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Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 02:56 PM Oct 2019

Has there ever been a bigger squandering of a reputation than that by Rudy Giuliani?

As I recall, he was a good, well respected prosecutor. He may have been a good mayor, without having to exploit the September 11 tragedy (just my opinion). But now????????? Damn, he has morphed into just the sort of miscreant he once prosecuted. Seriously, what was his turning point? Is it all down to his association with trump*, or is he just, at the core of it, a 'at any cost' fame whore?

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Has there ever been a bigger squandering of a reputation than that by Rudy Giuliani? (Original Post) Siwsan Oct 2019 OP
I've been thinking the same thing. Not only has he gone from hero to zero, Coventina Oct 2019 #1
Yep, I remember when he was a hero in NYC for cleaning up a lot of crime, but now he's RKP5637 Oct 2019 #2
He was no hero to people of color in NYC. Cops were killing and raping blackmen with broom sticks... brush Oct 2019 #32
Thank you for this! Yes, I recall that now, It was horrible, extremely horrible. Also one and RKP5637 Oct 2019 #33
Truth! StarfishSaver Oct 2019 #35
I remember it that way, too. kskiska Oct 2019 #37
OJ Midnight Writer Oct 2019 #3
Rudy has become what he once prosecuted so I think that gives him an edge Siwsan Oct 2019 #6
Makes one wonder just how Rudy made his reputation in NYC to begin w/, doesn't it? ... SWBTATTReg Oct 2019 #4
I think he is a mob associate, if not an actual mobster. CottonBear Oct 2019 #19
jimmy savile unblock Oct 2019 #5
Yea, that was pretty shocking. Siwsan Oct 2019 #7
The only person I can think of comparable .... sadly underpants Oct 2019 #8
That one was a heart breaker. But he recognized and (eventually) accepted responsibility Siwsan Oct 2019 #12
The Kerik association should have buried Giuliani jberryhill Oct 2019 #28
John Edwards isn't even close to being Rudy Giuliani StarfishSaver Oct 2019 #36
The love of power corrupts... lunatica Oct 2019 #9
It was always an undeserved reputation. He has always been a greedy, power hungry tblue37 Oct 2019 #10
It was always just a false media narrative. nt tblue37 Oct 2019 #11
Interesting. Maybe he was just good at garnering the spot light?? Siwsan Oct 2019 #13
I've read that he went after the Italian mob, while being cozy with the Russian mob. If tblue37 Oct 2019 #22
Considering what we're seeing now, I think that's totally credible Siwsan Oct 2019 #23
He has seemed very weird and flighty for years, to me. He jumps around all over the place. braddy Oct 2019 #14
He is WAAYYYYY too animated, that's for sure Siwsan Oct 2019 #16
I don't know about squandering but TlalocW Oct 2019 #15
I don't think he had that much of a good reputation, to begin with! Siwsan Oct 2019 #18
All of them have fallen to disgrace and servitude. LakeArenal Oct 2019 #17
Well, they do say everything and everyone trump* 'touches' turns to poo Siwsan Oct 2019 #20
Except in-his own mind. LakeArenal Oct 2019 #21
Jared, The Subway sandwich guy. n/t Yavin4 Oct 2019 #24
Ouch jberryhill Oct 2019 #27
Some of Giuliani's record as US Attoney. Jim__ Oct 2019 #25
I am wondering now about his record as a prosecutor jberryhill Oct 2019 #26
That's a mind-blowing scenario! Siwsan Oct 2019 #29
I don't know of Charles Lindbergh's association with nazi sympathizers rurallib Oct 2019 #30
I know he had a whole secret family, in Germany Siwsan Oct 2019 #31
Actually during WWII Dem4Life1102 Oct 2019 #38
Thanks- never really had tome to dig much into Lindy rurallib Oct 2019 #41
I'd say William "DisBarr" MiniMe Oct 2019 #34
He actually had a very mixed record as a mayor karynnj Oct 2019 #39
Benedict Arnold was once a very respected American. Goodheart Oct 2019 #40
He's been a horrible opportunistic shit Voltaire2 Oct 2019 #42
OJ Patterson Oct 2019 #43
well, from the standpoint that he was always very OVERRATED Skittles Oct 2019 #44
Well, he started off as an a-hole & his grandpa was mob, so... UTUSN Oct 2019 #45

Coventina

(27,120 posts)
1. I've been thinking the same thing. Not only has he gone from hero to zero,
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 02:58 PM
Oct 2019

but less than zero: a bumbling, scorned, thug with criminal connections, if not actually a criminal himself.

