Saturday, March 31, 2007

JUDI GIULIANI'S GILDED CAGE


When Barbara Walters, in a recent TV interview asked Judi Giuliani about how she felt as "the other woman", Judi answered pleadingly. "It hurts." "I became a single working mom, something I'm very proud of. I had to re-enter the work force after, oh, gosh, more than a decade after being a wife and mother...It was an incredible growth period, Barbara. and I look back on it now and I'm happy that I had that time period, because it made me such a stronger person."

She would lead us to believe that in her desperation, she had to work for a living and perhaps get a supplement from a married man. In reality, Judi Nathan led a charmed life. Her ex husband, Bruce Nathan said in the book, AN INVESTIGATIVE BIOGRAPHY OF RUDY GIULIANI by Wayne Barrett: "When I met Judi, she stopped working". She did not have a job until they moved to Los Angeles in 1991. There, she worked for a few weeks at an art gallery. And then for a couple of months selling surgical supplies. After her divorce, she left L.A. and moved to New York City to the Monterey Apartments at 175 E.96th Street. Bruce Nathan called her a "social climber" in the divorce papers saying that her "main goal in life was being involved with whatever was 'the in thing' at the moment." "She thought nothing of playing bridge two or three nights a week, clubbing at bars one night a week with single friends, going to movies, shows, etc." The couple had several luxury cars and a $75,000 yacht in the Hamptons. Judi can only be pitied for the $1,600 per month alimony that Bruce gave her. But in spite of that, she was able to send her daughter to the Spence school, an expensive private school on the East side for the wealthy.

As a working single mother, Judi still enjoyed the good life. Toting $4000 Hermes Birkin bags, she managed to maintain the image. And although she protested that it was painful to be thought of as the other woman. "It was difficult of course and particularly so because at that time, I was a single working mom...", she thrived on good company.

Manos Zacharioudakis was quasi husband two and a half. They never married but lived together for five years after her relationship with Nathan ended. Zacharioudakis a psychologist who worked at Woodhull hospital in Brooklyn at the time stated: "We still lived together after it ended but it was finally over in June. She didn't move the bulk of her stuff out until September 1st when she got a new apartment on E.94th Street." Rudy had appeared on the scene.

Balancing a rent of $4,000 per month and private school tuition, Judi needed more than her surgical saleswoman salary at Bristol Myers. She met Rudy Giuliani allegedly at Cuker's Bar.
Rudy claims the chemistry was electric. Whatever the wattage was, it was enough for Giuliani to leave his wife, Donna of several years and eventually marry Nathan.

Judi Nathan never endured the plight of most single mothers in America. It is contemptuous of her to make the comparison. She never lacked for manicures, tony apartments or the kind of life that most working single mothers can only dream of. Were it not for the benefit of her "Hootchie Gucci" style and the skill of plastic surgeons, her life may have had a different outcome. Ambition certainly played a part in the making of Judith Giuliani. But so did Rudy. He saw a reflection of himself in her. Where compassion for one set of single mothers lacked, it was transferred to Judi. Unlike her, many working single mothers are poor and in need of assistance. Rudy prided his legacy on reducing the welfare rolls and limiting that aid. In one instance, he was in violation of the rules of the Department of Agriculture on the issuance of food stamps and welfare assistance. In this video, he refuses to accept blame.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6628232743341009991&pr=goog-sl

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

HOMEGROWN AMERICAN TERRORISM


The war in Iraq rages on. The body count of young Americans continues to soar past three thousand. Day by day, they are neatly packed in macabre, factory like precision for shipment home. And as they go, they are replenished with new recruits. Fodder for the war machine. The demand for new soldiers has become so pressing that the armed forces has quietly lowered its scrutiny of incoming personnel. “Moral Waivers” have increased considerably. Ten years after pentagon leaders toughened policies on extremist activities by active duty members, a move that came post Oklahoma City bombing, a la former Gulf War vet, Timothy McVeigh and the murder of a black couple by members of a skinhead gang in the elite 82nd Airborne division, large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinheads continue to infiltrate the forces.

In an article in INTELLIGENCE REPORT, Department of Defense gang detective, Scott Barfield is quoted as saying, “We’ve got Aryan Nation graffiti in Baghdad.” He added, “That’s a problem.” Barfield further stated that he has submitted evidence of 320 extremists in the past year. He says that only two have been discharged. Also, he and other Department of Defense investigators say that they recently uncovered an entire network of 57 neo-Nazis who are active duty army and marines spread across five states. Barfield states: “It’s not epidemic. We’re talking numbers well into the thousands, just in the army.”

