Andrew Zajac
Rudolph Giuliani spent much of his hour-long stint on Meet the Press this morning defending his judgment -- about Bernard Kerik and about business deals that have connected him to a Qatari government official with ties to alleged 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and a Hong Kong businessman with ties to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.
Regarding Kerik, his one-time police commissioner now under federal indictment on corruption charges, Giuliani said that was a big mistake in vetting for which he took responsibility.
But the former New York mayor urged MTP host Tim Russert to take the quantitative view: He's appointed hundreds of people to high positions and very few of them have gone south like Kerik.
Of course, very few of them have leveraged friendship with Giuliani to win nomination to be secretary of Homeland Security, either.
Giuliani tried to defend his relationship with the government of Qatar -- one of his firms does security consulting there -- as a way of engaging people who might otherwise be inclined to hostility to the U.S.
Problem is, one of the key government ministers is Interior Minister Abdullah bin Khalid al-Thani, who is suspected of Al Qaeda sympathies and, in 1996, is thought to have warned KSM that the FBI wanted to arrest him. KSM fled and remained free to plan the attack that did so much to make Giuliani a politically-viable household name in 2008.
Regarding his connection to the Hong Kong businessman, Stanley Ho, Giuliani brushed it off as either minimal or untrue. It is neither.
In a Nov. 21 Tribune story, Giuliani representatives confirmed that Giuliani's security consulting firm -- the same one working in Qatar -- provided security advice in late 2006 to a consortium involving Ho that was bidding, unsuccessfully as it turned out, on a casino license in Singapore.
About one-quarter of the consortium was made up of a joint venture called Melco PBL.
The Melco end of that JV is run by Lawrence Ho, son of the legendary and controversial Hong Kong billionaire Stanley Ho, who has been the major player in casino gaming in Macau since the early 1960s and who operates a casino in Pyongyang, thanks to close ties to the Kim regime. (Part of the 'axis of evil' according to one of George Bush's State of the Union speeches.)
Ho also is thought by the U.S. government to have ties to Chinese organized crime.
Giuliani said Ho owned one percent of Melco and in any case, neither he not his company had anything to do with him.
Actually, Ho owns at least 1.77 percent and possibly as much as 6 percent of Melco, according to regulatory filings in the U.S. and Hong Kong.
Students of hostile takeovers know that that's enough to force a company into play. But that would hardly seem to be necessary in Stanley Ho's case, since he until recently had been chairman and largest shareholder of Melco until handing it off to son Lawrence.
Melco reported spending more than $2 million as its share of costs for making the casino proposal, some of which presumably would be used to pay consultants, like Giuliani.
Giuliani's business links to dubious characters have become an increasingly big part of the story about him, especially since new ones keep getting discovered. Also, in seeking the Republican presidential nomination, he's presented himself as the toughest hardliner on crime and terrorism.
Russert offered him a chance to put an end to the questions and speculation by publicly listing all of his clients. But Giuliani said he's not ready to do that, yet. Nor is he willing to sever ties to his Giuliani Partners consulting group.
Read the transcript of Giuliani's appearance here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22170668/
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Comments
Tim Russert, a former Democratic Party consultant, appeared to be stooging for the Democrats this time.
Russert touched on all of the Democrat Talking Points, then refused to shake Rudy's hand.
Tim you should be ashamed of yourself, you fat blowhard.
NBC is an embarrassment.
Posted by: Mitch Spiegel | December 9, 2007 12:49 PM
Rudy Ghouliani didn't get rich until after 9-11. He set up Giuliani Partners, a "security business," and right-wing morons paid him lucrative speaking fees all over the country. He was living on the basic $185k mayor's salary before he was able to whore the terrorist attacks. That's why he was embezzling from the city to foot the bill for his fancy mistress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twlgp06wuys&feature=related
Have Rudy's scandals hurt him with women voters? This ad is aimed straight at the ladies...it's friendly, woman-y and even has a kitten! A cute wittle kitten! We report YOU decide!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wGaU-BenQ0&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/8/151751/653
Watching "America's 9/11 Playa" crash and burn under the weight of his own lies and distortions is both entertaining and pleasurable...
Posted by: John E | December 9, 2007 1:42 PM
"Giuliani tried to defend his relationship with the government of Qatar -- one of his firms does security consulting there -- as a way of engaging people who might otherwise be inclined to hostility to the U.S."
I for one am not buying it. Forget Rudy's trysts. The real scandal crying out for investigation is his firm's business with Qatar.
With Qatar's troubling record as both an American ally and a longtime haven for al-Qaida terrorists, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, or "KSM," the little Gulf sheikdom is a curious client indeed for Giuliani Security and Safety, a division of Giuliani Partners.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2007/11/30/giuliani_qatar/?source=whitelist
Posted by: An Inconvenient Truth | December 9, 2007 4:57 PM
Tim Russert, a former Democratic Party consultant, appeared to be stooging for the Democrats this time.
_____________________________
So the rest of the time he stooges for the repukelicans? You want to talk about stooging, let's talk about an entire network, faux news, stooging for republicrites.
Posted by: rncbs | December 9, 2007 5:38 PM
I have been pleading with every one to "google" Rudy. He has been a consistant trouble maker all of his career. That is all right in a prosecutor but no good for anyone else. Solving problems, not creating problems, is the job of a leader. Rudy is a trouble creator."Google him and spend some time following his search for enemies.
