Poll: Should Rudy speak at 9/11 ceremony?
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Rudy's role in 9/11 ceremony sparks ire
By David Freedlander, amNewYork Staff Writer
7:16 PM EDT, August 28, 2007
Almost six years after Rudy Giuliani became America's mayor as he guided
the city through the worst terror attacks in U.S. history, many of those
who
stood by him then are now attacking his traditional role at the annual
memorial ceremony at Ground Zero.
Criticism is coming his way because he's running for president and has
been
accused of exploiting 9/11 to lift his national profile.
"I think it's a horrible decision and I'm outraged," said Jim Riches of
Brooklyn, whose son died in the attacks on the World Trade Center and who
is
also a deputy chief with the fire department. "Seventy percent of us are
now
sick because he lied about the air quality down at Ground Zero, and he was
too busy raising money and going to the World Series to pay attention to
what was happening down there. He should just go to a Yankees baseball
game
instead."
Many rescue workers fault Giuliani for what they see as a flawed response
to
the attacks that lead to more deaths on 9/11, and from illnesses after the
cleanup. That's why they are troubled by his presense at a ceremony at
which
many first responders will perform the ceremonial reading of the names of
dead.
"That this man, whose actions and inactions were so significant in the
deaths of so many firefighters and innocent civilians, would be reading at
this ceremony is insulting," said Sally Regenhard of the Bronx, whose son,
Christian, was a rookie firefighter who was killed when the towers
collapsed. "This is my son's memorial service. This isn't for a failed
politician who wants to run for president."
Firefighter Lee Ielpi, whose son died on 9/11, defended Giuliani.
"The mayor was there for the city and our country on Sept. 11," he told
The
Associated Press.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Giuliani's role yesterday, but
originally
said that Giuliani would participate in the reading of the names. But
later,
a Bloomberg spokesman clarified the mayor's remarks and said that Giuliani
would just read a passage from a text. A spokesman for the Giuliani
presidential campaign declined comment, but did note that the former mayor
participates each year in the ceremony.
That Giuliani is a declared candidate for the Republican nomination makes
this year different, though, for FDNY Lt. Jim McCaffrey of the Bronx.
"He is using the heroism of 9/11 as a presidential campaign photo-op and I
find that loathsome," he said. "I'm a conservative Republican, but we just
want people to know the truth about Rudy Giuliani."
McCaffrey's brother-in-law was killed when the south tower collapsed.
Dan Collins, who co-authored "Grand Illusion," a critical examination of
Giuliani's handling of the 9/11 attacks, agreed that the former mayor's
appearance in the heat of a presidential campaign could cheapen the
ceremony.
"Under normal cir***stances it would be completely appropriate, but now
that
Giuliani has wrapped his presidency in the 9/11 tragedy there is something
unseemly about it," he said.
Giuliani has been dogged on the campaign trail by protesters angered over
what they see as his exploitation of a tragedy to further his political
career. And despite some rank-and file members calling for a boycott, Lt.
Stephen Carbone, the vice-president of the Uniformed Fire Officers
Association, said no action was planned for Sept. 11.
"It's going to be a day where we put all the politics away and just
celebrate the day as much as we can."
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