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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



Who are those masked men?

Posted: Monday, November 26, 2007 10:42 AM by Mark Murray

From NBC/National Journal's Matthew E. Berger
BEDFORD, NH -- For weeks, Giuliani has been followed around New Hampshire by a man in a Rudy mask, carrying a sign that said “Free Bernie.” But today, outside the Politics and Eggs breakfast here, the masked man was joined by a friend -- a man in a mask closely resembling Bernard Kerik.
 
The Kerik impersonator took the “Free Bernie” sign, while the faux Rudy carried one that said “Best Friends Forever.” They waved at passersby, and were quick to hug each other when the cameras started rolling.

When asked to identify themselves, the two men pointed to photos of Giuliani and Kerik.

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are their any adults left in this country?
He should hire someone to follow Clinton around with a Bill mask carrying a sign that reads "Free Marc Rich Oh wait never mind"
How about someone in a Bill mask with a sign reading "Pardon's for Sale"

2 idiots that need a job. People in America will do anything for attention.
I'm going to steal Jerry's talking point in advance and say that those two must be Democrats, because they need a job.  Ha!

Got to admire the dedication though, it's like Borat (he stayed in character during the interviews).
I'm going to steal Jerry's talking point in advance and say that those two must be Democrats, because they need a job.  Ha!

Actually I was going to say I could hire a bunch of women that look like Paula, Monica, Gennifer, etc.  We could call them "The Bill Girls"
actually even better....

I could hire five Hillary look a likes and have them voice each opinion on her issue of the day......
even more better....

Hire a Hillary look a like and have her walking around screaming and crying that she is being picked on by 7 men that look like the democratic candidates.......
Can you say SCOOTER,Rudy will pardon Bernie just you wait too much info for bernie to take the fall himself stay tuned.
Where is the person dressing up as a plant during Clinton rallies?  Now THAT would be a funny headline...
To Dave, Tn
Your post is quite confusing.
Are you saying that it is morally reprehensible to pardon criminals,
or
Are you completely devoid of morals and attempting to rationalize Guiliani's poor behavior with that of Clinton's using moral relativism?
Are you against Guiliani as you seem to be against Clinton, because you equate the two in your argument?
Was it only wrong when Bill did it, or is it wrong now too?
Are you five and think that, "He did it first," is an appropriate justification for one's actions?
Like it or not your crew are the ones who are acting morally reprehensible now. Will you admit it? Or are you not principled what so ever?
A show of civil disobediance should not be viewed as lack of jobs or intelligence.Rudy is as dirty as bernie he just gets a pass from roger and the folks at fox.He is BUSH ,ted olsen and the crew.Republicans have thier dirty tricks a matter a fact I believe they even had an office called dirty  tricksRICHARD NIXON LOSER OF THE VIETNAM WAR ,LIAR Keep the little people stupid they will fall for anything
I like desperate in overland park....
he/she sets up his/her thoughts so you can show him/her how wrong he/she is one by one.........

let's see here....

Guiliani divorced three times
Bill has oral sex in the Oval Office with his honey.
Gotta give that one to Rudy.

Was it only wrong when Bill did it, or is it wrong now too?
Since Rudy has not had oral sex in the oval office and Bill has, I'd have to say it is alright to have oral sex with your wife in the oval office and not with your mistress like Bill did.


Are you five and think that, "He did it first," is an appropriate justification for one's actions?
I think we can ask Hillary that one as well, since she is using her gender and crying that she is being picked on because she is a girl; sort of like being picked on at the playground.


Like it or not your crew are the ones who are acting morally reprehensible now.
Has Bill Clinton ever said he was sorry for having oral sex in the oval office?  Think I missed that one.




Look Mommy I'm on T.V. making an ass of myself and the whole family. Next thing they will be standing next to Harry Reid stating they were strong-armed by the Guiliani guards....
Same goes for you jerry. Is Giuliani as bad as Clinton for pardoning criminals?

jerry response
Clinton dumb....
As bad, As bad...
Clinton way worse...

game set match jerry...

Rational response,
So I'll ask again, with regards to consorting with known felons is Giuliani as bad as Clinton? I think so. Do either of you have the balls to stand for something, or does your skirt just blow wherever Fox News wants it to?

Moral Relativism is not an argument. It is the abscence of one.

(P.S. I think I'll just post your incoherent responses myself from now on. It saved a good amount of time.)
jerry, wow...I didn't think anyone could display so low of an IQ, even you buddy.

You wrote...
"Are you five and think that, "He did it first," is an appropriate justification for one's actions?
I think we can ask Hillary that one as well, since she is using her gender and crying that she is being picked on because she is a girl; sort of like being picked on at the playground."

