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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Rudy defends mayoral experience

Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:34 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ’s Matthew E. Berger
CONCORD, N.H. -- Giuliani said he believes being New York City’s mayor has prepared him for being president, despite questions from other candidates about his experience. Filing for candidacy in New Hampshire Tuesday, Giuliani defended his preparedness after McCain said he had the most experience in the race.

“I think he said he thought it was superior to a governor’s or a mayor’s,” Giuliani said. “I think the American people can decide that.”
 
Giuliani said he has visited 35 countries in the last six years, and had a wide range of experiences as mayor, including law enforcement.
 
“I ran the 17th largest economy in the world, not just in the United States,” he said. “I know when you say mayor and mayor’s a wonderful position, but New York City mayor is sometimes described as the second toughest job in the country, and I think people know I ran it in very difficult times.”

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New York, 9/11, New York, 9/11...this guy is no more qualified than Bush and a narcissist.
ME ME ME ME Rudy sounds like an opera singer.You would think he did everything ,when in reality he just hired people who did thier jobs.
You don't have to sell me, Rudy. You are my choice hands down!
Saying he ran the 17th largest economy in the world is really a stretch since even individual states have very little input into the vitality of their own regional economies.  Of course stretching the truth isn't a problem for Giuliani, he's already been caught throwing out imaginary facts on the stump and in debates.
Agreed,since when did lack of hands on experience not qualify a person for the job of President? Regan was a third rate actor, Ford was a clumsey baffoon and jr.bush is a lying/cheating failed moron. These guys prove that anybody with the money is applicable.
yeah rudy had 8 years to get ready for 9/11..too bad he was too busy hassling skid row bums and appointing crooks to high places
Oh my god I actually believe one thing that Jerry said in regards to Gigolo Rudy!
Rudy (according to AP and Yahoo news) - just said that he would root for the Red Sox - how can a yankees fan ever (under any circumstance) root for the sox?
What will the yankees fans do to rudy next year in Sep/Oct if he is the nominee and his picture shows up on the screen?
Sure, Mr Montenauro you will say, this is just another useless form of information; but surely this is more newsworthy than arugula?
Rudy's experience as NYC Mayor makes him as prepared to be US President as my one time use of an Easy Bake Oven makes me prepared to be White House Executive Chef!
AND dressing in his wifes pretty pretty clothes. I want to see THOSE pictures again.
Let's get the spellin right on the city people LOL

And what experience does Hillary bring to the table?
35 countries in the last six years and he paid for every bit of it out of his own pocket, HA! HA! HA! Just another leech to sorry to work for a living.
To: No Experienced [sic] Needed...
Obviously, with your spelling abilities, grammar, syntax, and punctuation as well as with your total lack of parallelism, your are highly qualified as "no experienced."  What a doofus!
If Rudy was governor of New York, he'd take credit for running the whole state's economy--including New York City.  And a President rightly gets credit or blame for the performance of the whole national economy--yes, even including the State of New York.  So, Rudy was twice removed from what it is he is claiming credit for here.  Typical Rudy.
From the Huffington Post:
'...
Giuliani Defends, Employs Priest Accused of Molesting Teens
When presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani traveled to Rome in January, he was accompanied by wife Judith and longtime friend Monsignor Alan Placa, an accused child molester.  (
Oct. 23, 2007
Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani hired a Catholic priest to work in his consulting firm months after the priest was accused of sexually molesting two former students and an altar boy and told by the church to stop performing his priestly duties.

Giuliani and the PriestThe priest, Monsignor Alan Placa, a longtime friend of Giuliani and the priest who officiated at his second wedding to Donna Hanover, continues to work at Giuliani Partners in New York, to the outrage of some of his accusers and victims' groups, which have begun to protest at Giuliani campaign events.

"This man did unjust things, and he's being protected and employed and taken care of. It's not a good thing," said one of the accusers, Richard Tollner, who says Placa molested him repeatedly when he was a student at a Long Island, N.Y. Catholic boys high school in 1975.

At a campaign appearance in Milwaukee last week, Giuliani continued to defend Placa, who he described to reporters as a close friend for 39 years.

Click here to see photos of Giuliani and the Priest.

"I know the man; I know who he is, so I support him," Giuliani said. "We give some of the worst people in our society the presumption of innocence and benefit of the doubt," he said. "And, of course, I'm going to give that to one of my closest friends."

The accusations against Placa were made in testimony before a Suffolk County grand jury in 2002...'

Maybe Rudy will explain this, using his 9/11 defense
And Hillary Clinton's experience makes my one time guitar playing qualify me to replace John Lennon in the beatles.
Jerry, John Lennon is dead. Didn't you know? You can be him if you wish....
Jerry....John Lennon is dead ....just like the GOP
Giuliani is the biggest liar in US history, and has gotten caught lying about 100% of his mayoral record, but he is correct about experience.

The president is a MASCOT and a puppet. ANYONE can be president. All you need to know how to do is kiss the ass of the political machine.

Duh.

You can still see in Dubya's eyes each time he speaks: "am I REALLY the president? Wow!".

Hey maybe he picked his own cabinent, yeah?

Reagan, Clinton, and all of them are empty suits and puppets.

Rudy's right: he has the kneecaps to "serve" the Powers That Be as well as anyone.
And come on, People. It's no longer open to debate whether Rudy is the biggest fraud in this race.

It's even brilliant that Hillary haters are supporting Rudy, since RUDY is the one who put her in the Senate! (Twice!)

Wow. Republicans are the most gullible people on earth. (They even still believe in Bush and a virgin birth.)

(Yeah, I know: Democrats are almost as naive.)
Rudy wil say anything to get what he wants, After he is president he will be able to visit every country on this earth to tell them all how great he is.
Jerry, the beatles are not even together anymore, good music though. Does this mean that a republican and a democrat have a common interest? I bet we have many things in common, for one thing we are americans who love our country. I think you might even like John Edwards as president. everyone on this site knows by now about your 'hidden love' for Hillary. Did Bill steal her from you at college? Did you ever go to college?
Rudy has had more wives than Clinton and Newt Gingrich had affairs.  And check out Rudy's speeching fees in 2001 and 2002, this guy made more money off of 9-11 than the Red Cross.

If only some reporter had the balls to print the real news.


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