If I were Giuliani, the last thing in the world I would want is for anyone to remember 9/11 and particularly my part in it. Guliani's statement that now, every day he spends time thinking about it just brings to my mind that first of all, even after the attack, he did not spend time at the bombing site every day and those days he did, he spent about 20 minutes there. That would be 20 minutes out of 140 daylight minutes a day. Next he did not even check on the toxic effects of being at that site where rescue workers were experiencing exposure to such toxins and such smells and third, during those short visits he was always surrounded by a crew of photographers and news folks. That he allowed his fire city personnel to be exposed to toxic stuff without intervening negates any bragging rights he could ever have for his 9/11 behavior.

There is such a small amount of the 9/11 situation for him to brag about, Right, at least he went those few minutes. But there is a lot about his lack of concern for people there that he has to be VERY sorry for. I will not hold my breath while expecting his apology.

totally agree. in a rational world there'd be no way for him to be running on this.

the problem is that rudy knows that the image of him striding out of the smoke and dust is very strong, and was seared on people's brains at a very vulnerable moment, i.e., just after the disaster.

and no matter how often we point out the reality of what actually happened folks are unlikely to grasp it and will remain seduced by rudy as churchill...

Well, if the Rove philosophy is for Republicans to attack their opponent' strengths, maybe we don't know about the part of the Rove philosophy that also encourages Republicans to run on their own weaknesses.

How else to explain Rudy Giulani running on preventing another 9/11, when he failed to prevent the first 9/11?

It's true that most Americans consider Rudy Giuliani the 9/11 hero, though there are some suspicious findings that point otherwise. We all know that nobody's perfect. Giuliani had no real power to prevent what happened on 9/11. He may have dropped the ball on the fallout, but I wasn't there, so I have no idea what was going through his mind.

I have to sympathize with Rudy a little bit. I started reading his autobiography the other day, and was reading his account of the tragedy. Giuliani, like many other New Yorkers, lost countless close friends in the WTC, and though it seems like he does milk it for political purposes, I'm sure that the events of 9/11 were highly disturbing to him. Part of his constant talk of 9/11 could be due to the fact that 9/11 was probably a defining moment in his life. You have to grant him that, whatever mistakes he might have made at the time.

Just food for thought.

9/11 was neither such a defining moment or compelling policy need for Giuliani that he could be bothered to attend the Iraq Study Group.