You must have no values or principles. I'm not talking about Hillary.
You said Giuliani is as bad as Clinton and I just want you to remember that. Let it sink in. You don't have to like the guy, just because he has an R on his jersey.

You reposted...
"Like it or not your crew are the ones who are acting morally reprehensible now.- What I wrote

What you responded
Has Bill Clinton ever said he was sorry for having oral sex in the oval office?  Think I missed that one."

In what way does Bill Clinton owe you or anybody an apology. Are you religious? If so, what religious code says that if I cheat on my wife I have to apologize to the community (Do feel free to point to a particular scripture)? Are you just making up your own religious code? Hillary Clinton forgave Bill, is that not what a moral and ethical person is to do, or should she have just divorced like Giuliani? Last time I checked divorce was still a sin and forgiveness was still a good thing.

So we return. You were able to answer my question with some dignity before tangenting into irrelevant nonsense. The point, sir, as you put it so well, Is that when it comes to morallity Rudy Giuliani is far beneath even your most dreaded Bill Clinton. Have a nice day.
You know what?  If even one registered voter sees one these guys "making an ass out of his self" as InTheMiddle rants, and has even one second thought about voting for Rudy because of this, I'd have to say that the protest was a raging success.  If a few votes were swung, it was an out-of-the-park grand slam.  If protest was stupid and pointless, folks, the civil rights movement would have produced no change, the sufferage movement would've produced no vote for women, India would still be subject to Britain, etc, etc.  Bravo to anyone who cares enough to hit the street and make a fool of themselves. They are agents of change, not we ranting typists.
So I'll ask again, with regards to consorting with known felons is Giuliani as bad as Clinton? I think so. Do either of you have the balls to stand for something, or does your skirt just blow wherever Fox News wants it to?

Giuliani has acknowledged his problems with Bernard Kerik....

Hillery Clinton has a convicted felon on her staff
Sandy Berger....

Also Hillary has had dealing with Norman Hsu and other money bundlers....

has there been any ties between Rudy and Bernard?
so far there is no proof....
plus he is not on any list of people on Rudy's staff..
unlike Hillary.....

If Hillary wants to be known as an honest candidate, she should dump all the people with a shady past, including her husband....

If Hillary has any brains, the subject of sexual predators should never come up in any debate between now and November 2008......
No, Jerry, Rudy just moved his mistress into the Gracie Mansion while he was still married.  Oops.  Guess you forgot that part, huh?

I think that evens the score.
has there been any ties between Rudy and Bernard?
so far there is no proof....

Really jerry...the grass is green. The sky is blue.

Rudy recommended Kerik for the head of the DHS. Are you a moron or are you just omitting the facts for fun? Rudy has already noted his inability to lead in rescinding that nomination (only after he(Kerik) was to be indicted).

Remember you said it, not me, when it comes to morals your boy Giuliani is worse than Bill Clinton. You wrote it, don't get testy with me.
Slow down, it's okay, your evolving, it will take some time, but pretty soon we'll be ready to let you sit at the big kids table.
Really Desperate?

And Sandy berger is just there with Hillary Clinton making sure that no one stuffs important papers down their underwear right?

I thought Henry Cisnaros would make a good politician in washington.  So did Bill Clinton.....

I picked that one wrong as well......
so did he.....

So Desperate, do you agree that a serial woman abuser is a good thing in the White House?
To Santa Ana
I can't believe this got through. What a completely irrelevant and off topic post. Plus if you are going to try and cite something try something a little more respectable as opposed to a right wing rag like the Washington Post. What's next are you going to point us to t-scripts from O'Reilly on foxnews.com

Wait what's that you say, any democrat hit job article will do as truth. Unfortunate that 70% of the people in our country soon to be 75% on election day think that you have lost your marbles. It's all ending...aawww. Question are you the greedy (corporate autocrat) type or ignorant (religious fundamentalist) type of Republican, which one the slavemaster or slave.
Get back to work.
No matter what the Issue Jerry can excuse the republican by pointing out that Clinton had oral sex in the Oval Office. If Rudy gets elected maybe he will be putting on his dress and giving head in the oval office. That would be acceptable because he is a republican. Maybe it’s the fact that Monica got something that Jerry really wants. Jerry you could call her and she may describe the taste to you and then you could quite fantasizing.
Bravo Desperate, Overland Park, KS!!!

Jerry is a moron and you have artfully proved that.  I am eagerly awaiting the Scripture passages that support his "arguements."  Please keep pointing out how dumb this Jerry in Texas is.

