Michael Lubin on Rudy: "As far as I'm concerned, we were watching a madman"

From Newsweek:

 

http://www.newsweek.com/id/72121/page/5

 

Loyalty has always been the greatest virtue to Giuliani, sometimes trumping all others. By loyalty, Giuliani's critics contend, he means "loyalty to Rudy." Disloyal subordinates learned this the hard way, even if they thought they were serving some higher master, like truth and justice. By the early '80s, Giuliani had risen to claim a top job in the Reagan administrationJustice Department. At the time, the department was investigating McDonnell Douglas, the aircraft manufacturer, for making foreign bribes. Without telling career prosecutors who had been working on the case for months, Giuliani met with McDonnell Douglas defense lawyers. The career prosecutors were upset that a top official had gone over their heads, and wrote a letter to Giuliani expressing "shock" and "dismay," and warning that his secret meeting with the defense could undermine the prosecution's case. The letter leaked. Giuliani summoned the prosecutors, Michael Lubin and George Mendelson, to his office—and exploded.

 

"As far as I'm concerned, we were watching a madman," Lubin told Jim Stewart for his book "The Prosecutors." "I've never heard or seen anything like it, even in the movies. He ranted and raved for a full twenty minutes." Giuliani, who later dropped criminal indictments against four McDonnell Douglas executives as part of a plea agreement in which the company paid $1.2 million in fines, dismissed Lubin and Mendelson as "jerks." With petty vindictiveness, he withdrew a special Justice Department commendation awarded the two prosecutors

Rudy's nasty side...

"The mayor's nasty side becomes more apparent once desperation sets
in, and with all of the slipping poll numbers, it is certainly
apparent that these negative attacks are coming for a reason," Madden
said.

"There is only one candidate in this race who has actually achieved
health-care reform, and that's Gov. Romney. Mayor Giuliani can only
recite talking points provided to him because he has neither a record
or even a basic understanding of how health care markets work or how
reform is achieved."

A RECORD OF REDUCING CRIME IN MASSACHUSETTS

GIULIANI'S INCREASINGLY "FUZZY" STATS

Giuliani Falsely Claims That "Violent Crime" Went Up In Massachusetts:

Yesterday, Giuliani Falsely Claimed That "Violent Crime" Went Up In
Massachusetts. "'Gov. Romney did not have a good record in dealing
with violent crime.' Giuliani pulled a sheet of paper out of his
pocket that listed FBI crime statistics for Massachusetts while Romney
was governor. Murders were up 7.5 percent, robbery was up 12 percent,
he said. 'He had an increase in murder and violent crime while he was
governor,' Giuliani said. 'So it's not so much the isolated situation
which he and the judge will have to explain _ he's kind of thrown her
under the bus, so it's hard to know how this is all going to come out.
But the reality is, he did not have a record of reducing violent
crime.'" (Charles Babington, "Romney Calls On Judge He Appointed To
Resign After Washington State Murders," The Associated Press,
11/24/07)

FACT: According To The FBI Statistics, Overall "Violent Crime"
Decreased In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney:
Under Governor Romney, the violent crime rate in Massachusetts
decreased by over 7%. The violent crime rate was lower than the
national average. Prior to Governor Romney, the violent crime rate
was increasing.

Violent Crime Rate Per 100,000 Residents

Massachusetts National Rate

2002 – 484.42002 – 494.4
2003 – 473.12003 – 475.9
2004 – 458.82004 – 463.2
2005 – 4572005 – 469
2006 – 4472006 – 473.5

Source: FBI Crime in the United States Website, "Crime in the United
States, 1987-2006,"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_01.html, Accessed 10/12/07

FACT: According To FBI Statistics, The Overall Crime Rate Decreased
In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney:

Under Governor Romney, The Overall Crime Rate Fell By 8% Over His Four
Years In Office. "Car thefts and larcenies also were down, in line
with national trends, and helped contribute to an overall 8 percent
decline in crime during Romney's four years, according to the
FBI stats." (Dave Wedge, "Crime Up During Romney Tenure," The Boston
Herald, 9/26/07)

FACT: According To FBI Statistics, Other Crimes Were Down Under
Governor Romney (2002-2006):
Assaults Down 15%. (FBI Crime in the United States Website,
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
Rape Down 2%. (FBI Crime in the United States Website,
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
Larceny/Theft Down 6%. (FBI Crime in the United States Website,
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
Motor Vehicle Theft Down 32%. (FBI Crime in the United States
Website, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)

FACT: This Isn't The First Time Giuliani Has Used "Fuzzy … Math":

