Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, left, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. and retired army Gen. Wesley Clark at a Clinton campaign fundraiser in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007. AP Photo/Seth Wenig.
by Rick Pearson
DAVENPORT, Iowa—Tom Vilsack may no longer be governor of Iowa but the one-time presidential contender who is now a key player in Hillary Clinton's bid has stirred up some controversy over disparaging comments he made about another New Yorker who is running for president.
Vilsack was reported in the New York Post as saying in a TV interview that former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has "lots of issues" that voters outside New York may not know about.
"I can't even get into the number of marriages, (and) the relationship he has with his children," the Post quoted Vilsack as saying. Vilsack also described Giuliani's past as "interesting."
Clinton, the New York senator, has studiously avoided any references to Giuliani on the campaign trail and Vilsack's comments about the former New York mayor may create their own "family values" questions about the relationship between President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton at the White House.
For her part, Clinton would not directly address the subject in a conference call with Iowa reporters this morning.
"I think he's more than capable of speaking for himself," Clinton said of Vilsack, according to Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson.
The controversy comes just hours before Clinton and four other Democratic contenders are scheduled to meet in Davenport tonight for a forum on seniors and health care and financial security hosted in part by AARP that will be broadcast nationally on PBS.
In addition to Clinton, the event is to feature Sens. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel were not invited to take part. Kucinich has accused AARP of a conflict of interest because it has licensed its name to private insurers for senior health-care policies while Kucinich wants to end for-profit insurance coverage in his health care plan.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is not taking part in the event and is instead attending fundraising events in Atlanta featuring R&B performer Usher.
Obama has said he was curtailing his participation in candidate forums, but some supporters in the Quad Cities area were privately questioning his decision since the demographics of caucus-goers skews to seniors and the forum is being held just across the Mississippi River from his home state of Illinois.
Perhaps in a way to offset any criticism, Obama has scheduled what the campaign calls a "senior town hall meeting" in Ames on Friday. The appearance will coincide with a new TV ad running in Iowa to push his plans for universal health care.
Clinton has been running TV ads in the state ever since she unveiled her own universal health plan in Des Moines earlier this week.
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Comments
I hope the Rethuglican Party nominates Rudy just so I can get the satisfaction of watching "him" go down in flames.
Rudy Julieannie summed up in 30 seconds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMveQ1sG9QU&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecrooksandliars%2Ecom%2Fcategory%2Frepublican%2Dparty%2Frudy%2Dgiuliani%2F
Posted by: John E | September 20, 2007 2:50 PM
"Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is not taking part in the event and is instead attending fundraising events..."
Cha-CHINGGG!!
It's all about the money. Too bad he can't buy some support.
So why isn't Boy Wonder going to this forum since it's a golden opportunity to try to win over an important demographic group, one (of several) with which he's failing miserably?
I think it's because Mr Harvard Law usually ends up with his foot in his mouth when he's not reciting a canned speech.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 2:59 PM
Ah, the ptypical campaign wheels keep turning. Rudy attacks Hil, the Clinton team sends someone with nothing to lose out to slam Rudy. Only 14 more months to go, folks!
Posted by: kb | September 20, 2007 3:05 PM
It's all about the money. Too bad he can't buy some support.
So why isn't Boy Wonder going to this forum since it's a golden opportunity to try to win over an important demographic group, one (of several) with which he's failing miserably?
I think it's because Mr Harvard Law usually ends up with his foot in his mouth when he's not reciting a canned speech.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 2:59 PM
Anti-Obama racist,
Name one candidate on either side of the isle who isn't in constant a search for more money?
bzzzzzz!....times up, Leo T/Juanito.
Posted by: John E | September 20, 2007 3:05 PM
Hey anonymous,
Where was Rudy when they were holding the Iraq Study Group Meetings? That's right!! CHA -CHINGGG!!! He skipped them to make money!!!!
Posted by: Marko | September 20, 2007 3:11 PM
Marko,
You hit it out of the park!
Rudolph was out $$$$$$$ instead of participating in the ISG.
Rudolph's not just a cross-dresser, he's a cheatin' whore too.
Don't believe me? Ask his kids.
Posted by: Doug Zook | September 20, 2007 3:17 PM
Rudy is a joke. A bad joke!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | September 20, 2007 3:20 PM
So why isn't Boy Wonder going to this forum since it's a golden opportunity to try to win over an important demographic group, one (of several) with which he's failing miserably?
I think it's because Mr Harvard Law usually ends up with his foot in his mouth when he's not reciting a canned speech.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 2:59 PM
Dude,
You obviously have a problem with black people, doesn't the KKK have a web site you can troll on?