Experts say that young civilian extremists are encouraged by adult leaders to enlist in the military to gain access to weapons training and other military personnel. Some of those weapons have even been illegally shipped back to the United States by white supremacists for organized violence and race wars. In essence, white supremacists in the military are a domestic terror group trained and fed by U.S. taxpayers. Air force airman Robert Lee West is a white supremacist stationed at Warner Robins Air force base in Georgia. He posts his bile on Everyone space.com. Special agent Will Manuel of the Air force office of special investigations said: “We’ve seen all his pictures. We’ve read his website and we know what he’s doing. We’re not going to go after him just based on what he says he believes, or on him making a lot of claims. There has to be an overt act first. He has to actually organize or recruit or commit a crime. But even his pictures and writings raise concerns obviously because we know that where you have one neo-Nazi, there’s usually others.”

Perhaps we need to fear the enemy within more than the enemy without.

Monday, March 26, 2007

RUDY'S PERSONAL PEDOPHILES (Part 2)


What Rudolph Giuliani lacked in marital fidelity, he made up for in loyalty to his cronies. He rewarded underlings such as Peter Powers and Christyne Lategano when their usefulness timed out. They went on to serve in other high paying jobs. Were it not for a bribery scandal, former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik would have benefited from Rudy's largess. However, there was one scandal-scarred friend who did and still continues to do so.

Monsignor Alan Placa is a boy hood pal of Giuliani. Placa joined the priesthood in 1970 and eventually attained a law degree. He rose in the ranks of the archdiocese to become part of a three man “intervention team.” The team investigated all sex abuse complaints against priests in Long Island, New York. In reality, plaintiffs complained that priests were never reprimanded. But moved from diocese to diocese. There was also the allegation that Placa never revealed that he was a lawyer. Plaintiffs would confess intimate details of sexual abuse that Placa in the capacity of attorney could use against them in favor of the church.

In 2001, Placa became the subject of sexual abuse, himself. Richard Tollner, a mortgage broker in Albany, recounted his perpetual abuse by Placa as a young boy. Tollner said Placa fondled him and that the incidents were repeated every month or so for the next year and a half. “It was always groping,” he said. “He’d draw his hand deliberately to the inside of my thigh, and over my penis. It would go on for four or five minutes, sometimes as long as ten.” A friend of Tollner’s, Kevin Waldron of San Francisco stated: “This isn’t a figment of his imagination twenty-five-years later. He told me about it shortly after it happened. I am certain of it.”

A second former student who asked that his name be withheld said that he described to Suffolk county prosecutors what he called the newspaper drill. “He always had a New York Times in his office. And he’d sit down next to you on the couch in his office, and open it wide and inevitably, his hand would brush your crotch. He did it over and over again. I can’t tell you how many times.”

In 2002, Placa was relieved of his duties as a priest. The archdiocese did allow him to preside at the funeral of the mother of Rudy Giuliani. But, he is not allowed to wear the collar until an investigation is completed. Placa denies all charges. And before he could cash his first unemployment check, his old friend Rudy gave him a job as a lawyer. He continues to work at the prestigious New York firm of Giuliani and Partners. But as an ex-priest, he still remains in judgment of a jury of God and his accusers.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

RUDY’S PERSONAL PEDOPHILES (Part 1)


On the road to becoming a Republican, Rudy Giuliani made a brief stop at the Liberal Party. The party is a third party alternative to the Democrats. It nominates candidates on the basis of “merit”, independence and progressive viewpoints regardless of party affiliation. In reality, the Liberal Party was a vehicle to secure patronage jobs from Mayor John Vliet Lindsay to Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. (The Liberal Party lost their place on the New York State ballot when they failed to get 50,000 voters in the state gubernatorial election of 2002) Heading the party was one Raymond Harding. A large, imposing man who “took no prisoners.” He and Rudy were political soul mates. So, it came as no surprise that when Rudy decided to run for mayor, Ray became his mentor.

After a false start followed by a marginal win, Rudy was ready to roll. And roll he did. Maintaining his allegiance to Ray, he hired his son Russell to the position of Housing Development Corporation Commissioner. An agency responsible for the development of housing for the poor. Despite his lack of experience, college degree and expertise, Harding commanded a six-figure salary. However, his lust for money, porn and racism superceded any accolades Giuliani could afford him. In 2001, 38-year-old Russell Harding was charged with a six-count indictment. Included were financial crimes and among his 1,500 pornography pictures were two child pornography violations.

He had ripped the city off in excess of $500,000 making purchases of DVD's SUV's, fancy meals and junkets with friends to exotic destinations. He even included his two packs a day cigarette habit. In an e-mail exchange with a friend, Harding is quoted as saying, “I sometimes wonder if you fully understand that I'm a pedophile who needs young boys to be totally happy.” “I’d love to find a kid in high school still though or younger...but it’s just too risky looking for that young anymore." Tim Robbins of the Village Voice provided an excellent account of the Harding saga in his reports. The quotes are from his articles. Spelling is written as appeared in the original quote although it may seem incorrect.

One would wonder that if Giuliani knew Russell since 1989 as he states, why the former prosecutor was not made aware. Perhaps the following Russell Harding quote provides some understanding. “My dad is always helping the mayor with projects for money making. And the mayor is always helping my dad as well.... he had my dad go over some contracts a while back about a company taking over the airports here...so not only in the long run will the mayor profit from it...but my dad already has with doing the contract...they both have a wash each other’s back thing going.”

