1115.org

(1)
It seems to be a Republican predilection.

I’m ashamed to admit that it dawned on me only a few days ago — ashamed, since the writing has been on the wall for a long time (and I even read the writing, and wrote about it without understanding its import) — that Rudee has never really been running for President at all. Or he’s been running with just about as much real intent as Freddie.

Who knows what Freddie was up to, but Rudee was clearly just engaging in an elaborate PR campaign for Giuliani Partners (his security consulting firm), and Bracewell & Giuliani (his law firm), and the whole raft of other businesses that have made Rudee a very rich man, and very addicted to the very good life.

It was the best kind of PR campaign too, the kind that doesn’t cost you a cent because it’s financed by suckers.

From the beginning, Rudee played the role of a presidential candidate pretty well, but he never ever did anything that might possibly hurt his business ventures in any way, shape or form, even when not doing those things hurt this presidential prospects. What comes to mind immediately is his rigid refusal to discuss his clients, what kind of work he had done for whom. Not even when there were genuine questions of propriety involved. And to the point where he readily lied in order to pretend he had no choice but to keep his client list and client relations confidential.

This wasn’t a man running seriously for President. This was a man grabbing the national spotlight for personal financial gain, simply because he could, because there were those who, by being deluded enough to believe that Rudee had a real interest in public service, in serving the country, were willing to make that spotlight available free of charge. This behavior by Rudee is, of course, fully consistent with prior shenanigans like resigning from the Iraq Study Group because it conflicted with lucrative speaking and consulting gigs.

(2)
As Giuliani now presumably prepares to formally pull the plug on what he has been pleased to call his presidential candidacy, I am profoundly pleased that seven months ago I had the sense to write:

I have gone on record as saying of Rudee G that he “doesn’t stand the foggiest chance of being elected President”.

I would now like to wonder, on the record:
a) Why he doesn’t just give up right now (and misappropriate a few of the millions he has raised and not yet spent)
b) Why anyone in their right mind would donate any money to his campaign at this point

If there’s any finder’s fee for the suggestion in the second half of (a), I’ll be happy to furnish a paypal id, or an offshore account, or the location of a cold-war style drop box.

As for (b), if anyone has a compulsive need to burn his money, send it to me and I’ll be happy to burn it for you.

Giuliani is a complete joke, and not all the sleight-of-hand marketing in the world is going to succeed in selling him to America.

Sadly, no one ever sent me any money. But then it’s still not too late, is it?

*** Update, 6:35 am ***

Even though Rudee has decided to drop out of the race, he’s still flying out to California today where he was originally supposed to participate in a Republican debate:

Rudy Giuliani will board a plane to California on Wednesday morning, as planned. But, sources tell ABC News, once there, instead of participating in the GOP debate, he will drop out of the presidential race and endorse Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

So why’s he still flying to California? Is he banging a broad there? Or was the debate trip just cover for a vital business meeting?