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WATCH: Giuliani Claims There Were "No Terrorist Attacks Under Bush"

Rudy Giuliani channels former Bush White House spokesperson Dana Perino and tells Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos there "were no domestic attacks" under George W. Bush and "one under Obama."

If you say so, Mr. "Noun-Verb-and-9/11".

Back in reality: Media Matters documents several other post September 11 domestic terrorist attacks during the Bush Administration, including attempted shoe bomber Richard Reid and the anthrax attacks.

Via Towleroad and TPM, watch Giuliani's ridiculous claim go unchallenged by George Stephanopoulos, who worked with me at ABC News when the newsroom was targeted by the anthrax terrorist, AFTER THE JUMP...

Giuliani Race-Baits on Campaign Trail for Bloomberg

Rudy Giuliani dog-whistles race and crime fears while on the campaign trail for Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The former New York City mayor warned that if Bloomberg is not re-elected in November, the city will become more dangerous. "I worried daily that the city might be turned back to the way it was before 1993... and you know exactly what I'm talking about," Giuliani warned a group of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn.

What exactly is Rudy talking about? Sounds like a none-too-subtle comparison between former Mayor David Dinkins, who is black, as is Bloomberg's opponent Bill Thompson.

Giuliani's incendiary rhetotric has been criticized by city leaders and Thompson's campaign. Bloomberg has no comment.

NY Gov. Paterson: Giuliani "A Half A Generation Behind" on Gay Rights

Gay City News publishes an extensive interview with New York Gov. David Paterson, who explains his reasons for introducing a marriage equality proposal now and despite the state's massive budget problems.

The governor tells Paul Schindler at Gay City News: "So many advocates were so devastated by Proposition 8 they didn't even know how to respond when marriage equality was being discussed as a political football in the battle over the Senate leadership at the end of last year. Then it was being discussed that the governor wouldn't even introduce a program bill this year.. That's when I decided to put a stop to that discussion."

The governor responds to his conservative critics and takes particular aim at former New York City mayor and has-been presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. "Asked to comment on the harsh criticism Giuliani, a potential opponent in the 2010 election, leveled at him over his push for marriage equality, the governor said, 'I think he is living half a generation behind, thinking like people were in 1993 when he became mayor'."

Giuliani's comments were made the same day a Siena Poll showed New Yorkers support marriage equality by a 53-39 margin. Giuliani, the three-times married Roman Catholic serial adulterer, is now opposed to same-sex marriage "because of his religious beliefs."

The Governor Speaks Out [GCN]

Paterson Approval Ratings Drop 20 Points at Record Low

Not good. The latest Marist College poll shows David Paterson has the lowest approval rating of any New York Governor in the poll's thirty year history. Cityroom at The New York Times:

Only 26 percent of the 1,045 registered voters surveyed said Mr. Paterson was doing either a good or excellent job, while 71 percent said he was doing a fair or poor job [Full poll details]. Even Eliot Spitzer had a higher approval rating a year ago, 30 percent, when he was the governor amid his prostitution scandal. The poll results indicate that voters believe Mr. Paterson is working hard and understands the state’s problems, but suggests people do not have confidence in his ability to lead.

Among Democrats, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo trounces Mr. Paterson in a hypothetical primary matchup, 62 to 26 percent. In a general election, Rudolph W. Giuliani would beat Mr. Paterson, 53 to 38 percent, according to the poll.

Paterson "is even doing poorly among members of his party" with only 30% of registered Democrats saying he's doing an above average job.

Paterson's approval numbers dropped some 20 percent since the January poll. Not sure is this a reflection of the budget process, his admittedly inept handling of the Hillary Clinton replacement, or a combination of other factors. But it's still early and he can turn the numbers around.

New York Times Endorses Clinton and McCain, Slams Giuliani

On the eve of the Democratic primary in South Carolina and the Republican contest in Florida, the New York Times editorial board endorses the two part front runners, Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain. The most striking feature of the Times endorsement for Clinton is its praise for the entire Democratic field:

"Hillary Clinton, the brilliant if at times harsh-sounding senator from New York; and Barack Obama, the incandescent if still undefined senator from Illinois. The remaining long shot, John Edwards, has enlivened the race with his own brand of raw populism."

The editors praise Obama's inspirational and rhetorical brilliance and say the choice comes down to experience.