Although his father backed Hillary Clinton on the Liberal Party line when she ran for Senate, Russell Harding wasted no time in trashing her. ”She is a bitch and a cunt...She’s now leading the polls and may very well win...I think you know I’m a republican...I think she may actually be the devil.” “And her husband having his office in Harlem is a hoot...he and the blacks were made for each other...nothing but trash all of them...I think we need to move to a conservative all-white state like Idaho.”


Eventually Russell Harding plead guilty and is now serving out a 63-month sentence. His lawyers stated that he was bipolar. A poor excuse and a discredit to the real victims of bipolar disorder. The insanity defense did not work. Rudy Giuliani is yet to make a comment on the affair. In the meantime, his brother Robert Harding was seen chomping on a hot dog last week at the New York City Giuliani baseball fund-raiser. One can only wonder if he paid for it. See Rudy praise Russell Harding at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6696282735386002905&pr=goog-sl

Thursday, March 22, 2007

NORTH KOREA'S $25 MILLION— ANOTHER ABUSE UNDER THE U.S. PATRIOT ACT


by Ronda Hauben

A little known provision in the U.S. Patriot Act (2001) has been used by the Bush administration against North Korea to freeze $25 million dollars of its funds and to deny it access to the international
banking system and to hard currency. Actions under this provision of the Patriot Act effectively stymied progress in disarmament talks
between the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan
for over 18 months. North Korea says that only when the seized $25
million and access to the international banking system are restored is it willing to continue negotiations under the six-party-agreement
concerning security and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The little known provision of the Patriot Act 2001 is Section 311. It
is also known as the "International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001."(1)

The original purpose was allegedly related to the prevention,
detection and prosecution of money laundering connected to the
financing of terrorism. The law has rarely been used for its original
purpose. Instead it has been used by the Bush administration as a
means of unchecked political power against financial institutions like the Banco Delta Asia. This case has an impact on those nations or institutions who used the bank, like North Korea.

Two other sections of the Patriot Act currently under scrutiny, the
use of the Patriot Act to illegally obtain personal information on U.S. citizens, and the use of a provision in the Patriot Act to replace U.S. Attorneys, have been identified as being used by the Bush administration for expanding and abusing Executive Power. Section 311 provides another means for sidestepping international and national legal practices and substituting an ad hoc set of processes that leave the victims with no means of due process or defense.

Section 311 has been called by its supporters “a diplomatic
sledgehammer that gets results” and by its critics a provision that
denies the accused “due process and presumes guilt.”

This provision gives the U.S. Treasury the ability to use an Executive
Branch administrative procedure rather than a legal proceeding as a
way to accuse a financial institution that is part of another nation’s
regulatory system of wrong doing, and then to find them guilty. Under this provision of the Patriot Act, the accused is denied knowledge of the evidence against them and is denied the right to speak in their own defense.

Section 311 of the Patriot Act (2001) was used against the BDA, a
small bank in Macau, to freeze substantial financial assets of North
Korea and also to deny North Korea access to the international banking system. (2) The case against the BDA was instituted in September 2005 just after the U.S. had signed the six-party agreement. The accused under Section 311 are presumed to be guilty and the burden falls on them to prove their innocence without being able to know the evidence or charges. (3)

Invoking Section 311 against the BDA effectively sabotaged the
implementation of the six-party-agreement of September 2005 for 18 months as BDA did not have a process to challenge the Treasury
Department action, nor did those whose accounts at the bank had been frozen, like North Korea. It was only after North Korea conducted a missile test in July 2006 and the test of a nuclear device in October 2006, that the Bush administration was willing to agree to negotiations over the Treasury action.

Negotiations in Berlin between the U.S. government and North Korea in January 2007 and then in Beijing in February 2007 with the U.S., South Korea, China, Russia and Japan, resulted in the six-party-agreement announced on Feb. 13, 2007.

The difference that most analysts point to in comparing the Feb. 13
2007 six-party agreement with the six-party agreement of September 2005 is that more recent agreements includes a series of processes and a time table. The critical difference that has been overlooked, however, is that a requirement of the Feb. 13 agreement was that the U.S. restore the funds that were frozen by the actions of the U.S. Treasury Department. Also North Korea's access to the international financial system was to be restored.

These requirements caused “intense friction” in Washington between
officials in the State Department and "officials in the Treasury
Department and in the Office of Vice President Dick Cheney who were said to favor maintaining maximum pressure” on North Korea.(4) There were reports of urgent telephone calls between officials in the State Department and the Treasury. Assistant Secretary of State John Negroponte finally got a decision from the Treasury Department by Friday, March 16. The Treasury Department had ruled against the BDA. U.S. banks would not be allowed to do business with it. The U.S. government announcement said that it would be up to the Macau authorities to decide if they would unfreeze and restore some or all of North Korea’s funds.