Since you will respond, Jerry I have a question.  Why is liberal a bad word?  Is it not from the Latin word 'liber' meaning freedom?  What do you have against freedom Jerry?
I'm sorry, I misguidedly underestimated Jerry's despise for the Clintons as opposed to run-of-the-mill Democrats.  I do like the 11:25 AM post though, that was clever.     :  )


Or you could have somebody in a Rudy mask holding a sign that says "My family supports me" and somebody in a daughter of Rudy mask with a sign that says "Vote-Obama '08."

Or you could have a picture of somebody with a mask of Romney holding a sign confusing Obama and Osama.  Wait, I got the real thing right here.  http://publicintellectual.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/romney-plays-the-osama%E2%89%88obama-card/

Or you could pay Fred Thompson the actor to play Fred Thompson the candidate.  Frankly, that might be the only thing that could help him.

Or you could have someone in an Edwards mask protesting the "Two Americas" while holding a sign noting an exception to self-made wealthy trial lawyers with $400 haircuts and an investment on the foreclosure of Katrina victims.
*note: at the last two debates, I think Dodd's hair looked much better than Edward's.

Or you could hire a puppeteer with a mask of Edwards controlling the lives of Americans, because that's what so many of his big-government policies seek to do.
Maybe the people with the masks are Donna Hanover and Andrew Guiliani. Or maybe Rudy's former mistress Christine Luguziano, who he installed in a high-priced City job.
I love you honey, I'm talking to the NRA, ok, I love you, bye bye.  Who says it twice?  What a fake.  

"Vote for Rudy if you want WW3"  (his bumpersticker)
Or "Rudy in 08 if you think war is great"

The Neo Cons will prove their hypocricy once again if they vote for Rudy.  That'll prove they don't really care about guns or abortion, they just use them as wedge issues.  Just like they cared Clinton smoked pot but didn't care that Bush did Cocaine!!!
Since you will respond, Jerry I have a question.  Why is liberal a bad word?

Why don't you ask your neighbors around California that listened to the liberals screaming about the plight of the 3 toed horned frog or some stupid critter that they could not clear away the brush and rotted trees and yet got roasted in the fires (along with their houses I might add) and ask them if liberal policies saved their homes?

So now we have Bob in Kokomo who says that there should be porn in the White House....
If the Clintons somehow win, you just might get your wish....

Forget how bad Bush is.  It's the GOP that went along with everything he did.  Bush & Chaney are gone.  The question is, if a Republican is made President, will he undo all the harm that Bush has created?  No he will not.  He will be indebted to the same "good old boys" that Bush serves.  

If you have millions of dollars to worry about, vote GOP.  If you are trying to save millions so you can retire, vote Democratic.  
From a security point of view I think it is a bad idea to have masked people near presidential candidates -- unless Tonto is with them.
Desparate: Did you call The Washington Post a right wing rag? Man you must have missed a few reading classes. The Washington Post has been and always will be a mouthpiece for the Left. I have never seen a reporter from the Post even remotely support any right wing cause. They get on T.V. and support any thing a democrat does....
To jerry who wrote all this
Really Desperate?

And Sandy berger is just there with Hillary Clinton making sure that no one stuffs important papers down their underwear right?

I thought Henry Cisnaros would make a good politician in washington.  So did Bill Clinton.....

I picked that one wrong as well......
so did he.....

So Desperate, do you agree that a serial woman abuser is a good thing in the White House?


Okay jerry you're doing it again. What did I say about slowing down. MORAL RELATIVISM is not an argument.
Should Sandy Berger have stolen those documents?
My opinion: No.
(Your pathetic straw man) Do you think a serial abuser should be in the WH?
My opinion: No.

Now can we get past all of the moral equivalency that you want to make between the current crop of GOP candidates and Hillary Clinton?

If your only point ever is that all of the GOP candidates are equally as bad as what you believe Bill Clinton (or Hillary for that matter) to be, then what are you doing here? What candidate do you support? What philosophy or beliefs do you have? Or are you just a hater?

We get it. Your logic eats itself. You need some time alone to think and figure things out. I can keep typing cogent, logical fixes to your problems, but unless you accept them I can't help you buddy.
jerry, how come you can "recall" Berger shoving papers down his pants but you seem to have forgotten or overlooked all the horrible things the GOP has done for the past 7 years?  They emptied our treasury.  Do you not understand that will mean more taxes for all of us one day?  And don't say they spent it on the war, because they spent more on pork in 2005 than they did from 1991 to 1999 combined.  This is all the proof you should ever need that the worst thing for this country ever to have is the GOP running both houses & the White House.  You can't say DEMS are just as bad, because we have yet to see if that is true.  All we know is the GOP BLEW IT!!!    
So funny how a story that has nothing to do with Hillary somehow becomes a story about Hillary.

