Rudy Giuliani’s entrance into the race for president has ignited a media frenzy. Everyone agrees- Rudy is the undeniable hero of 9/11; he could win the nomination if only he wasn’t so socially liberal. Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post said it best:
Okay, Rudy has finally ended the tease.
That means I have to hit the program key on my computer that says, Yes, he’s popular, but wait until those Republican primary voters find out he’s pro-gay rights, pro-choice on abortion and pro-gun control!
[…]
He is, after all, one of the heroes of 9/11. And he did demonstrate that the ungovernable city of New York could in fact be governed. He ticked off a lot of people in the process, and waged a very messy war with his now ex-wife, but his accomplishments are undeniable.
True to form, the media makes no room for less flattering portrayals; Giuliani’s mythological persona as ‘the America’s mayor’ is preserved while his actual performance on 9/11 is left unquestioned. But a new book, Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11 details how Giuliani’s failed leadership contributed to the disaster. According to Wayne Barrett and Dan Collins, “that memorable image-Rudy among the ruins-hides a multitude of sins: in the event of a terrorist attack, Giuliani should have been directing police, fire and emergency services from the city’s high-tech underground emergency management center; unfortunately, Giuliani had insisted that that secure center be located at the World Trade Center. Political infighting between police and fire departments went unchecked, preventing coordination between first responders, and Giuliani’s rush to return New York to business as usual (fearing that Wall Street might relocate) may have seriously impaired the health of returning workers and residents.”
The 9/11 attacks spiraled Giuliani to stardom. With the help of the media, he has politicized and exploited 9/11 for political gain.
— Igor Volsky
Writings by the Hudson 