"Barack Obama's Republican Edge"
If he can win the Democratic primary, will his fans from the opposing party help take him all the way to the White House?
By Michael Schlak
(AP) It was sort of like finding a Christmas tree in a cornfield. In late July and early August, Iowa Republican voters were asked to name their choice for president in a University of Iowa poll. Mitt Romney, who leads most Iowa surveys, got 22 percent of the total. Rudy Giuliani came in second with 10 percent. But third place went to a Democrat, Barack Obama, who got nearly 7 percent -- more than Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Sam Brownback combined.
Not to worry: The Obama campaign isn't likely to join the Grand Old Party, and pollsters are convinced that Obama has exactly zero chance of winning the Republican caucus in Iowa. But something is going on. "I don't want to make too much of it," says David Redlawsk, the professor who commissioned the poll. "But I do think that the message Obama is putting out right now is the most likely to reach across party lines."
Posted by: Mr Harvard Law | September 20, 2007 3:24 PM
"Where was Rudy when they were holding the Iraq Study Group Meetings? That's right!! CHA -CHINGGG!!! He skipped them to make money!!!!"
Posted by: Marko | September 20, 2007 3:11 PM
So you're saying that Obama is as not better than Rudy. OK.
Looking at it from the other side, Rudy is arguably better than Obama. At least he ran the biggest city in America for eight years. I'm not a Rudy fan, but if i had to choose from these 2 who to make a chief executive, Mayor of NY beats out Cook County hack any day.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 3:34 PM
I suppose that if its OK to remind people about Rudy's ex-wives, it is OK to remind people about 1) travelgate, 2) Rose Law firm records, 3) White Water, and 4) Hil's thuggery in handling the bimbo erruptions.
Posted by: Perch Rapala | September 20, 2007 3:37 PM
Rudy didn't write the Iraq Report. Hillary didn't read it. She voted to take us to war, and didn't read the report.
Posted by: Amy | September 20, 2007 4:16 PM
Perch, we can add pardons and Hillary's participation in them as well as her brother's, the rape of Juanita Broadderick, the attack on Kathleen Willey, Hillary's own perjury problems, her problems with her involvement with an illegal Hollywood fundraiser a few years ago, and on and on and on and on.
Posted by: John D | September 20, 2007 4:27 PM
Looking at it from the other side, Rudy is arguably better than Obama. At least he ran the biggest city in America for eight years. I'm not a Rudy fan, but if i had to choose from these 2 who to make a chief executive, Mayor of NY beats out Cook County hack any day.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 3:34 PM
Obama doesn't need votes from people like you who used to post on here under other names, you're a loser.
Here's more info on your "guy", Rudy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_90nRRoXK8
Posted by: heartburn | September 20, 2007 4:40 PM
Johnny D,
Your talking point list was incomplete. You left off Hillary Clinton's murder of Vernon Jordan. You're so predictable. Good night, Johnny D.
Posted by: janet | September 20, 2007 4:50 PM
Looking at it from the other side, Rudy is arguably better than Obama. At least he ran the biggest city in America for eight years. I'm not a Rudy fan, but if i had to choose from these 2 who to make a chief executive, Mayor of NY beats out Cook County hack any day.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 3:34 PM
Sir,
We could really use your help, would you like to join us?
Posted by: KKK | September 20, 2007 4:54 PM
Oh Dumb Dumb Janet, dear, Vernon Jordan murdered??? Since when????
Do you perhaps mean Vince Foster, dear little Dumb Dumb Janet???
And, yeah, how about the death of Vince Foster and the fact that the White House went rifling through his office and emptying most everything BEFORE calling the police.
Posted by: John D | September 20, 2007 5:14 PM
"But I do think that the message Obama is putting out right now is the most likely to reach across party lines."
Posted by: Mr Harvard Law | September 20, 2007 3:24 PM
Damn skippy Mr HL! Obama in 2008. A vote for change.
Posted by: Former Brainwashed Republican | September 20, 2007 6:19 PM
heartburn (i suspect somebody stole his postname) Rudy is not my guy, never was.
And What is the basis for the accusations of racism, John E? If you're going to toss around serious accustaions like that back them up.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 8:59 PM
Obama is great. Stop the sound byte photo ops that are supposed to pass for a 'debate'
Schedule your own town hall meeting, invite people over, and have a real and meaningful discussion with voters on their issues instead of interviewers and their agendas.
Posted by: a guy | September 21, 2007 11:26 AM
The only thing Rudolph Giuliani has to fear is the lack of fear itself. It is the only thing he has going for him.
So take THAT, FDR
Posted by: Distrust and Verify | September 21, 2007 12:42 PM