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Firefighters to Giuliani: 'Hell No'
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ShareMarch 09, 2007 3:46 PM
ABC News' Matthew Zavala Reports: The International Association of Fire Fighters plans to release a letter to its 280,000 union members today blasting former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's, R-N.Y., actions following 9/11, a source familiar with the letter told ABC News.
The letter comes after Giuliani dropped out of next week's I.A.F.F. presidential forum after I.A.F.F. told ABC News that he had accepted the invitation. The Giuliani camp disputes the I.A.F.F. claim that he is backing out of the forum. Giuliani’s camp maintains that the former mayor never agreed to attend due to a scheduling conflict.
Before deciding to invite Giuliani to its presidential forum, the I.A.F.F. went through an internal debate over whether to invite him at all. The firefighter union was leaning towards not inviting him so close that they prepared a Feb. 28 letter from Schaitberger to union members explaining the decision.
"The I.A.F.F. recognizes that Mayor Giuliani generally enjoys a favorable reputation as a result of his actions immediately after the tragedy of 9/11," Schaitberger wrote in his unsent letter. The unsent letter (which later became moot once the I.A.F.F. decided to invite him) goes on to explain that the reasons for excluding Giuliani were because of the "disrespect that he exhibited to our 343 fallen FDNY brothers, their families, and our New York leadership in the wake of that tragic day has not been forgiven or forgotten."
The letter urges union members to not just say "no" to Giuliani but "Hell no".
The I.A.F.F. conflict with Giuliani stems from his reduction of firefighters allowed to search for remains at Ground Zero in November 2001 and that he made the removal of debris, rather than the recovery of human remains, a priority. At that time, only 101 of the fallen 343 fallen New York Firefighters had been recovered.
The source familiar with the new I.A.F.F. letter being distributed today says that it will be "more detailed" than the draft letter which was released to certain members of the press Thursday.
On Friday, Giuliani's campaign e-mailed reporters an open letter from a retired New York firefighter, Lee Ielpi, who vouched for Giuliani's courage and sacrifice to firefighters and first responders. "There is no one who respects firefighters and first responders more than Rudy Giuliani," said Ielpi, who lost his son in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. "Firefighters have no greater friend and supporter than Rudy Giulaini. . ."
Giuliani's camp also released the names of nearly 100 South Carolina firefighters who are supporting Giuliani's bid for the presidency. On February 21, Giuliani visited firefighters in Spartanburg, S.C. to gain support from this vital group. While there, Giuliani was named a member of the South Carolina State Firefighters Association -- they waived his annual dues -- and an honorary South Carolina fire chief.
When ABC News asked the I.A.F.F. spokesperson about the Feb. 21 endorsement he received from firefighters and first responders in Spartanburg, S.C., he was quick to say that these firefighters were volunteers and there is a difference because the I.A.F.F. represents professional firefighters.
Even though Giuliani will not be participating in the firefighter forum, it will still be the first bipartisan forum of the 2008 presidential campaign. Four Republicans Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebr., John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and former Gov. Jim Gilmore, R-Va., will join six Democrats Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Chris Dodd, D-Conn., Barack Obama, D-Ill., former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M. at the March 14 forum in Washington, D.C.
March 9, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (4)
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Too bad Guiliani didn't live up to his 911 image. He's become a money hungry, corrupt politician with lax morals. Let's have more police and firemen unite against such behaviors in any man or woman running for office, especially the most prestigious one - President.
Posted by: Diane Carl | Mar 12, 2007 2:54:25 PM
Rudy is a great man and will make a great President. Dems that will say anything (As untrue as it is about Rudy) Make me sick.
Posted by: Tom | Mar 12, 2007 8:26:34 PM
Tom, this has nothing to do with being a democrat or republican. This has to do with the respect for human lives lost in the 9/11 attack. "Rudy" put clearing debris foremost instead of putting the victims families and the remains of the victims first. How about I just say when you "repubs" get it through your heads that it is not always about parties but about what individuals do, maybe this country can move forward. Maybe if you had lost someone or a brother firefighter in the attack, you would understand what we mean by HELL NO!
Posted by: Joanie | Mar 20, 2007 12:31:27 PM
It doesn't surprise me Kean standing up for Giulian..Kean is related to Bush shows family links...(616& 617)..Bush is also related to David Souter, George Gallup...and Don Imus....amongst others
Posted by: susan | Nov 20, 2007 6:10:05 PM
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