By the weekend of March 17, a behind the scenes drama continued to unfold. China announced that it regretted the U.S. action. The owner of the Macao bank said he would go to court to attempt to challenge the decision. Getting off the plane in Beijing on Saturday to attend the next stage of six-party talks, Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea’s lead negotiator for the six-party talks, told reporters that all of the $25 million had to be returned if North Korea was to go to the next step of the six-party talks.

Hill announced that he would explain the settlement to the Chinese and North Korean negotiators. China announced that a settlement had been reached but that the details of it couldn’t yet be revealed.
Subsequently, there was an announcement that all of the $25 million in funds would be returned to North Korea and deposited in China in an account held by the North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank at the Bank of China in Beijing. U.S. Treasury Secretary Daniel Glaser, in a press conference held with Hill, confirmed the U.S. government decision. It was unknown he said, when the funds would actually be put in the North Korean bank account.

Subsequently, diplomats who were in Beijing to continue the
six-party-talks told reporters that North Korean diplomats said the
funds had to be in the bank account for them to continue with
negotiations.

Critics say that this provision of the Patriot Act applies U.S. law to
the financial institutions of other countries. In a proceeding under
Section 311 of the Patriot Act (2001) the U.S. Treasury Department
acts as accuser and judge, in international jurisdictions. Also, often
the evidence used by the Treasury Department is classified and thus
not available for examination by the accused so that it can’t be
refuted.

Though there have been many newspaper articles reporting the standoff in the six-party-talks caused by the dispute over the use of Section 311 against North Korea, few of the articles provide an understanding of the underlying issues involved. A commentator on BBC, for example, demonstrating a serious lack of understanding of the use of Section 311 and the abuse of power it represents said this is an example of the high price that North Korea will extract for its cooperation in the talks.

It is not without cause then, that in describing the process of the
six-party talks Hill compared the process to a video game. He warned: “This process, not unlike a video game gets more and more difficult as you get to different levels.”(5)


Notes:

(1)http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/Section301.html

(2)"Treasury Casts a Wide Net Under Patriot Act"
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/columnists/kevin_g_hall/16889790.htm

(3)"The U.S. government has never publicly detailed evidence behind
its charges. Nor has it sought to initiate legal action, relying
instead on Section 311 of the Patriot Act, which critics say extends
U.S. laws to cover other countries."
"Bush Administration Plan May Unfreeze North Korean Funds"
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/columnists/kevin_g_hall/16904105.htm

(4)"Administration Reconsiders Some North Korea Restrictions"
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/columnists/warren_p_strobel/16554751.htm

(5)"U.S., North Korea Move to Open Ties"
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=348974&rel_no=1

---
This article appeared in OhmyNews International
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

RUDY CUTS PROSTATE


In April 2000, Rudolph Giuliani was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Eventually, he dropped out of the race for senate because of his illness. For a moment, it appeared that a gentler, kinder man emerged. Perhaps humbled by his vulnerability. The moment was fleeting. Giuliani cut funding to a free prostate screening program a week after he had a psa test. This was eight days before he learned that he himself had prostate cancer. And although he appealed for men to be screened, he eliminated a paltry $750,000 from a surplus city budget for the program. To present an even more poignant scenario, on May 9th, he stood with his police commissioner, Howard Safir to announce that he too had prostate cancer. Safir went on to say how he had been alerted to his illness from prostate cancer screening. It would seem almost immoral that a man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer via prescreening would not afford the same to people who could not afford it. The problem eventually fell into the hands of the City Council. It was their political power that would seek to overturn the Giuliani fiscal slashing. One has to view this in terms of a potential President and his ability to legislate health care. We must all choose wisely or suffer the consequences. Watch Rudy discuss his cancer and advocate cancer screening at:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2530080616494073775&pr=goog-sl

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

RUDY'S BUNKER FAILURE



Post 9-11, the Sept.11 Commission held a hearing regarding the actions of police and firemen on that dreadful day. Present and also questioned at the hearing was then mayor, Rudolph Giuliani. Giuliani blamed the attack justifiably so, on terrorists. But, it appears that many of the deaths of the uniformed service personnel could have been prevented if communications were better. Giuliani constructed a $15,000,000 bunker on the 23rd floor of 7 World Trade Center. It was done despite the protests of fellow politicians and fire department safety officials. He was advised that since the first attack on World Trade had been in close proximity, it was a poor choice in the inevitability of a second. He was also advised against storing 6,000 gallons of fuel on site. The 6, 000 gallon fuel tank was positioned 15 feet above the ground floor and near several lobby elevators. The fuel was meant to power generators that would supply electricity to the 23rd floor bunker in the event of a power failure. The fire department repeatedly warned that a tank in that position could spread fumes throughout the building if leaked, or if it caught fire, could produce what one Fire Department memorandum called “disaster”. It was not consistent with city fire codes.