ABC News: Giuliani Uses "Fuzzy Healthcare Math" In Radio Ad. "To
hear Rudy Giuliani describe it in his new radio ad, the British
medical system is a scary place. 'My chance of surviving prostate
cancer – and thank God I was cured of it – in the United States: 82
percent,' Giuliani says in a new radio spot airing in New Hampshire.
'My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: Only 44 percent,
under socialized medicine.' But the data Giuliani cites comes from a
single study published eight years ago by a not-for-profit group, and
is contradicted by official data from the British government.
According to the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, for
men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1999 and 2003, the
'five-year survival rate' – a common measurement in cancer statistics
– was 74.4 percent." (Rick Klein, "Rudy's Fuzzy Healthcare Math," ABC
News, 10/29/07)

The Annenberg Public Policy Center: Giuliani Wrongly Claims He Left A
Budget Surplus. "Giuliani's radio ad also asserts that he 'turned a
2.3 billion deficit into a multibillion-dollar surplus' in New York.
Well, not if you're comparing what he inherited with what he left,
which would be a logical way to look at it. When he took office in
1994, Giuliani was indeed facing a $2.3 billion deficit for the next
fiscal year. But Giuliani's last budget, issued in May 2001 – before
9/11 – for fiscal 2002, projected a deficit of nearly $2.8 billion in
fiscal 2003, the first budget year the new mayor would face. The IBO
estimated the deficit would be even larger, about $3.3 billion."
("Giuliani's Tax Puffery," FactCheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/,
7/27/07)

The Washington Times: Giuliani Exaggerates Tax Cutting Number. "Mr.
Giuliani repeated his claim that he 'cut taxes 23 times when I was
mayor of New York.' It turns out that many of those cuts were
instigated by Republican Gov. George Pataki and the state legislature.
One of several glaring flaws in Mr. Giuliani's record on taxes was, as
the Club for Growth says, his 1994 'opposition to Republican
[gubernatorial] candidate George Pataki's proposed cut in the state
income tax,' whose rates were among the highest in the country."
(Editorial, "Romney And Giuliani," The Washington Times, 10/14/07)

A Record Of Reducing Crime In Massachusetts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2007	CONTACT: Romney Press Shop (857) 288-6390
A RECORD OF REDUCING CRIME IN MASSACHUSETTS GIULIANI'S INCREASINGLY "FUZZY" STATS Giuliani Falsely Claims That "Violent Crime" Went Up In Massachusetts: Yesterday, Giuliani Falsely Claimed That "Violent Crime" Went Up In Massachusetts.  "'Gov. Romney did not have a good record in dealing with violent crime.' Giuliani pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket that listed FBI crime statistics for Massachusetts while Romney was governor. Murders were up 7.5 percent, robbery was up 12 percent, he said.  'He had an increase in murder and violent crime while he was governor,' Giuliani said. 'So it's not so much the isolated situation which he and the judge will have to explain _ he's kind of thrown her under the bus, so it's hard to know how this is all going to come out. But the reality is, he did not have a record of reducing violent crime.'"  (Charles Babington, "Romney Calls On Judge He Appointed To Resign After Washington State Murders," The Associated Press , 11/24/07) FACT: According To The FBI Statistics, Overall "Violent Crime" Decreased In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney: Under Governor Romney, the violent crime rate in Massachusetts decreased by over 7%.  The violent crime rate was lower than the national average.  Prior to Governor Romney, the violent crime rate was increasing. Violent Crime Rate Per 100,000 Residents Massachusetts National Rate 2002 – 484.4 2002 – 494.4 2003 – 473.1 2003 – 475.9 2004 – 458.8 2004 – 463.2 2005 – 457 2005 – 469 2006 – 447 2006 – 473.5 Source:  FBI Crime in the United States Website, "Crime in the United States, 1987-2006," http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_01.html, Accessed 10/12/07 FACT:  According To FBI Statistics, The Overall Crime Rate Decreased In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney: Under Governor Romney, The Overall Crime Rate Fell By 8% Over His Four Years In Office.  "Car thefts and larcenies also were down, in line with national trends, and helped contribute to an overall 8 percent decline in crime during Romney's four years, according to the FBI stats."  (Dave Wedge, "Crime Up During Romney Tenure," The Boston Herald, 9/26/07) FACT:  According To FBI Statistics, Other Crimes Were Down Under Governor Romney (2002-2006): Assaults Down 15%.  (FBI Crime in the United States Website, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr , Accessed 10/12/07) Rape Down 2%.  (FBI Crime in the United States Website, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr , Accessed 10/12/07) Larceny/Theft Down 6%.   (FBI Crime in the United States Website, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr , Accessed 10/12/07) Motor Vehicle Theft Down 32%.  (FBI Crime in the United States Website, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07) FACT:  This Isn't The First Time Giuliani Has Used "Fuzzy …  Math": ABC News:  Giuliani Uses "Fuzzy Healthcare Math" In Radio Ad.  "To hear Rudy Giuliani describe it in his new radio ad, the British medical system is a scary place.  'My chance of surviving prostate cancer – and thank God I was cured of it – in the United States: 82 percent,' Giuliani says in a new radio spot airing in New Hampshire. 'My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: Only 44 percent, under socialized medicine.'  But the data Giuliani cites comes from a single study published eight years ago by a not-for-profit group, and is contradicted by official data from the British government.  According to the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, for men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1999 and 2003, the 'five-year survival rate' – a common measurement in cancer statistics – was 74.4 percent." (Rick Klein, "Rudy's Fuzzy Healthcare Math," ABC News, 10/29/07) The Annenberg Public Policy Center: Giuliani Wrongly Claims He Left A Budget Surplus.  "Giuliani's radio ad also asserts that he 'turned a 2.3 billion deficit into a multibillion-dollar surplus' in New York. Well, not if you're comparing what he inherited with what he left, which would be a logical way to look at it. When he took office in 1994, Giuliani was indeed facing a $2.3 billion deficit for the next fiscal year. But Giuliani's last budget, issued in May 2001 – before 9/11 – for fiscal 2002, projected a deficit of nearly $2.8 billion in fiscal 2003, the first budget year the new mayor would face. The IBO estimated the deficit would be even larger, about $3.3 billion." ("Giuliani's Tax Puffery," FactCheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/, 7/27/07) The Washington Times : Giuliani Exaggerates Tax Cutting Number.  "Mr. Giuliani repeated his claim that he 'cut taxes 23 times when I was mayor of New York.' It turns out that many of those cuts were instigated by Republican Gov. George Pataki and the state legislature. One of several glaring flaws in Mr. Giuliani's record on taxes was, as the Club for Growth says, his 1994 'opposition to Republican [gubernatorial] candidate George Pataki's proposed cut in the state income tax,' whose rates were among the highest in the country."  (Editorial, "Romney And Giuliani," The Washington Times, 10/14/07)

