliani, I think overall he was a pretty good mayor of NYC (he served from 1994-2001, when I was living in NJ and all of my TV stations and news coverage was from NYC, so I know about his early years as mayor 1994-1997). He was magnificent in how he dealt with the tragedy of September 11th.

Giuliani 2004 Convention speech transcript

"For me, when I arrived there and I stood below the north tower and I looked up, and seeing the flames of hell emanating from those buildings, and realizing that what I was actually seeing was a human being on the 101st, 102nd floor, that was jumping out of the building, I stood there, it probably took five or six seconds, it seemed to me that it took 20 or 30 minutes, and I was stunned."

As he was saying the beginning of this quote, I was thinking, "please don't talk about people jumping out of the building, because that would be over the line." And he not only did just that, but went even further to describe the length of time it took for these poor souls to reach the ground. Absolutely terrible, and inappropriate thing to talk about at a political convention.

"At the time, we believed that we would be attacked many more times that day and in the days that followed. Without really thinking, based on just emotion, spontaneous, I grabbed the arm of then-Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, and I said to him, "Bernie, thank God George Bush is our president."

I say it again tonight. I say it again tonight:

Thank God that George Bush is our president"...

Now let me just say, that since I was very interested in Giuliani's point of view on the events of September 11th I read as many interviews and articles even written by Giuliani himself, about the events of that day. In NONE of those articles, or interviews did I EVER hear him mention that he grabbed the hand of the Police Commissioner and said "Thank God George Bush is our president" NEVER! If anyone can find it in articles before this speech, let me know.

And as if you couldn't more bluntly see the way the Republicans are trying to directly tie 9/11 to this president's re-election there it is in the last 4 sentences of that quote. "I say it again tonight: Thank God George Bush is our president" I just don't think this is something that should be permissible, I just don't.

Rudy also went on to hammer John Kerry on many issues, and at many times he distorted the record, and just continued the Republican rhetoric on John Kerry's record. Sad, that most of the speakers on the first day of the convention have spent more time trashing Kerry than talking about georgie shrub, or shhhh!! the economy or jobs. But none the less.


John McCain also spoke, although I do have to say that he did not hammer John Kerry, in fact he made a point to try to reach out and talk about Democrats in a fond light, which I appreciate. However, shame on you John McCain! I know that you dislike georgie shrub for the terrible things his campaign did against you in the 2000 primary race. And I believe the only reason you have agreed to be his shill now, is because you want to have the chance to run for president in 2008 or 2012 depending on what happens in this race. And you know that if you didn't support shrub for re-election that you would have no chance with the Republican party in 2008 or 2012. And it saddens me.

I am sorry but I have never been so disgusted at a Republican convention, granted, I didn't watch as intently in the past, but I did watch. I just want to say that all of you should think really hard inside yourself, about how your gut feels about this kind of tactic by the Republican party.