The Heroic Image of Giuliani is Not Giuliani

By Channel 4 News | Today's Top News

The story of New York's city, of the falling crime rates and the rapid recovery from 9-11 has become Rudi Giuliani's story.

But it's a tale that New Yorkers argue simply isn't true.

Not for 100 years has a city mayor been elected president. Giuliani says his record in New York qualifies him to run the country but may become more of an embarrassment than a selling point.

He calls himself America's mayor and voters everywhere feel a personal connection to the man they think stood up for them and for the whole country on 9-11.

But he wants be a tough guy too. The one whose tough polices and zero tolerance policing slashed crime rates in New York.

Giuliani's campaign revolves around 9-11. He claims that other candidates underestimate the terror threat, that only he will keep America safe.

But, despite many warnings, he did almost nothing to prepare New York for an attack. He admits that on September 11 he didn't know who Al Qaeda was.

At Ground Zero today they are still digging the foundations for the new freedom tower. Before 9-11 the one thing Giuliani had done was to build himself, right next to this site, an emergency command centre

Giuliani spent $60m on the command centre in the World Trade Centre. He installed a humidor for his cigars, monogrammed towels in bathroom, even had private elevator which was handy when he brought his mistress here at the weekends. But he also installed a 600 gallon fuel tank which meant that when burning debris hit the building it went up like a blowtorch

So Giuliani found himself wandering the streets because he had ignored advice to put his command centre safely underground in Brooklyn. Insisting instead it had to be near City hall.

The World Trade Centre was an obvious terror target. It was also bombed in 1993. Then fire-fighters found their radios didn't work inside the towers.

By 2001 Giuliani had not fixed the problem. So as the towers were collapsing, 121 firemen inside never heard the order to evacuate.

Fire-fighters promise that if Giuliani wins the Republican nomination they will follow his campaign around the country telling their side of the story.

With his presidential bid so focussed on 9-11 they could do him serious damage.

New York is centre stage in this presidential election. The frontrunners in both parties are based here. So it is New Yorkers that know them best. That may not be to Giuliani's advantage.

Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 02:03:02 PM
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