Creeping Socialism

In a recent Glen Beck interview Mitt Romney spoke about his Health Care initive, explaining how we are currently on the road to socialized medicine, and how his plan steers us away from a government takeover of health care.



You don't have to look far to see the effects of socialism creeping into our health care system.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is moving ahead with a broad expansion of state-subsidized health care even though a legislative oversight panel told him "no" last week.

Blagojevich is expanding FamilyCare income eligibility to $82,600 for a family of four to give more people medical coverage. Previously, the income cutoff was $38,202 per year for that same family.

On Tuesday, a legislative rule-making panel voted to block Blagojevich's attempt to enact the health-care expansion. But Abby Ottenhoff, a Blagojevich spokeswoman, insisted the panel is not legally empowered to block the governor's actions.

"[The panel's] role is merely advisory," Ottenhoff wrote in an e-mail response to the Tribune late Friday. "It does not have the constitutional authority to suspend the regulation."

Lawmakers who thought they had blocked the governor last week were caught off guard by Blagojevich's decision to press ahead despite the rejection.

So, if a family making 80K a year will now be covered by government health care, where's the cutoff going to be in a decade? Eventually there won't be a cutoff, because government programs push the expenses of the non-insured to the insured, through higher taxes, higher health care costs, and higher premiums. In turn this makes it harder for people to afford insurance, which makes more people who need to be covered by government programs.

It is worth the effort that caring for animals takes in order to keep them part of our lives -0.5

Killer whales should not be kept in captivity.

Reasons to agree:

Over seas zoos are cooler,
because they let you have
more of an experience with animals

1. Our pets put up with our kids playing with (tormenting) them. See video below for proof.
2. Cats are good on a farm for killing mice.
3. Dogs are good for scaring away possums  raccoon  and field mice.  
4. No one's house needs to be so clean that they don't have animals. 
5. Having animals can help you prepare for your death, and the deaths of those you love. Animals usually have a shorter life span than we do. We don't talk about death enough.
6. It is true that the sun will burn out, and we are the only species that has a chance to escape this earth, but we will be lonely if we can't take any other species with us.
7. Animals experience human emotions. 

Reasons to agree: 

1. Pets are a mess.
1. Pets shed.
2. Pets poop and pee in your house or in your yard.
3. Pets kill grass, when walking on it all winter long
2. Animals are work. If you think the work is worth it, good for you. If you don't, then you will probably have time for other stuff. You shouldn't feel bad if your not an animal person. You aren't missing anything that great.  For instance if you have young kids, you can just know that your life will already be frazzled, dirty, and chaotic. Perhaps you can wait until your kids are a little older for a dog, or your house is better suited for an animal. 
3. Cats make people crazy. They actually give you a disease that makes you crazy. 

