hirPolitics

If ever I decide that it’s okay to become a hypocrite, I’ll just change my party affiliation. Listening to the radio on my way to work, they had a delegate from Shawnee Kansas on the air, and I quote “anyone listening to Sarah Palin last night should have no question that she’s ready to step up and lead.”

Wait, you mean it isn’t her record as a Mayor or Governor that we should feel comfortable about, but instead we should have no doubts because of a speech? I see, but that same logic just doesn’t fit when the candidate is Barack Obama. And I’ll give the lady the credit she deserves; she gave a pretty good speech. Plenty about it I disagreed with, but for the most part, at least she wasn’t up there trying to take pot shots at Obama.

Can’t say the same for Rudy Giuliani, a guy I once thought could make a decent President. Instead of giving a speech that made me believe in McCain and the Republican party, he took cheap shot after cheap shot at Barack Obama. When will they ever grow up? While we all heard Obama give McCain credit for all he’s done, Rudy mocked what Barack has done. Oh, how funny, Barack was a community organizer. Mwhaha, and he wants to be President now?

Did I hear Rudy right? Just to be sure, I pulled the transcript. “One final point. And how — how dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be vice president. How dare they do that.”

Seriously, did the adultery really go there? We’re getting lessons in family values a guy who strayed twice, that we know of. How dare us? How dare him! You don’t get a pass for getting your first marriage annulled because she was your second cousin, and not your third. How did that not come up? When sending out the invites, didn’t they realize they were asking people to sit on both sides?

I have a few comments in response to Rudy questioning Barack’s resume. First point, where exactly is the job posting for President? I want to see it, because if in fact it lists certain requirements, that Barack hasn’t met, then maybe we shouldn’t elect him President. Second, how do you mention the fact that Obama went to an Ivy League school as if it’s a negative accomplishment? Raised in a single parent household, the man made his own way to one of the most prestigious Universities in the world. Unlike George W, who went to a Ivy League school on daddy’s lap.

Then, instead of taking that education and trading it in as soon as possible for a cushy job, he went to work as a Community Organizer. And I guess if we listen to Rudy, organization isn’t something they need in Washington. Oh, and the group that he worked for was a church-based community. But I guess he still isn’t Christian enough, because he may think that some people hold too religion a little too much.

Is McCain a hero for going through the hardships he had to endure, and not just surviving but succeeding? Absolutely. But Obama is every bit the hero McCain is. The fact that McCain spilled his blood, and made great sacrifices for his country, doesn’t entitle him to the Presidency. If that’s the case, he’ll make sure we have plenty of well qualified applicants in the future. They’ll be ready just as soon as they get back from Iraq.

I’m glad my parents never taught me, what must be Republican law, that a man can’t change his mind when he receives new and different information. But Rudy, if changing your mind is so bad that you must mock Barack for doing so, why then, is it okay that you changed parties back in 1975, when you went from being a Democrat (gasp) to an Independent. And then once Reagan won, you were suddenly a Republican. You change your mind almost as often as you change brides.

Another gem from Rudy, “I learned as a trial lawyer a long time ago, if you don’t have the facts, you’ve got to change them.” That says it all, doesn’t it? He went on to say that’s what their opponents are doing, in trying to re-frame the debate, but this is what you learned Rudy. Maybe some didn’t learn that lesson. Maybe, just maybe, some people go on just the facts and let them speak for themselves. And now, maybe we should have every conviction Rudy padded his resume with, looked at under a microscope.

As Rudy Giulani said as he campaigned for Mayor of New York City in 1989 (he lost this one), “if we keep going merrily along, this city’s going down.” And you can keep slinging the word “liberal” around as if it was a four letter word, but I know you ran as part on the Liberal Party line when you were elected Mayor in 1993.

Rudy also said he was impressed at how Sarah Palin took out corruption, even in the Republican Party, while Governor of Alaska. Finally, something you should be impressed by. Or did you think everyone forgot about your right hand man in New York, Bernard Kerik. That’s right; you also had him as a partner at Giuliani Partners. You named him New York City Police Commissioner, and how quickly you cut your ties. After it came out his nanny was an illegal immigrant, and he was later charged for ethics violations. I think he’s still under Federal investigation after a grand jury issued a multi-count indictment for, oh this is good, conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud AND lying to the IRS.

So Rudy, if we go back to your analogy, of looking at the resumes for both candidates, maybe McCain would be better served to leave your name off of the references page.