"The potential upside of a great Obama presidency is enticing, but this country faces huge problems, and will no doubt be facing more that we can’t foresee. The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president."

The editorial for McCain is more of an anti-endorsement for the GOP brand. "Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe."

The choicest words are reserved for the single-issue candidacy of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, currently tanking in the polls and probably soon relegated to the asterisk column. The editors slam Giuliani as "a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man who saw no need to limit police power" whose "arrogance and bad judgment are breathtaking."

Major newspaper endorsements probably mean very little to the average voter, but, definitely carry more weight amongst the chattering class and the mainstream media. Major media endorsements probably help to frame the debate around the candidates and shape their talking points—last night's Republican debate featured a number of questions that were raised in the Times' endorsements.

More HILLARY CLINTON
More JOHN McCAIN

Publisher Judith Regan: News Corp Told Me to Lie to Protect Giuliani

The hits just keep coming for Rudy Giuliani and his disgraced former police chief.

Judith Regan, the former celebrity book publisher who had her own imprint with a Rupert Murdoch subsidiary, now sues News Corporation for a whopping $100 million. The lawsuit claims News Corp and FOX executives asked Regan to lie to federal investigators about her then-very-public affair with former New York City Police Commissioner (and now indicted tax and wire fraud cheat) Bernard Kerik, which happened during his ill-fated nomination for secretary of homeland security.

In case you forgot—really, there are so many Rudy Giulaini and Bernard Kerik scandals to track—Regan was the same book editor who published Kerik's memoirs and conducted an after-hours affair with the former top cop in a Ground Zero apartment intended for rescue workers. Classy.

Regan—who was fired in the uproar over the publication of OJ Simpson's revolting If I Did It memoirs of the Brentwood double murders—says News Corp executives favored Rudy Giuliani's then-undeclared presidential campaign and didn't want any bad publicity to undermine him. That is happening anyway. The allegations in the lawsuit—during election season!—should be just another nail in the coffin for anyone who doesn't believe Rupert Murdoch and FOX News slant the news toward Republicans and Rudy Giuliani. But even Ray Charles can see that bias.

Some Background ...
Bernard Kerik Indicted [R20]
Pat Robertson Endorses Rudy Giuliani [R20]
James Dobson: Just Say "No" to Giuliani [R20]
Giuliani to Speak at Anti-Gay "Values Voters" Summit [R20]
Giuliani Hires Producer of Race-Baiting, "Bimbo" Ad [R20]
Giuliani Aide Arrested for Extortion [R20]
Rudy's "Testosterone Factor" [R20]
Matthews on Giuliani: The Country "Wants Fascism" [R20]
Giuliani Flip Flops on Civil Unions [R20]
News: Rudy and McCain Court Anti-Gays [R20]
Giuliani: Pro-Gay Views "Not the Issue" [R20]
News: Giuliani's Not-So-Secret Plan [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security [R20]
Giuliani: Sorry, Only Millionaires Host My Rallies [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security Issues [R20]
Republican Candidates Skip Black Voters Debate [R20]

Bernard Kerik Indicted, Giuliani Refuses to Rule Out Pardon

In what hopefully will prove to be an ongoing embarrassment for the presidential aspirations of former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, his longtime associate and former police commissioner Bernard Kerik surrenders to face federal corruption and tax evasion charges. Details at WaPo:

The charges in the indictment include mail and wire fraud, tax fraud, making false statements on a bank application, making false statements for a U.S. government position and theft of honest services, according to the person close to the investigation. The theft charge essentially accuses a government employee of abusing his position and defrauding the public.

Kerik was Giuliani's handpicked nominee to the Bush Administration for homeland security secretary. Kerik, who never graduated college and rose to fame as Giulani's bodyguard and chauffeur, was forced to withdrawal his name because of tax issues involving a former nanny. There have been numerous ethical lapses in his public career, and, earlier this week, the New York Times details Kerik's many professional and financial associates that are connected to organized crime.

Giuliani has testified once before in a separate Kerik grand jury, and, possibly and quite hopefully, will be dragged off the campaign trail to testify once again at Kerik's expected trial.

"Rudy Giuliani refused to say if he'd consider pardoning his old friend Bernie Kerik...if elected President. 'It wouldn't be fair to ask that question at this point,' the Republican presidential hopeful'" told the Daily News just hours before Kerik was indicted.