Posted by: c. perry | December 9, 2007 5:57 PM
How well did Republican Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani on Meet the Press fare?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=1260
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Posted by: PollM | December 9, 2007 7:52 PM
On MTP this morning--when asked about the "war", Rudy said he did not want the troops to come home in defeat. Political reconciliation is out of the soldiers' hands--better to ask them to jump to the moon. And, putting the negative out there that the soldiers, in some way, would be responsible for defeat was heartless and abusive on the part of the NY ghoul. The soldiers met the objective of ridding Iraq of Saddam. Rudy's law firm still makes money representing world terrorists. This is the same as Bush saying we must get bin Laden, then having the Bush family continue their relationship with the bin Laden family. In the past, Americans always got their man. Cheney/Bush do not really want to get bin Laden. Too much money to be lost. Or, he is not the true target, and no one has cared to clarify matters. I fear it would be similar with the ghoul and other world terrorists. Rudy seems all about making money for himself. President? No thanks. Can't afford it.
Posted by: Vivian | December 9, 2007 8:01 PM
"Here's what I don't understand: Rudolph Giuliani had three wives and he's not the Mormon candidate?"
Posted by: Bill Hick's ghost | December 10, 2007 8:13 AM
"Iran's president ... wanted to lay a wreath at Ground Zero, but his critics said, 'No, no. You are trying to exploit Ground Zero for political gain, and that is Rudy Giuliani's job.'"
Posted by: Bill Hick's ghost | December 10, 2007 8:14 AM
The Swamp did a story earlier this summer about Rudy's law firm severing ties with Citgo. That was a good move for a potential U.S. president. So now, is it only his security co. that might be questionable? He really needs to show us that he puts America first by being careful about who his security firm represents, too. I don't think American security can afford for our leaders to be ambiguous about who is "evil", or who may be a threat. To me, the double message says that America is for sale. Many ordinary citizens really don't want to sell America out. The ordinary citizen has little power to prevent these things which, then, make it necessary for the leadership to show the world that they are 100% for America and Americans. Otherwise, the "leaders" should stay in the private sector, and take their chances with their own brains; not power over public laws or the fate of ordinary people.
Posted by: Vivian | December 10, 2007 10:01 AM
Rncbs, er John E., you have ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, which are all Democratic-owned news outlets.
Funny, twice we get Swamp items about Fox News refusing to air an ad, yet nothing about NBC turning down a "thank you troops" ad from freedomswatch.org.
Hmmmm, double standard here? It's OK for the Swamp to take its marching orders from left wing Media Matters for America's Destruction?
Posted by: John D | December 10, 2007 10:06 AM
Tim Russert barely questioned Rudy about his judgment. He only touched the surface. It wasn't just Kerik, what about the rest of the “Giuliani Crime Family”. I’d like to hear an explanation regarding his other corrupt appointees:
Fred Patrick - Appointed by Giuliani as Juvenile Justice Commissioner, also Deputy Commissioner at Correction Dept. and Criminal Justice Coordinator’s office. - JAILED - charges involved financial dealings and sex telephone calls
Anthony Serra - Repeatedly promoted (up to the rank of Bureau Chief - Dept. of Correction) by Giuliani administration after having worked on Giuliani’s campaign, also worked for NYS Republican Party - JAILED - charges involved theft of city property/services, political corruption
Russell Harding - Appointed by Giuliani as President of Housing Development Corp. Son of Liberal Party Chair who endorsed Rudy’s mayoral campaign - JAILED - charges involved financial dealings and child porn
Richard Roberts - Appointed by Giuliani as Housing Commissioner and Hospitals Chair - plead guilty in the Harding scandal
People who didn’t go to jail but were forced to resign in disgrace:
William Fraser (Correction Commissioner)
John Picciano (Police and Correction Chief of Staff)
Louis Carbonetti (Campaign staffer’s father - Giuliani appointee to Brooklyn BID)
Raul Russi (Probation Commissioner)
Louis Gelormino (Probation Deputy Commissioner - appointed over the objections of then Commissioner Jacobson to a newly created $95,000 per year job)
Note that Patrick, Harding and Serra all went to jail. Carbonetti, like Kerik plead guilty to charges. Fraser resigned in disgrace as a result of a corruption scandal and was fined by the Conflict of Interests Board for ethics violations. Russi and Gelormino resigned in disgrace after the Vellela prison release scandal.
Also note that Kerik (who achieved the rank of commissioner without ever passing a promotional exam), Fraser and Serra each worked for the Giuliani campaign and more than doubled their salaries as a result of promotions that occurred during the Giuliani administration.
Picciano who went on to work at Giuliani partners, also more than doubled his salary with a promotion outside of the uniformed structure (he didn’t pass the promotional exam) even after a complaint was filed with the NYPD that he had beaten his girlfriend and put a gun to her head. He also participated in a tax scandal for which others were fired or severely disciplined yet he was promoted and then went on to work at Giuliani partners.
Finally, Rudy fired two of the nations best law enforcement professionals; Ray Kelly and William Bratton.
How about getting him to explain the rest of this?
Posted by: Terry S. | December 10, 2007 11:15 AM
" He really needs to show us that he puts America first by being careful about who his security firm represents, too."
Vivian, Rudy has already showed us in the clearest way possible that he does NOT put America first.
Rudy was appointed to the Iraq Study Group. He was given an opportunity to contribute his time and insight toward a more effective policy for the War in Iraq. Rudy accepeted the appointment, however he did not attend a single meeting of the group. On two occasions he missed meetings of the group so that he could make paid public appearances. He was eventually forced to resign as a result.
Rudy's statement as to why he did not attend:
"my previous time commitments do not permit me the full and active participation that the Iraq Study Group deserves."
In other words, he put his private business over the business of the nation.
Posted by: AJF | December 10, 2007 12:15 PM
Hmmmm, double standard here? It's OK for the Swamp to take its marching orders from left wing Media Matters for America's Destruction?
Posted by: John D | December 10, 2007 10:06 AM
Why does John D hate America? Why does he hate the troops?
Posted by: Andy Dick | December 10, 2007 12:30 PM