Giuliani claimed that coordinating activities would enhance the communication system between fire and police. History would show that on 9-11, there was no synchronization between radios of police and fire. Police helicopters hovering above World Trade saw that the buildings were in danger of imminent collapse. However, due to frequency incompatibility, they could not get the message to the firemen. Giuliani's claim was that the firemen stayed in the buildings affecting a valiant rescue of the occupants. He further added that the radios did not work because the technology did not exist. Contrary to Giuliani's statements, Jerome Hauer, who served as director of Office of Emergency Management under Giuliani, contradicted his boss. Hauer told the 9-11 Commission “the city had purchased radios to permit the two agencies to communicate, but had run into political problems.”

On 9-11, the Giuliani Emergency Bunker was never used. It was off limits. Thus......the famous and dramatic video of Rudy trooping through the ash occurred almost by default. He had no place to go. A short time after the twin towers fell, its sister tower, number 7 fell also. Some say it was razed, some say it burned. Further investigation will have to reveal the truth. When the time came for Rudy’s Bunker to perform, it didn’t. Over 400 firemen and police officers lost their lives that day. Could some deaths have been prevented with better radio communications? You, the reader will have to decide from the facts presented.

Giuliani continues to defend his bunker. In the afterglow of 9-11, he was rarely questioned about the issue. One was deemed almost unpatriotic by doubting his sainthood. Perhaps now is the time to revisit “The Bunker”.

In Rudy In the Raw (11), Rudy b.911 vehemently defends his decision to construct the “bunker”. He scoffs at the idea that it is useless and in a chilling prophecy discusses how it could be used in the event of a terror attack. Click on : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5541552572026607965

Sunday, March 18, 2007

RUDY'S JUDY


Rudolph Giuliani continues to mystify poll watchers. Until another charismatic contender such as Chuck Hagel declares, Rudy will waft higher. However, he may still encounter occasional celestial bumps such as his stand on abortion, gay rights and his divorce(s). Add to that his present wife, Judith Giuliani. Vilified by Giuliani's son, Andrew last week, Judy moves closer and closer to the camera lens. Until last week, little was known about Ms. Giuliani except for tawdry gossip, Google and hearsay. Then......Judy spoke. She introduced her husband at a $2,300 a plate fundraiser in New York. Attendees paid full fare to consume baseball gourmet hot dogs. A theme that Rudy has always been fond of. Ms. Giuliani's intro speech was akin to a grade B actress pitching Herbal Life supplements. Her candid style is refreshing, but not appropriate for the wife of a presidential aspirant. As she refers to she and her husband as a team, the "we" is exclusive of humility. Social grace would mandate that as she sheds the taint of "the other woman", she should slowly morph into the role as the new Mrs. Giuliani. Her name dropping of notables such as Ken Langone do more to damage Giuliani than help him. Langone was tagged in a civil action by Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer claimed that Langone mislead the NYSE over his pal and CEO Dick Grasso. Langone allegedly aided in Grasso receiving a $140 million dollar pay package when he stepped down. A number far in excess of what should have been allowed. Her "bragging rights" about access to those notables as Mrs. Giuliani are a classic example of nouveau riche. The school she refers to as having financially aided is a middle class private Catholic school in a gentrified section of upper Manhattan. Mother Cabrini High School was the only Catholic high school in the country to receive the US Dept. of Education "Blue Ribbon School of Excellence" award. The student population is 453. Tuition is $8,400 per year.
Hardly the cash strapped ghetto enclave that Ms. Giuliani tries to portray. And as she attempts to deconstruct a bourgeois image, she is subtly betrayed by her high fashion glitz. This does not play well in the red states of "Big Hair". Jackie Onassis knew it. A simple but classy style put her on the best dressed list. Nancy Reagan had it also. She made the color red whisper. Judy is strikingly Manhattan. Admittedly, she looks good on Rudy's arm. But will that translate to tea parties with women of more conservative cultures in the oval office? First ladies walk a thin line. The public wants glamor and stateliness in the same package. A tough balancing act. But the women who master it enhance their husband's image and marketability. Advice to Judy.....fake it till you make it. See Judy perform at the following link. Click on:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJak1bvRF88

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

THE SPECTER OF ABORTION HAUNTS RUDY


As Rudy Giuliani presses forward in the political race, he moves backwards on his political positions in an appeal to the conservative right. A recent video surfaced showing Rudy b.911 speaking at a luncheon. He spouts his progressive views on abortion without a hint of his newly found moderation. But then again, Rudy has always been a political Houdini. The guy could get himself out of a tight spot with a gesture or turn of a phrase. Rudy is the master of "bait and switch". He was largely elected by the rank and file unions, and then proceeded to conveniently distance himself from them. (See Rudy In The Raw (6)) On the issue of abortion, Giuliani has been a staunch supporter of NARAL, a huge lobby for the pro-choice crowd. Although he presently chooses to modify his stance, his liberal past is written in indelible ink. On January 22, 1997, Giuliani spoke, commemorating the Supreme court decision on Roe v. Wade. YOURFREEPRESS presents a transcript of the press conference and the attendees.


