That Thing Of Theirs

by digby


I'm now at the point where I really want Rudy Giuliani to get the GOP nomination for 2008. While it's true that he's a bloodthirsty, incoherent psychopath, the fact that he's so enmeshed in various criminal enterprises that even the moribund media can't ignore it, means that the presidential campaign will unfold as a beautiful coda to the Bush years if it happens.

Steve Benen, writing at TPM discusses some of Giuliani's closest buddies:

Following up on Election Central's piece, it looks like Rudy Giuliani has a real problem here. Time's David Von Drehle asked a highly relevant question in his latest piece: "How many alleged criminals can a law-and-order candidate be associated with before it starts to hurt?" Von Drehle posed the question after Thomas Ravenel, the chairman of Giuliani's presidential campaign in South Carolina, was indicted on cocaine distribution charges, which, of course, comes on the heels of revelations about Giuliani's connections with Bernard Kerik.

But if Von Drehle's deadline was just one day later, he would have been able to include an even more damaging example of Giuliani's questionable associations.

Giuliani employs his childhood friend Monsignor Alan Placa as a consultant at Giuliani Partners despite a 2003 Suffolk County, N.Y., grand jury report that accuses Placa of sexually abusing children, as well as helping cover up the sexual abuse of children by other priests. Placa, who was part of a three-person team that handled allegations of abuse by clergy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, is referred to as Priest F in the grand jury report. The report summarizes the testimony of multiple alleged victims of Priest F, and then notes, "Ironically, Priest F would later become instrumental in the development of Diocesan policy in response to allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests." [...]

Placa has worked for Giuliani Partners since 2002. As of June 2007, he remains on the payroll. "He is currently employed here," Giuliani spokeswoman Sunny Mindel confirmed to Salon, adding that Giuliani "believes Alan has been unjustly accused."




I confess that I am getting a little bit dizzy from the constant whining from law and order Republicans that the judicial system is arrayed against them and all their friends (even accused child molesters!) while they claim they are the only ones who are man enough to fight the bad guys. Apparently they aren't aware that their rheumy pearl clutching in the first case kind of makes the second case look ridiculous. This is particularly true of the alleged tough guy in a dress.

But, hey, not my problem. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Rudy/Newtie ticket.


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