RKP5637

(67,108 posts)
2. Yep, I remember when he was a hero in NYC for cleaning up a lot of crime, but now he's
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:01 PM
Oct 2019

wacky, intent on ruining his reputation. tRump destroys everything.

brush

(53,778 posts)
32. He was no hero to people of color in NYC. Cops were killing and raping blackmen with broom sticks...
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 05:00 PM
Oct 2019

and yelling "It's Giuliani time." I know, I was there. As far as 9/11, He did what any mayor would've done in a time of crisis.

RKP5637

(67,108 posts)
33. Thank you for this! Yes, I recall that now, It was horrible, extremely horrible. Also one and
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 05:04 PM
Oct 2019

likely more were killed with a broom stick up their ass. Some cops are horrible creatures!!!

 

StarfishSaver

(18,486 posts)
35. Truth!
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 05:30 PM
Oct 2019

He only fooled some people. People of color and others on the receiving end of his tactics knew for decades he was a soulless opportunistic jerk.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
6. Rudy has become what he once prosecuted so I think that gives him an edge
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:11 PM
Oct 2019

However, I think massive, out of control ego is an element for both.

SWBTATTReg

(22,124 posts)
4. Makes one wonder just how Rudy made his reputation in NYC to begin w/, doesn't it? ...
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:09 PM
Oct 2019

I wonder if he was in cahoots w/ these mob guys from the very beginning, and got his so called 'enhanced' reputation as a prosecutor because his prior prosecutions were staged? Makes one wonder about the total turn around of his reputation and who he deals w/.

CottonBear

(21,596 posts)
19. I think he is a mob associate, if not an actual mobster.
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:24 PM
Oct 2019

Paul Manafort is a mobster.
Kellyanne Conway was born into a mob family.
The only real way to understand this misadministration, is to see it as an organized crime syndicate.

underpants

(182,803 posts)
8. The only person I can think of comparable .... sadly
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:14 PM
Oct 2019

was John Edwards. He, though, just disappeared while Rudy stays around making it worse.

Strangely the beginning of the end for Rudy was the incredible flameout of his sideman Bernie Kerik.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
12. That one was a heart breaker. But he recognized and (eventually) accepted responsibility
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:17 PM
Oct 2019

I think he's still practicing law. I think his decision to live a life out of the spotlight was the right choice.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
9. The love of power corrupts...
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:15 PM
Oct 2019

It brings down a lot of leaders. The love of money is really just the love of the power it brings. The adage applies.

tblue37

(65,357 posts)
10. It was always an undeserved reputation. He has always been a greedy, power hungry
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:16 PM
Oct 2019

thug with a penchant for the spotlight.

Not to mention his disgusting treatment of his wives.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
13. Interesting. Maybe he was just good at garnering the spot light??
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:20 PM
Oct 2019

I see him show up on documentaries about the mob trials. I thought he had some good victories. I remember reading that the mob made an effort at 'removing' him.

And, yea, his treatment of his wives has been beyond deplorable.

tblue37

(65,357 posts)
22. I've read that he went after the Italian mob, while being cozy with the Russian mob. If
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:38 PM
Oct 2019

that's true, then his anti-mob crusade could be interpreted as just clearing away the competition.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
23. Considering what we're seeing now, I think that's totally credible
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:42 PM
Oct 2019

I don't think there is any way out of this mess, for Rudy.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
16. He is WAAYYYYY too animated, that's for sure
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:22 PM
Oct 2019

I wonder if it's panic and desperation, or encroaching dementia.

TlalocW

(15,382 posts)
15. I don't know about squandering but
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:21 PM
Oct 2019

Nunes has cemented his legacy as the guy who is suing a fake cow because his feewings got hurt. Fifty years from now when he passes, and the media give him a few seconds at the end of their broadcast, after explaining was Twitter was, that's what will be told about him. That's his eventual obituary, his legacy.

TlalocW

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
18. I don't think he had that much of a good reputation, to begin with!
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:23 PM
Oct 2019

He's one I hope to see removed, next November.

LakeArenal

(28,817 posts)
17. All of them have fallen to disgrace and servitude.
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:22 PM
Oct 2019

Lindsey Graham. John McCains best friend
Ted Cruz insulted openly. Grovels now
Rubio. Groveler
Kelly Conway. Ugh
Sarah Sanders. Liar to hell
They all have licked the boot of a traitor.
Mulvaney, Barr,
Steven Miller born evil.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
20. Well, they do say everything and everyone trump* 'touches' turns to poo
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:25 PM
Oct 2019

He's kind of like the anti-King Midas.

Jim__

(14,076 posts)
25. Some of Giuliani's record as US Attoney.
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 03:59 PM
Oct 2019

From wikipedia:

...