Archives of the Mayor's Press Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 22, 1997
Release #033-97

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jack Deacy 212 788 2969


MAYOR GIULIANI OBSERVES ANNIVERSARY OF ROE VS. WADE; DENOUNCES ABORTION CLINIC BOMBINGS

Addresses National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today marked the 24th anniversary of the landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision with a luncheon address before the New York chapter of the National Abortion Rights and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) at the Harvard Club. In the address, he reiterated his support for abortion rights for women and denounced the recent wave of abortion clinic bombings as an example of "dangerous extremism."

Also in attendance at the luncheon were Deputy Mayor Fran Reiter, Council Members Andrew Eristoff and John Ravitz, former Congressman William Green, NARAL Executive Director Kelly Conlin and Irwin Schneiderman, Chair of the NARAL Board of Directors.

"It was 24 years ago today that the Supreme Court ruled in a majority decision that a woman's constitutional right to privacy extended to choosing whether or not to have an abortion," Mayor Giuliani said. "The decision has proven vital to the health, safety and well-being of millions of women who are faced with unexpected pregnancies."

"The controversy over the decision continues in a landscape often marred by irrational behavior, lawlessness and dangerous extremism," the Mayor continued. "Within the last month alone, a doctor in New Orleans was brutally stabbed and abortion clinics in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Atlanta, Georgia were targets of bombings. This kind of violence and terrorism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

In his speech, the Mayor outlined the actions that have been implemented by the New York City Police Department to protect patients and staff members at abortion clinics throughout the five boroughs and highlighted provisions of the City's "Clinic Access Bill" which he signed into law in 1994.

The Mayor said, "Over the past three years, the Police Department has made a concerted effort to increase the level of communication and trust with the clinics in our communities. As a result , we have been able to institute more effective policies that safeguard women's access to these facilities. We've increased police presence at clinics on Saturdays and instituted special training for police officers on the fine points of what constitutes free speech and what can be considered harassment."

According to the Mayor, the Clinic Access Law "protects the constitutionally guaranteed right to obtain reproductive health services for those who choose them" and at the same time "does not interfere with the lawful expression of one's views in peaceful protest."

Saturday, March 10, 2007

U.S. AND NORTH KOREA MOVE TO OPEN TIES AMBASSADORS HOLD MEETING IN NEW YORK


by Ronda Hauben

“This process, not unlike a video game gets more and more difficult as you get to different levels,” said Christopher Hill, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, speaking at a press conference held at the Foreign Press Center in New York City shortly after he had finished two days of meetings with North Korea’s lead negotiator for the Six-Party talks, Kim Kye-gwan. Hill is the chief negotiator for the U.S. The Six-Party talks include the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan

Hill characterized the activities of March 5 and 6, 2007, as “good discussions” which were “very comprehensive.” Both sides were optimistic that they would get through the first 60-day period’s tasks that were outlined in the Feb. 13 agreement signed in Beijing.

A reason for the optimism, Hill explained, was that his talks with Kim not only discussed the issues that had to be resolved at this 30-day stage, but they also explored what they would need to do to go forward after the 60-day period, which will end in mid-April.

Hill explained that five working groups have been set up. His working group with Kim on normalizing U.S. - North Korean relations finished their tasks within the 30-day time schedule that they had set for the five groups to begin their process. Another group, the bilateral group between North Korea and Japan will meet in Hanoi and the three other groups will be meeting in Beijing.

Hill was interested in the efforts to get an agreement between the U.S. and North Korea in the 1990s and had learned some of the background from his discussions with Kim.

A focus of their talks, Hill explained, was on the upcoming meetings that would take place with the six parties in Beijing and how to make those productive. “The ministers from each of the six parties to the talks will be meeting in Beijing then and assessing where we will go the next 60 days,” Hill said.

Hill was asked how this negotiation was different from previous ones with North Korea. He described how the tight deadlines were one aspect. Another was that the agreement involved the six parties and the bilateral talks between the U.S. and North Korea and the other parties were within this framework.

Also Hill credited the close work between the U.S. and China for some of the progress. Not only did the U.S. and China have the common goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, he explained, but also the two countries shared a similar strategy and even tactics. Negotiators from both countries worked closely together, even on the text for the agreement.

When he was asked, “What support will you have that will keep this on track?” Hill replied that he had tremendous support from Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. She kept on top of all the details and he would be briefing her shortly on the recent discussions. “I feel I’ve got a lot of support,” he said, “and as long as I can show some results I’ll get more support. Diplomatic negotiation is sort of like managing a baseball game. As long as you win, everyone’s happy.”

Hill emphasized that there would be the need to keep the process moving and showing some progress.

