Giuliani ducks questions at campaign stop
Giuliani avoided questions about a story that he misused public funds as mayor.
OKATIE, South Carolina (CNN) – A normally tranquil retirement community became the scene of a full-on media scrum on Friday as Rudy Giuliani ducked questions about his about possible misuse of public funds during his second term as New York City mayor.
Despite attempts by Giuliani staffers to stop them, nearly a dozen cameramen and several more reporters followed Giuliani and asked questions about the controversy as he shook hands with the audience after a town hall meeting here, his first campaign stop since the billing story broke on Wednesday afternoon.
Asked by one reporter about the controversy, Giuliani said only, "We've already explained it," and hastily kept moving.
Still, the press kept following Giuliani, standard practice on the campaign trail when candidates shake hands and depart venues after their events.
The mayor's usually accommodating staff furiously – and in some cases physically – tried keep reporters away from Giuliani as he walked away, jostling with cameramen and photographers from local and national media organizations in attendance.
No members of the audience asked Giuliani about the story during the town hall meeting. Most of the questions were about illegal immigration, a flashpoint issue in this booming coastal area near Hilton Head.
- CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby
HELLO… RUDY ANSWERED THE QUESTION DURING THE DEBATE. WHICH PART DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? IS THERE AN INVESTIGATION GOING ON??
CNN and the rest of the liberal biased media are nothing but transparent partisans attempting to shape American politics. Get lost dominions.., your shameful misuse of our 1st Constitutional Amendment is disgusting. We will not forget.
Rudy will make Dubyah Bush Junior look like an amateur when it comes to being arrogant. This little incident just provides the public with a little clue as to his attitude.
And in the foreign policy sphere, he listens to the same neo-con crowd that got us into the Iraq mess, people who use America as a tool of the right wing factions in Israel rather than promoting our own rational self interest. (or the interest of the sane people of Israel)
If elected will Rudy stick us with a Secret Service bill protecting his next mistress?
Toll Road Rudy is toast – no more smoke and mirrors!
This guy gets way too much ink!
Anyone can be a fool,,
Rudy – a corrupt politician lacking character, integrity, and moral fiber. He is wholly unsuitable and unqualified to be President. He is just like the current occupant except worse.
Lets see. rudy spends tax payer money to court his girl friend while his wife sits at home, then denies it. he cross dresses, lives with two gay me, lies about his back ground.states he has done nothing wrong. want's to start w.w.3. this is what the republicans want in a president.he's their kind of guy.
Folks, from the right or left, we need to focus on a candidate that is totally against this outrageous war in Iraq.
I've always said that no one, other than Paul Wolfowitz and GW Bush, would have taken this country to a Iraq, as a response to 9-11. We needed to go after Al Qeada, not Iraq! Bush thought this would be an quick, easy victory, and that he would be greeted as a liberator. He would then install a quick and easy democratic government, right?!! He thought this would make him a "wartime president" and his legacy would be sealed in history. It was never about oil. It's about his legacy! He never dreamed that it would turn out this way- thus the total lack of preparedness for a post war Iraq. Can he ever say "I was wrong". Hell no. This war has cost us 10s of thousands of lives or limbs (not to mention 20,000+ brains injuries) and the hearts and minds of billions of people around the globe. People all over this world had empathy for America after 9-11. We squandered all of this by attacking Iraq, rather than going after Al Qeada. What a stupid excuse for a president!!!!!!!
Guiliani SUCKS!!!!!
Is this how he would respond to tough questions and criticism in office? Run and hide and have your low-level lackies take the heat for you? Oh wait, we already have a president that does that. Seems to be a trend among republicans. Skirting the issues and leaving the American public in the dark. Scandals and corruption. I think the only thing a republican could do to further soil their party's image would be to commit murder.
If its true....then lets see all the facts of this – and make up our own minds....yet....there is only rhetoric...please please please do me a favor....can you say "prove it" – before you jump up and down and slam someone?? (doesn't matter if you are Republican or Democrat....) – I see the feeding frenzy start....sad commentary on a numb society that has a percentage of the population actually embracing socialism (yes...Hillary supporters....look up Saul Alinsky....Hillarys teacher...and author of the entitlist movement which she follows to this day...)
The water getting a little rough out there Rudy?
Just answer the questions?
Not to much to ask one running for President.
If you start ducking here and ducking there you will somewhere and some time surface at the wrong time. Or to late.
I think Rudy wants to hide something.
rob san diego,,,, as I agree with many of your points,its not that easy. Bush was put into a commandre and chief role by 9-1-1 along with the legacy he was trying to establish for himself, I think he was trying to establish an american stance on terror. based on Russia's total loss in afganistan in the past, I believe bush thought it would be a much easier to win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq towards terror first then focus back on afganistan with a friend in the region. how horribly wrong it went . he should have listened to his heart when he said he would get Bin laden in the days after 9-1-1 and not rumsfeld. His biggest mistake was not being honest about how hard it would be stop terror as related to the middle east. Shock an AW what a joke, terrorist do not mind dying. My point here is bush would have come and gone as persident if not for the events of 9-1-1, this man never ran or considered him self as a war president. the opportunity presented itself and as self serving as some would believe or not, he took it
I just wish Giuliani to be nominated. He is beatable.
YAWN...
Between Giuliani and his wife there are at least six marriages.
As mayor, Rudy was entitled to police protection – even on his days off. Does it really matter if he was in the Hamptons on his day off? No – he could have been anywhere, and the taxpayers would have had to pay for the protection.
The issue is how that protection was paid for. It is *supposed* to be paid for by the mayor's office. Instead, it was paid for by other offices, like the Office for People with Disabilities.
Several days after the story broke, a former deputy mayor and campaign staff member, said that the money was always repaid by the end of the year.
The questions to be asking are:
1. If Rudy did nothing wrong, then why were the expenses not paid for by his office?
2. If Rudy did nothing wrong, then why did he refuse to answer questions raised by the Comptroller in 2002?
For the record:
1. I am a Democrat
2. I have no problem with Rudy having 24 hour protection paid for by the taxpayers
3. I have a problem with the money coming out of other people's budgets.
4. I think both Rudy and Hillary have shady pasts and we've seen only the tip of the iceberg.
5. Please, please, please, let us have someone other than Hillary win the Democratic nomination.