Some Background ...
Pat Robertson Endorses Rudy Giuliani [R20]
James Dobson: Just Say "No" to Giuliani [R20]
Giuliani to Speak at Anti-Gay "Values Voters" Summit [R20]
Giuliani Hires Producer of Race-Baiting, "Bimbo" Ad [R20]
Giuliani Aide Arrested for Extortion [R20]
Rudy's "Testosterone Factor" [R20]
Matthews on Giuliani: The Country "Wants Fascism" [R20]
Giuliani Flip Flops on Civil Unions [R20]
News: Rudy and McCain Court Anti-Gays [R20]
Giuliani: Pro-Gay Views "Not the Issue" [R20]
News: Giuliani's Not-So-Secret Plan [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security [R20]
Giuliani: Sorry, Only Millionaires Host My Rallies [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security Issues [R20]
Republican Candidates Skip Black Voters Debate [R20]

Pat Robertson Endorses Rudy Giuliani: "He's More Than Acceptable to People of Faith"

So much for the myth of being a "moderate." Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani receives the blessing of Pat Robertson, one of the leading voices of the religious right.

"I thought it was important for me to make it clear that Rudy Giuliani is more than acceptable to people of faith," Robertson says of the thrice-married former mayor who divorced his second wide on live television. Robertson tells Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post that "it was time to solidify around one candidate" and wants to counter social conservative opposition to Giuliani.

Giuliani's one-note presidential campaign largely rests upon his questionable leadership in New York in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. In the days after the attacks, Robertson infamously released a statement "in which he said the attacks occurred because Americans had insulted God and lost the protection of heaven by allowing abortion and 'rampant Internet pornography.'" Robertson has also previously suggested a hurricane could devastate Orlando, Florida because of Gay Days at Disney. Robertson, an ordained minister, has also called for the assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

In related news, the Giuliani campaign announces openly gay Republican Party activist Carl Schmid joins the campaign as co-chair of its Washington DC leadership team. With friends like these ...

Some Background ...
James Dobson: Just Say "No" to Giuliani [R20]
Giuliani to Speak at Anti-Gay "Values Voters" Summit [R20]
Giuliani Hires Producer of Race-Baiting, "Bimbo" Ad [R20]
Giuliani Aide Arrested for Extortion [R20]
Rudy's "Testosterone Factor" [R20]
Matthews on Giuliani: The Country "Wants Fascism" [R20]
Giuliani Flip Flops on Civil Unions [R20]
News: Rudy and McCain Court Anti-Gays [R20]
Giuliani: Pro-Gay Views "Not the Issue" [R20]
News: Giuliani's Not-So-Secret Plan [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security [R20]
Giuliani: Sorry, Only Millionaires Host My Rallies [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security Issues [R20]
Republican Candidates Skip Black Voters Debate [R20]

Minnestota Giuliani Campaign Official Repeatedly Uses the N-Word

Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani is determined to run a "Southern strategy" ... even in the Midwest. The campaign's newly-hired Minnesota law enforcement strategist was fired from a top state position due to his fondness for the word "nigger."

TPM Election Central reports the newly-appointed campaign official with the colorful history is Richard Stanek, the Sheriff of Hennepin County, Minnesotta—the same county whose district attorney is prosecuting the Larry Craig bathroom incident. Stanek was formerly the state public safety commissioner but was forced out in 2004 after it was revealed he admitted calling several black motorists "nigger" in a 1992 police brutality suit. In other words, a perfect match for Giuliani.

Asked under oath in 1992 if he had ever used the word "nigger," he said he had "several times." ... In the deposition, he also admitted telling a racist joke and making negative comments about people because of their race.

Under deposition, the conservative sheriff describes his liberal usage of the racial slur:

Q: You indicated before you have used the word nigger before?
A: Uh-huh.

Q: Have you used the word ... before on any other occasion other than discussing this case?
A: Yes.

Q: Excluding the ones that had to do with this case how many times?
A: Several.

Q: Have you used that term when you were not quoting what somebody else said but merely expressing your own thoughts or words?
A: Yes.

One would imagine the Bernard Kerik experience would have forced Giuliani to become more efficient at vetting hires. It has not. The former federal prosecutors' presidential campaign is steered by juggernaut of thugs, racists, closeted gay sexual harassers and extortionists. drug dealers, and, in a delicious twist of irony, the father of the drug dealer is also a racist. It's almost operatic.

