Despite Promises To ‘End Earmarks,’ Giuliani’s Law Firm Sought Millions In Pork For Clients
Despite Promises To ‘End Earmarks,’ Giuliani’s Law Firm Sought Millions In Pork For Clients
Former New York City mayor and GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly touted fiscal discipline as one of his “12 Commitments to the American People.” At the top of that commitment is slashing federal earmarks, which he has stated “waste taxpayer dollars within the Federal budget.” In June, Giuliani appeared on Fox News and promised to eliminate them:
HANNITY: All right. Third, “I will restore fiscal discipline, cut wasteful spending in Washington.” Can you end earmarks? Can you end…
GIULIANI: Oh, you have to end earmarks. I mean, the idea of anonymous spending of billions and billions and hundreds of billions of dollars is totally undemocratic and creates total unaccountability. You have to end earmarks.
But Giuliani’s own law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, has contributed to this explosion of spending. Bloomberg News reports:
In all, Bracewell & Giuliani sought federal earmarks for 14 companies this year, 11 of which hired the firm after Giuliani joined in March 2005, Senate records show. Giuliani, 63, isn’t registered as a lobbyist. The firm paid him $1.2 million last year, according to his personal financial-disclosure form.
The earmarks include $1 million for Buffalo, New York-based Calspan Corp. for a program to help military pilots control their aircraft; $1.2 million for Charlotte, North Carolina-based United Protective Technologies LLC, for developing protective treatments for helicopter windshields; and $800,000 for Burlingame, California-based AtHoc Inc., for an Air Force emergency-notification system.
Giuliani has also repeatedly attacked the current Democratic-led Congress for worsening the problem. At an Aug. 7, 2007 town hall meeting at Bettendorf High School in Iowa, Giuliani claimed, “Well, the Democrats have been in power now for eight months. Not only have they not done away with earmarks, they’ve increased them.”
Earmarking by the 110th Congress has significantly declined from levels during the previous conservative-led Congresses. An analysis by Citizens Against Government Waste estimates that earmarks in FY08 appropriations bills are “down about 33 percent from the $29 billion in earmarks in FY06 spending bills.”
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Julieannie sez: “Oh no, no, no! I mean end earmarks for EVERYBODY ELSE!!”
*eyeroll*
November 26th, 2007 at 11:12 amJeezuz H. Christ… Can you imagine a Guiliani/Hillary presidential campaign? I’m getting scared already. Unless of course they hook those two up to generators so that they can produce green energy as they flip, flop, twist and turn. Wind power indeed.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:14 amDon’t hate the player, hate the game.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:15 amFruity Rudy makes Flip-Flop McCain look honest.
America wants CHANGE, not a new con-artist at the helm.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:20 amCaption:
November 26th, 2007 at 11:22 am‘And to my right, Judith Regan.
WHAT? JulieAnnie, a hypocrite?
No new news there.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:22 amCaption contest:
Hey! It was just a coupla hundred grand here and there, geez!
November 26th, 2007 at 11:23 amRudy’s doing his Peggy Lee routine….
Hey Big Spender!
November 26th, 2007 at 11:30 amgee! what a surprise.
a republican being hypocritical.
this is NOT news!
November 26th, 2007 at 11:36 amGiuliani’s feeding at the public trough?
Pass the smelling salts. I think I have the vapors.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:39 amHannity is very busy garnishing support for Rudy’s campaign. They’re both New Yorkers, of course, and I’m sure they ’share’ many views.
Trouble is, conservatives keep calling Insannity saying they will not vote for a pro-life, quadruple married liberal minded person like Rudy.
You gotta love it. The Right no longer knows who they are, who to vote for or where to find a candidate. 12% of Right wing politicians have already taken early exits. That number will increase, especially if others figure out what Lott’s doing.
Folks, the Kingdom is crumbling before our eyes. Can Humpty Dumpty get it right this time?
November 26th, 2007 at 11:48 amRudy was FOR earmarks before he was AGAINST them.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:52 amOr, is that “Rudy was FOR earmarks at the same time he was AGAINST them”?
That is one creepy pic.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:54 amReminds me of the old movie Nosferatu
Since Giuliani is so against “wasting taxpayer dollars within the federal budget, ” I guess this means he is in favor of immediately ending our involvement in Iraq — currently the biggest waste of taxpayer dollars?
November 26th, 2007 at 11:55 amWhy do the Republicans have ANY Presidential candidates? Waste of time and money I say.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:59 amSurpise, Surprise, Suprise. Rudy is a PIG who uses his connections to enrich him and his friends. If you want a continuation of the reverse Robin Hood act then vote for Rudy.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:59 amwell, you know, 9/11 changed everything… Since roodee was saving america, he deserves a little to dip his beak into….
*sigh*
November 26th, 2007 at 12:02 pmRudy was FOR earmarks before he was AGAINST them.
Or, is that “Rudy was FOR earmarks at the same time he was AGAINST them�
Comment by OxyCon — November 26, 2007 @ 11:52 am
Eh — Rudy’s just making noise that he thinks voters want to hear. This seems to be his political strategy so far. He knows that he is a candidate that’s all sizzle and no steak, so he is sizzling as much as he can.
His claims on congressional earmarking seem to fall into the same category as his pontification on how tragic it would have been if he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United Kingdom, or his claim that he had spent as much if not more time at Ground Zero as the rescue workers. He doesn’t get bogged down in facts, he just makes stuff up that he thinks will play well, and trusts nobody will bother checking.
And another thing about earmarking — he knows he can condemn that long and loud to play to the masses, and he won’t have to do a thing about it if he’s elected. Why? The POTUS can’t do anything to stop it. The POTUS can’t change Congressional rules, and he doesn’t even have line item veto anymore. Therefore, he can play the “Ain’t It Awful” song as long as he wants.
November 26th, 2007 at 12:03 pmlike, totally!
November 26th, 2007 at 12:06 pmTrudy only wants Earmarks for people connected to him, and of course there has to be money in it for him.
Lies are like music to the fascist repukian lemmings, of course as long as it their side telling the lies.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
November 26th, 2007 at 12:17 pmForked tongue syndrome strikes again!
November 26th, 2007 at 12:17 pmhe deserves a little to dip his beak into….
*sigh*
Comment by raynman — November 26, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
Reminds me of the scene in Godfather II where the pimp/gangster boss man tells young Corleone he just needs to wet his beak…
November 26th, 2007 at 1:16 pmAnd look what happened to him!
EEEECCCCCCCKKKK!!! I feel forced to wear a condom just to READ what Rudunski has to say . . . .
“Front Runnner???” – look how far down Bush has taken the GOP (Grand Old Perverts . . .)
November 26th, 2007 at 5:50 pmIf America wants another crook for President, then this is the guy to elect.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:59 pm