When asked if he had been invited to visit North Korea, Hill said that his counterpart had raised the idea in a general sense but nothing specific had been discussed as they focused on Beijing and the upcoming round of six-party talks.

With regard to how to manage the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Hill said they discussed how to get experts in on the matter. There would need to be some technical discussions. It was a good step, Hill said, that Director General Mohamed El-Baradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been invited to North Korea and was planning a trip soon.

Hill indicated that the problem with Banco Delta Asia would be solved soon. The U.S. has committed itself to find a solution within the first 30-day period.

Hill stressed that the historical background of the particular situation with North Korea was important to keep in mind and not to draw too many analogies with other situations.

He compared the negotiations to someone always pushing a rock uphill, and the rock always seems to come down to the base of the hill. The discussion he just had with Ambassador Kim, Hill said, reflected the sense that “we can get through this.” He had been encouraged by his counterpart to look ahead.

Because the negotiators are getting to know each other from so many different meetings, when issues come up, they don’t need to reiterate points. That way they are able to cover more ground.

The atmosphere in the room during the press conference captured some of the excitement that the negotiations between Hill and Kim were another step toward the fulfillment of the September 2005 six-party agreement. This represents significant activity toward the peaceful resolution of the hostility between the U.S. and North Korea that has lingered for the past 50 years, since the days of the Korean war

This article also appears in OhmyNews International

Thursday, March 8, 2007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG, THE ONLY CON EDISON FAN IN THE CITY


Some years ago, a blackout paralyzed the Washington Heights neighborhood in upper Manhattan. Area merchants and residents suffered tremendous loss both economically and emotionally. Small grocery store owners and supermarkets were particularly hard hit. But they had then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani who took the utility company, better known as Con Edison to task. The first three letters of the utility company, accurately describes CON Ed. The American Heritage Dictionary states the word CON is described “as a swindle, or defraud (a victim) by first winning their confidence.” This in essence is apropos to the Con Ed monopoly.

Since last year's blackout in Queens, N.Y., Con Edison has conned the Queens merchants by arbitrarily paying them a meager fraction of the loss suffered from Con Ed's negligence. The question is why billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended Con Ed from the beginning. He was the number one cheerleader lauding the actions of Con Edison CEO, Burke. In the eye of our wealthy mayor, this monopolistic company can’t do any wrong. On March 5, the mayor held a press briefing. During his question and answer period. He became very testy, when he was asked about Con Edison, imposing a 3/1/2% raise on their customers as well as another raise in 2008. Bloomberg, curtly berated the reporter for asking the question, and proceeded to say that Con Edison was a for profit company.

Contrary, to former Mayor Giuliani who fought Con Edison's scheme to defraud the small business community of Washington Heights, Bloomberg took a different tact. It seems that he is more concerned about the big corporation’s bottom line, than the plight of hard working New Yorkers. Watch the Bloomberg video. Click the following link below.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4095245591260615243&pr=goog-sl

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

BOY, IS RUDY MAD


Rudy b.911 was known to terrorize the press. Occasionally the press terrorized him. But when Rudy was angry, walls shook, writers cowered and silence prevailed. He was indeed the CEO of City Hall. Except, the press did not work for him. He guarded his private life and any hint of an intrusion met with a verbal tirade. The following clip reveals the real Rudy. Not the sanitized presidential candidate who softly pled for privacy regarding his family strife last week. It is no longer 1998. The problem this time around is that his personal life is the nation's business. Will he react in the same manner this time? The cameras are rolling Rudy, the cameras are rolling..... Click on the link below to view an angry Rudy. Rudy In The Raw (9)


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6077806687512163200&pr=goog-sl

Monday, March 5, 2007

Book Challenges the Official Conspiracy Theory of 9/11

by Ronda Hauben

It is “the biggest unsolved murder case in history,” writes Mathias Broeckers (http://www.broeckers.com) describing the atrocities in the U.S. on September 11, 2001 in his book, “Conspiracies, Conspiracy Theories and the Secrets of 9/11.” The book, originally published in German in September 2002, sold 100,000 copies. This English version which has recently been published by Progress Press now makes the book available to an English speaking audience.

Broeckers is a freelance journalist who writes for a number of newspapers in Germany. Yet when he began writing articles about the events of 9/11, only one publication, the online news magazine Telepolis, ( http://www.heise.de/tp) was willing to publish his articles. Also readers of Telepolis had wide ranging discussions in response to the articles.
In the mainstream German and U.S. media, however, Broeckers describes how many articles and journalists blindly accepted the official explanation and helped to disseminate it to the public without raising any of the serious questions that the public would want answered.

Broeckers begins the book by advocating that readers be open minded about what are conspiracies and what are cover-ups. Those challenging the official account of who planned September 11, 2001, are often dismissed as “conspiracy theorists”. Broeckers proposes, to the contrary, that it is the official explanation that identified Osama Bin Laden as the mastermind behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, that is the actual conspiracy theory.