By the way, wasn't Rudy's first wife his cousin?
hey jerry your comments sound like they are from your last RNC gathering at the corpus christi airport mens room
JERRY LIKES FAWN HALLS UNDERGARMETS .he just hates sandy bergers though.
Jerry,

You really are a right wing, uninformed, self-righteous, smug idiot full of hubris
Rudy Masks? Kerik Masks? What's next, a Robert Novack Mask? Maybe a Bay Buchanan Mask? I bet the Chinese who make these masks are wondering what kind of market would drive this production line. I'm wondering that, myself. Pass the Aqua-Dots.
Maybe we should focus on something really important!!! Has anyone noticed that Ann Coulter has an adam's apple?
See jerry it's over. Come on back to reality with us. We'll forgive you.
For the record I don't want anyone from New York running this country, and support for Hillary is proof all the fake outrage from democrats about Bush has been just that. FAKE OUTRAGE
OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY......
(clasping and rubbing my hands together)....

So Desperate....

We now agree that you did enjoy the sexual antics of your beloved president while he was in the White House.

you disagree that a serial woman abuser should not be in the White House, yet you are supporting the wife of the accused serial woman abuser.  That makes you a strange bird indeed.

Does he owe an apology? hell yes he does.  And so does his wife.  What kind of a woman would want to stay with a man like that.  I'm sure that cop in Illinois with all his wives either dead or missing, one has to wonder why they stayed with him to the end.  Same goes for Hillary.  The only answer Hillary could ever give is that she is using his name to ride his coat tails all the way to the White House.  I would bet the farm that 95% of the women in here, if all the womanizing and other stuff that went on in Hillary;s marriage, i would bet the farm that a lot of the women here would throw their husbands under the bus in a New York Minute.  Unless the women in here are just so dumbed down they don't know what to do, a sensible woman would have figured out Bill Clinton a long time ago and dumped him.  But we all know why Hillary is staying in the marriage and any sensible American knows the answer.

As far as Rudy goes, OK, he put on a dress.  Are you saying that putting on a dress is worse then beating down a woman?  Can't really see where you are going with Bernard Kerik and his relationship with Rudy, since he has already discussed it in public.  Why won't Hillary talk about Norman Hsu? Or chinese dishwashers? or give a straight answer to any question that has been asked of her in the debates?  It took five different answers to get the drivers licenses and I still don't know which answer she means.

You just better sit there and think a bit about if you want the Star and the Drudge report telling all the juicy stuff about Bill having affairs up in the lincoln bedroom for the next four years.

Now
Carrie/Iowa says.....
No, Jerry, Rudy just moved his mistress into the Gracie Mansion while he was still married.  Oops.  Guess you forgot that part, huh?

I think that evens the score.

No, considering Bill was getting oral sex in the oval office instead of going after Al Queda.

I'm still up on points

and Now Nick in walled Lake Mi.....

let us not forget the blowhard liberal from Minn.  Who came out crying about the bridge that collapsed and killed and injured dozens of people (HIS people by the way) who elected to show his mourning for that event by getting federal money to put in a nature trail instead of getting federal dollars to fix the bridges.  bet you 10-1 that is going to be a big issue in the next election.  Yeah my side spent some serious money, nothing compared to the democratic controlled congress that spent billions for nothing this year.
For the record, whoever asked, Giuliani did marry his second cousin. I don't see how anyone thinks this left over, 9/11 has been has a shot at the white house. Despite the fact that he's a three time divorce and inbreeder, this guy was responsible for the deaths of thousands of firemen on 9/11, and he skipped the Iraq Study Group, SKIPPED IT, so he could raise money to run for President.
Yea, awesome candidate GOP.
We have to begin asking Republicans what they stand for instead of allowing them to continue to band together in hatred of Hillary Clinton (Rovian tactic). These nuts have no ideas on how to get our country out of the mess its in and get things moving in the right direction again. So when you see a hater ask him/her what she likes and why.
This all reminds me of a library, we are returning a book called Bush, we are looking for a new one to read, where do we go?  The porn section?  NO. The cops and robbers section?  NO. The religious section, Maybe?? Civil War section?  NO. The political section?  absolutley not, too many greasy pages. I'll check out from the Hero section, the one called McCain.  He has no reason to wear any mask.  
To Dave from TN
I respect your clarification.
That being said, sir, if you ever assume that liberals, democrats, anti-war activists, and the rest of the families of our fallen Soldiers in Iraq are showing 'FAKE OUTRAGE' I'll have my way with you.