Score:

# of reasons to agree: +4

# of reasons to disagree: -3

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -3/2 = -1/5

Total Idea Score: 4-2-3/2 = -0.5

Videos that agree: +2

My son chasing our dog on his tricycle 

"Well, bless my soul! Take it out! Take it out! Take it out! Remove it!" James and I noticed this on the way to drop him off at day care.

Kids get all excited about geese at the zoo

Wolves, at the zoo

Kids want to have interactions with the natural world around them, including anmils. 

Dred

I am trying to paint a picture of me being a sophisticated-Idahoan. Me telling stories that involve the use of the barter system may not be a dandy way for me to implement the sophisticated-Idahoan campaign. Oh well.

My Dad taught drivers-ed during the summer. Some guy gave us a baby cow instead of paying us with regular money. So we called the calf "Dred" for Drivers Education.

Dred was a childhood pet of mine. For a cow, he made a very good pet. I remember having a leash and walking him around the pasture. When we installed an electric fence we put some food on it to draw the cow to it.

We did not realize how long it would take for the electric elements to warm up. By the time the fence turned on Dred had wrapped his tough completely around the food and was trying to swallow it.

It did not take long for Dred to realize the basic operations of the electric fence. Dred jumped with such surprise that he nearly knocked over the fence. Needless to say Dred was never the same after that, and never seemed to trust those who witnessed what has come to be known as the "shockening".

Images that agree: +7

Walking around a pasture without shoes! Not too smart. 

I didn't have dogs growing up but we had a couple
of cats

Megan's dog Finley wearing my glasses

James enjoying Finnley's new dog house

Me in my back yard with my cat, about the age that my son is now. She had a great back porch that it lived under. I had a great back yard, and a pasture, and a cool tree near the ditch that I had a tree fort in. I had a telescope and could watch the birds from my tree fort. I think I had the perfect balance of living right on the outskirts of town... Perhaps I'm overly nostalgic about how important it was for me to have unsupervised time outside to just think, and wander along the ditch, and go for walks, away from buildings, and people... I remember going in the winter time, through the snow too... I mean there is nothing that I can point at and say how it has helped me in my life for sure, but I miss it. I miss the time out of time... the time with just the earth, sky, water, plants, and me. I feel guilty living in a neighborhood. for my kids... I wish for them to have the exact childhood I had. It seems weird not being able to go back in time, and bring them up in the same house, and place that I knew... I feel like a stranger in my neighborhood away from my family, and I don't know how to point to the world, and say this is something I understand kids, go enjoy it... I am hear for a job, I got this house, because it had more room than some of the other houses, I don't know any of our neighbors, and I don't really like the cars that drive up the road, and I don't want to let you wander around the neighborhood, but we can do the best we can with this place that is thousand of miles from where I grew up, where your grandparents are from, and hopefully you can make wherever you are feel like home, and hopefully wherever you go you can find people that understand, respect, and make room in their lives for you...

Finley was a very good dog, and a great friend for our son

Portrait of Steve Irwin with his daughter by Hugh Stewart. He experienced animals in their natural habitat, and gave his family a good life. So great that he took his daughter with him into nature, but let her still be a princess.

Websites that agree:

1. http://www.peta.org/
2. http://www.succeedsocially.com/coolanimals

Related Posts:

• Its alright to let your young kids chase geese +5 
• The Shed Aquarium is cool
• Trips to the zoo are good for kids
• Kids like (are are like) wild animals

All Paths to Conservative Health Care

All Paths to Conservative Health Care seem to lead through Mitt Romney. Though none of the other canidates seem willing to give Romney any praise for innovating the consumer-centered approach, the all seem to have adopted it into their plans.

“Credit for starting from a consumer-centered approach goes principally to former Governor Mitt Romney and his administration.”-Edmund F. Haislmaier, Heritage Foundation

Fred Thompson

"Every American should be able to get health insurance coverage that is affordable, fully accessible, and portable. Coverage should meet their individual needs and put them in control."

"I am committed to a healthcare system that:""Increases competition and consumer choice while streamlining regulations through free-market solutions that benefit individuals and reduce costs for employers."

Rudy Giuliani

"The radio ad which begins running in New Hampshire tomorrow emphasizes the need to find free-market solutions that facilitate consumer-driven health care"

Mike Huckabee

"I value the states' role as laboratories for new market-based approaches."

"It is time to recognize that jobs don't need health care, people do, and move from employer-based to consumer-based health care."

John McCain

"I offer a genuinely conservative vision for health care reform, which preserves the most essential value of American lives - freedom."

"When an American family controls its own health care financing, has a wide variety of low-cost, innovative choices, and receives insurance through a sponsor they trust"