In 1981, Giuliani was named Associate Attorney General in the Reagan administration,[45] the third-highest position in the Department of Justice. As Associate Attorney General, Giuliani supervised the U.S. Attorney Offices' federal law enforcement agencies, the Department of Corrections, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Marshals Service. In a well-publicized 1982 case, Giuliani testified in defense of the federal government's "detention posture" regarding the internment of over 2,000 Haitian asylum seekers who had entered the country illegally. The U.S. government disputed the assertion that most of the detainees had fled their country due to political persecution, alleging instead that they were "economic migrants". In defense of the government's position, Giuliani testified that "political repression, at least in general, does not exist" under President of Haiti Jean-Claude Duvalier's regime.[36][46]

In 1983, Giuliani was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, which was technically a demotion but was sought by Giuliani because of his desire to personally litigate cases. It was in this position that he first gained national prominence by prosecuting numerous high-profile cases, resulting in the convictions of Wall Street figures Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken. He also focused on prosecuting drug dealers, organized crime, and corruption in government.[37] He amassed a record of 4,152 convictions and 25 reversals. As a federal prosecutor, Giuliani was credited with bringing the "perp walk", parading of suspects in front of the previously alerted media, into common use as a prosecutorial tool.[47] After Giuliani "patented the perp walk", the tool was used by increasing numbers of prosecutors nationwide.[48]

Giuliani's critics claimed that he arranged for people to be arrested, then dropped charges for lack of evidence on high-profile cases rather than going to trial. In a few cases, his arrests of alleged white-collar criminals at their workplaces with charges later dropped or lessened, sparked controversy, and damaged the reputations of the alleged "perps".[49] He claimed veteran stock trader Richard Wigton, of Kidder, Peabody & Co., was guilty of insider trading; in February 1987 he had officers handcuff Wigton and march him through the company's trading floor, with Wigton in tears.[50] Giuliani had his agents arrest Tim Tabor, a young arbitrageur and former colleague of Wigton, so late that he had to stay overnight in jail before posting bond.[50][51]

Within three months, charges were dropped against both Wigton and Tabor; Giuliani said, "We're not going to go to trial. We're just the tip of the iceberg", but no further charges were forthcoming and the investigation did not end until Giuliani's successor was in place.[51] Giuliani's high-profile raid of the Princeton/Newport firm ended with the defendants having their cases overturned on appeal on the grounds that what they had been convicted of were not crimes.[52]

more ...

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
26. I am wondering now about his record as a prosecutor
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 04:00 PM
Oct 2019

Was his dogged pursuit of the Italian mafia merely clearing out the stage for the Russian mafia?

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
29. That's a mind-blowing scenario!
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 04:02 PM
Oct 2019

It's just hard to comprehend how he could make such a drastic turn about. It does put so much into question, now.

rurallib

(62,415 posts)
30. I don't know of Charles Lindbergh's association with nazi sympathizers
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 04:10 PM
Oct 2019

before and during at least part of WWII had that effect.
Don't know a lot about the story. I just think of him as someone who had a massive positive reputation who then chose what came to be a very unpopular path.

Siwsan

(26,262 posts)
31. I know he had a whole secret family, in Germany
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 04:14 PM
Oct 2019

And he was a racist, which goes along with the Nazi connection. I don't remember how much of this was common knowledge, before he died.

I hate to think this, but given the lack of importance given to teaching history, I doubt that his name has much significance for a vast portion of the population.

rurallib

(62,415 posts)
41. Thanks- never really had tome to dig much into Lindy
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 06:31 PM
Oct 2019

other than the flight and the somewhat controversial stand prior to WWII

karynnj

(59,503 posts)
39. He actually had a very mixed record as a mayor
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 06:13 PM
Oct 2019

In fact, he was pretty much on track to losing big to HRC for Senate before he dropped out because he "was diagnosed with prostate cancer". In reality, he dropped out because after telling the media that he was divorcing his wife before telling her - leading to daily very bad tabloid headlines for months, he likely could not have been elected dog catcher!

Even after 911, when he wanted to delay the mayoral elections - to stay in power, NYC told him no. He was a calm voice on 911, but he was also criticized because of decisions made (probably for political reasons) to give out contracts for the police and the fire department communication systems to two companies -- leading to two systems incapable of speaking to each other. (This was critical as firemen were still moving up the tower after the police called for everyone to get out.)

He did have an excellent reputation as a prosecutor. He has been a disaster for years on many levels since his mayoral days. It is stunning how involved this former crime fighter prosecutor is with Russian mob figures, such as the two recently arrested.

Goodheart

(5,324 posts)
40. Benedict Arnold was once a very respected American.
Wed Oct 30, 2019, 06:15 PM
Oct 2019

But never did anybody take him for a goddamned clown. LOL

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