More RUDY GIULIANI.

Rudy's MN Campaign Official Has N-Word Problem [TPM]
Giuliani's South Carolina Meltdown [Truthdig]

Some Background ...
Giuliani to Speak at Anti-Gay "Values Voters" Summit [R20]
Giuliani Hires Producer of Race-Baiting, "Bimbo" Ad [R20]
Giuliani Aide Arrested for Extortion [R20]
Rudy's "Testosterone Factor" [R20]
Matthews on Giuliani: The Country "Wants Fascism" [R20]
Giuliani Flip Flops on Civil Unions [R20]
News: Rudy and McCain Court Anti-Gays [R20]
Giuliani: Pro-Gay Views "Not the Issue" [R20]
News: Giuliani's Not-So-Secret Plan [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security [R20]
Giuliani: Sorry, Only Millionaires Host My Rallies [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security Issues [R20]
Republican Candidates Skip Black Voters Debate [R20]
James Dobson: Just Say "No" to Giuliani [R20]

Giuliani Panders to Christian Right, Now Reportedly Favors Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Rudy Giuliani makes his best pitch to the restless, theocratic wing of the Republican Party and reportedly privately assures leading social conservatives he would support an amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Giuliani's dramatic 180 degree turn on writing discrimination into the Constitution comes from Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, which co-sponsored the "Values Voters Summit."

Perkins said Giuliani told him in a private meeting that if the Defense of Marriage Act appeared to be failing or if multiple states began to legalize same-sex marriages, then he would support the constitutional amendment.

Giuliani did not mention the amendment or the issue of gay marriage during his address to the Values Voters Summit, but that position could win him favor with some social conservatives who view the former mayor warily. [...]

Perkins said that was not enough to assuage his concerns about Giuliani, but “it was nice to hear.”

The thrice-married New Yorker with previously moderate views on gays, guns and abortion did not mention the subject of gay rights or gay marriage in his speech. "Giuliani was against bashing gays in the US Constitution before he was for it," AmericaBlog notes, because in 2004 the former mayor "made clear he disagrees with Bush's proposal to rewrite the Constitution to outlaw gays and lesbians from tying the knot."

Even if this were true—Perkins publicly says he will not support the noveaux right-wing candidate—the smoke signals from Camp Giuliani were telegraphed and ignored. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee "crushed the field" in the online straw poll at the summit with some 51 percent of the vote and proves he is becoming the "theocon's choice."

UPDATE: Jeremy at Good as You has video and semi-live streams of the "Values Voters" summit, including video of far right-wing firebrand Phyllis Schlafly—yes, she is still around—denouncing the gays. Hopefully she is not referring to her gay son.

More Rudy Giuliani HERE.
More Focus on the Family HERE.
More Republican Party HERE.

Giuliani Flip Flops to Religious Right [AmericaBlog]
Perkins: Giuliani Supports Amendment [The Hill]
Huckabee Wins Straw Poll [My DD]
Giuliani Tries to Assure Conservatives [HuffPo]
Giuliani to Right: "You Have Nothing to Fear" [RWW]

Some Background ...
Giuliani to Speak at Anti-Gay "Values Voters" Summit [R20]
Giuliani Hires Producer of Race-Baiting, "Bimbo" Ad [R20]
Giuliani Aide Arrested for Extortion [R20]
Rudy's "Testosterone Factor" [R20]
Matthews on Giuliani: The Country "Wants Fascism" [R20]
Giuliani Flip Flops on Civil Unions [R20]
News: Rudy and McCain Court Anti-Gays [R20]
Giuliani: Pro-Gay Views "Not the Issue" [R20]
News: Giuliani's Not-So-Secret Plan [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security [R20]
Giuliani: Sorry, Only Millionaires Host My Rallies [R20]
Clinton Leading Giuliani on National Security Issues [R20]
Republican Candidates Skip Black Voters Debate [R20]
Thompson, Leading GOP Candidates Refuse Debate [R20]
Thompson is "Right with God" But Not Churchgoer [R20]
This is the One Photo the Republican Party ... [R20]
News: UCC Slams Fundies [R20]
James Dobson: Just Say "No" to Giuliani [R20]
Focus on the Family Will Not Support Thompson [R20]
Brownback-ing Out [R20]