How dare you assert that people who have lost their children, brothers, sisters, dads, moms, and friends are committing political theatre for the sake of some charade.
If you knew anything, you would know that the Democrats cannot stop the war, sir, they don't have enough votes and they care too much for our Soldiers not to fund them and run the risk of having Bush hang them out to dry.

This is serious business, Dave. This is peoples lives, not some damn show on Fox News. You better think before you speak on this board. I won't let you get away with your careless, apathetic dismissal of Americans.

I'm no big Hillary fan, but you can't just go making cock-eyed claims out of nowhere about the 70% of Americans who are ready for this thing to end.
jerry you have to stop this...
'Does he owe an apology? hell yes he does.  And so does his wife.  What kind of a woman would want to stay with a man like that.'  

jerry come on buddy, we were making some real progress there. You have to make sense, man or I can't help you. Just because you think he owes you an apology for some strange reason doesn't mean that he does, and as for your attack on Hillary for staying with him are you serious. Do you know that your Republican religions out there say you have to stay married or you're going to hell. Not my rules man, but hey that's the letter of the law that you play by. She did what you were supposed to have wanted her to do, SHE FORGAVE. Jesus corpus christi jerry I ASK AGAIN WHAT MORAL CODE DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO OR DO YOU JUST MAKE STUFF UP AS YOU GO?
Maybe I'll just repost it all again for you. Here, now when you read it take your time, and realize that you may not be entirely right. It's okay I'll let you participate in this thing the rest of us call reality. I won't even make you ask (though I should, tool).
In what way does Bill Clinton owe you or anybody an apology. Are you religious? If so, what religious code says that if I cheat on my wife I have to apologize to the community (Do feel free to point to a particular scripture)? Are you just making up your own religious code? Hillary Clinton forgave Bill, is that not what a moral and ethical person is to do, or should she have just divorced like Giuliani? Last time I checked divorce was still a sin and forgiveness was still a good thing.

Come on jerry step it up. Where all pullin for you.
reading some of the comments on here, it just serves to justify my overal impression of Republicans as a whole... they're uptight and closed-minded! Gotta leave it to us Democrats to bring any joy to this world! God forbid folks have a sense of humor within this whole political process from time to time!
Hillery may have "forgiven" him, but that does not mean I have to. I don't want an apology, it would "stick in my throat"  pun intended, he was the leader of our country for Gods sake and this immoral act made the USA sure look good to the world? Power does make strange bedfellows. Made me furious when it happened and still does. I want morality in the Oval office again, we need to clean up the White House and make it a place to be proud of.
Desperate LOL:

We all know your girl Hillary gave in to him and forgave him only because she wanted to run for President and needed his name to run on because she has very little else to run on.  

bad enough he had to pay millions of dollars to paula Jones to stop a lawsuit.  I wonder why he did not fight it.  Juanita Broaddrick and others should have followed right behind her and drained their bank account dry.  

So what you are saying that you support the Clinton's even though their sex lives are a bit deviant, and that's fine.  People talk about the GOP and gay sex and they talk about the democrats and the weird sex they have.  Fine and dandy.  But I happen to think the office of the President of the United States is a pretty serious chair to sit in and he did not seem to care.  Everyone can talk about what a great President he was and other nonsense.  But he will always be remembered for that famous line:

"I did not have sex with that woman"
Marty and jerry you cease to be coherent and thusly you cease to be human.

Marty who wrote this,
I want morality in the Oval office again

You are a total tool. Grow up. You want morality in the WH? Can we get competence in the WH?

BILL OWES YOU AN APOLOGY? You must be kidding, Bill Clinton the former President of the United States of America owes Marty from CR Iowa an apology. I've been to CR he doesn't owe you anything.

GET OVER YOURSELF.

Somebody got head, the world still goes on. If you really think you deserve an apology you are a joke of a human being.

Why don't you stay the hell out of everyone's bedroom and work on your own. Funny how you repressed Republicans can always find a way of needling your way into other peoples sexual affairs.

Read both of your posts. You are both nuts. Sex this, sex that, ooohh sex, oh my baby jesus sex.

You morons think that a bj is why those darn foreigners hate us so much, shucks. You have no idea about our positions with regards to Israel. You have no idea about our history in the middle east and our CIA led takeover of Iran.

These are not conspiracy theories about a blue dress and a BJ. These are facts, HISTORY, things that happened that affect the way that people think about us. And you in your ivory tower want morality in the WH. You don't have a clue what you are talking about. With all of your well informed opinions on morality and bjs in the WH, jeez. How do you people even consider yourself informed enough to vote?


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