The many questions that the book raises about the official explanation of 9/11 include: Why did no official agency or government official have any warning that 9/11 was to happen, yet immediately afterward it was said with certainty that Bin Laden was to blame? Why was no credible evidence presented about Bin Laden’s part in planning and carrying out 9/11? Why were 7 of the 19 supposed hijackers shown to have the identities of people who were still alive, and yet there was no effort to track down who the actual 7 were? Why did the air force squadrons remain on the ground on September 11 and allow an aircraft to “steer straight onto the Pentagon without a qualm?” Who had a motive to benefit from the catastrophe of 9-11?
Writing in 2002, Broeckers observed, “Even eight months after the atrocity, no evidence that would hold up in a court of law has emerged to corroborate Bin Laden’s guilt.” The question who is actually responsible, Broeckers proposes, is an important question that has been raised by independent thinkers who want to uncover the actual conspiracy that resulted in 9/11.
The book is divided into three parts. The first section is an introduction challenging the official government explanation of who is responsible for 9/11. The second section is a set of articles, published in Telepolis, in the six month period following the tragedy and commenting on the various explanations given of the cause of 9/11. The third section discusses the failure of the mainstream news media to investigate the events of 9/11.
The book describes the important role the Internet played for researchers challenging the official 9/11 story. Not only did the Internet make it possible for researchers to do their investigations, it also made it possible for those doing similar research to share their findings with each other.
“Conspiracties, Conspiracy theories and the Secrets of 9/11” sheds light on an important event and raises thought-provoking questions that encourages readers to think through the different explanations in order to make up their own minds.
"Conspiracies, Conspiracy theories, and the Secrets of 9/11"
Mathias Broeckers
Progress Press
June 2006
286 pages
$14.95

Sunday, March 4, 2007

RUDY: CIVIL UNIONS YAY, LABOR UNIONS NAY


In 1997, New York City unions overwhelmingly backed the reelection of Rudy Giuliani. In essence, he was one of them. The police thought he walked on water. A Brooklyn bred boy, tough talking with all the vernacular. It did not take long for the unions to realize that their "homey" was a phony. They would have had a greater friend in Louis Farrakhan than Rudy. On one hand, he was always quick to defend the cops. But on the other, he refused to accede to their labor demands. He took the same path with the UFT (Teachers Union) and municipal unions also. He publicly boasted about how he could not be controlled by the unions. See Rudy rant about labor unions at www.video.google.com. Search Box: Rudy In The Raw (6)

Saturday, March 3, 2007

To Pee or Not to Pee....That is the Question


Due to the lack of public albeit clean restrooms, there is occasion to take matters in one's own hands. Many a man or mother of a young child has had to avail themselves of an unsuspecting tree. Medical advisers state that a full bladder can be stretched beyond capacity and contribute to discomfort. This brings us to the question of where to go with the flow. Rudy b.911 declared an all out war on public urination. He rails against the evil and uncivility of bodily streaming video. Incorporating the offense into his "Broken Windows Theory", he is adamant about not peeing in public. Now, on balance, he is correct. But to muster such zeal in enforcement is a little over the top. It is almost comical. Sure...one does not want to translate You're In New York to Urine New York. That is why Mayor Bloomberg heeded the call with more public restrooms. They are not only needed but they produce revenue. Rudy's rant against public urination underscores his manic need to control. Toilets not tickets would have been the answer Rudy. Click him on at: www.video.google.com Search box: Rudy In the Raw (8) or this link below.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-876313430827249232&pr=goog-sl

Friday, March 2, 2007

RUDY'S DIRTY DOLLARS


As Rudolph Giuliani continues to gain ground in the political arena, money and supporters are clamoring to jump on the bandwagon. And as Rudy counts his ducats, he may need to consult a drycleaner first. A former campaign contributor to Rudy b.911 was identified by the FBI as a member of a Russian crime syndicate whose company laundered millions of dollars.

Seymon Kislin, with family members and businesses donated $46,250 to the mayoral campaigns of Giuliani in 1993 and 1997. He also gave $8,000 to the Senate campaign of Chuck Schumer. Both pols deny any knowledge of Kislin's involvement with organized crime Although a 1994 report obtained by the AP claims that Kislin is a "member or associate" of a Brighton Beach crime operation headed by Vyacheslav Ivankov,the bureau has not pursued charges. Kislin's company, Trans Commodities, "is known to have laundered millions of dollars from Russia to New York." Kislin, a known aquaintance of Giuliani stated "I did a lot of fund raising for Giuliani...He's a good man doing a good job for the city of New York".

Giuliani in return reappointed Kislin to the board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation in 1999. This agency protects the cities job and economic base. Bloomberg did not continue the appointment and declined comment as to why.

One could only wonder as to why Giuliani continued his association after the information was made public by the Washington based Center for Public Integrity. Back in the day ,when Rudy was a prosecutor, he would have salivated at a scenario such as this. As of now, one could say "Physician, heal thyself." See video at :

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4690411516147388006