Ron Paulites confront, taunt Giuliani

(UPDATE: Note to Readers Go to www.LATimes.com/topoftheticket

A band of noisy Ron Paul supporters (are there any other kind?) angrily confronted former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani during a 15-minute ferryboat ride last weekend, accusing him of being involved in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

According to a Detroit Free Press account, dozens of Paul supporters leaving a Michigan Republican conference on Mackinac Island encountered Giuliani doing the same and began taunting him with shouts of "9/11 was an inside job" and "Rudy, Rudy, what did you do with the gold?," a reference to legends that millions of dollars in gold were secretly recovered from the collapsed towers.

An eyewitness who's a supporter of Mitt Romney, Ed Wyszynski, said the Paul supporters threatened to throw Giuliani overboard and forced him into the ferry's wheelhouse for the trip's duration. "It was awful," he said. "I was embarrassed to be a Republican."

A Paul campaign spokesman, Jesse Benton, said the campaign had no involvement in the outburst, did not condone harassing Giuliani and did not believe the terrorist attacks were "an inside job." He explained that while the Texas representative had called for a new commission to investigate 9/11, it was because he believed there was more undiscovered government incompetency, not complicity.

A Giuliani spokesman said the mayor was not intimidated by the confrontation, but at least one Ron Paul blog suggested the encounter with 200 Paul supporters was "Rudy Giuliani's worst nightmare" and suggested the mayor should not laugh at another Paul answer in the next GOP debate.

It should be O.K. for the rest of us though.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Patrick Gaudin]

Actually, Rudy (and others) were LOUDLY snickering when Ron Paul's name was called. It wasn't just his answers they were rudely, foolishly and weakly laughing about.

Your old-media is dying out because of all of your lies and distortions.

Ron Paul's support is much larger than you all are willing to admit, therefore you (old media) are desperately trying to engage in your lame damage-control.

Good luck.

(Ans: And thanks for reading us so regularly.-AM)

[Anonymous]

What a shame that people would stoop to such low tactics of disrespect. I am no supporter of Guilianni, but that altercation was uncalled for.
I say, all those who participated in name calling, character bashing, spreading lies, and snickering at honest answers ought to be ashamed. You know who you are, and you give conservatives a bad name which isn't helping the cause.

[chris lawton]

GO RON PAUL! GO RON PAUL! GOD BLESS RON PAUL!
RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT 2008!

Best Ron Paul video - (Reply: WRONG!…Best Presidential Candidacy Video EVER!!!)

[Mark Smith]

I'm wondering why you simply re-posted an inaccurate piece of reporting from MIchigan, when with a modicum of effort you could have found many online accounts from passengers on the ferry boat who tell a very different version of this little incident. The eyewitness accounts I've read (as well as the TV news report taped on board the ferry) portray the passengers as simply chanting Ron Paul's name, while the ex-mayor of New York is safely ensconsed in the captain's cabin (where his security people had led him prior to the other passengers boarding). In other words, big deal. Non-story. Yes -- a couple of truthers spouted off about 9/11 conspiracy theories, but what are you going to do -- shoot them? They are vastly, vastly outnumbered among the Paul supporters by regular folks (like 55-year-old, father-of-six me) who are tired of deceptive politicians and their misdirected policies that have led us into unnecessary wars and to the edge of financial chaos. I'll allow that the Paul supporters showed RG the same amount of respect that he has shown to the congressman -- none.

[Tannim]

Go watch the videos of what happened on YouTube. Ed Wyszynski is a liar. Fact: Rudy bullied his way to the front of the line and then when he realized who was on the boat ran and hid like a coward, just like he ran and hid from the Morgan State debate last night. If he had any courtesy he would have waited in line like everybody else and if he had any courage he would have addressed the Paul-unteers on the deck and have a dialogue.

And note that the issue here is again attacking we Paul-unteers. These critics can't seem to attack Dr. Paul or his positions, so they go for the guilt-by-association attack instead. Well, guess what, it isn't working for one reason: Unlike the other top-down campaigns, Dr. Paul's is bottoms-up, meaning that we Paul-unteers don't get marching orders from on high, we just do what we do, so Jesse Benton is telling the truth--the campaign does have nothing to do with it! Sure there are some bad apples, but in this case the situation is badly represented and overblown. The real story is Rudy's bad behavior in the face of regular people expressing their opinions.

[jean allen]

Ha Ha Ha! Andrew! How cute! "the rest" of you go ahead and laugh. What is it you think is so funny? I'd like to know. Do you want to argue any of the issues or just make snotty little comments?
Go listen to that great youtube video by "Three Shoes Posse"--a reggae song about Dr. Paul. It's great. "Is there a doctor in the ..ouse? Is there a doctor in the ...ouse? Houston we've got a problem..And we need Ron Paul to solve them!! Is there a doctor in the ...ouse? Is there a doctor in the ...ouse? Ron Paul is here. Ron Paul is here.
Say Yes to Dr. No. Ron Paul rules!

Jean Allen (fitpitcher@gmail.com)

[Will]

LA Times: Why is it that this story has been reposted today? This happened over a month ago. Are you trying to smear Ron Paul? Is this all you have? If it is, we (Ron Paul and his supporters) have this thing in the bag.

I have a suggestion for you: If you want to smear someone, try Giuliani - he's a much easier target. Heck, his former Chief of Police and long-time freind is being indicted for crimes related to dealings with the Mafia. You could find a treasure trove of skeletons on Giuliani. Why work so hard to find dumb stories like this about Ron Paul?

(Ans: Attn: Paul supporters--This story was not reposted today. It's an old one among many we've written on Dr. Paul. You'd have to dig pretty deep in the archives here to find this one. Thanks for reading.-AM)

[David McLeod]

Considering the way Rudy has treated Ron Paul during the debates (I don't mean the rebuttal to questions but his snickering in the background when Paul answers questions) he deserves whatever treatment he gets.

[Bob McDowell]

So this is how it is going to work? When attacking Dr Paul fails, you resort to attacking anyone "crazy" enough to support him?

You can laugh all you'd like, but I really think you're too late.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

[Paul]

ROFLMAO! You're pulling up a story that was
A) Completely false!
B) "Happened" in September!

Where did you get your journalism credentials from? Hamburger College?

[J R]

I am sure they did not actually intend to throw Rudy off the Ferry. That was childish taunting, not a death threat.

[Mark]

This is Old news

[Judy Riuliani]

Rudy likes to dress up like a woman...and the L.A. Times apparently doesn't think it's noteworthy, what with the man's desire to ascend to the most powerful position in government.

[Andy K. Kuo]

are you insinuating that Ron Paul supporters by and large believe that 9/11 is a conspiracy? I sure hope not. I'm an active Ron Paul supporter, involved in the first Ron Paul Meetup group, and I can say we are not conspiracy theorist. Sure, conspiracy theorists will gravitate towards Dr. Paul because of his anti-government message but they are a small minority of Ron Paul supporters. I think this piece you wrote is slanted and irresponsible. I can find anecdotal evidence to support almost any claim.

Dissappointed,
Andy K. Kuo

[gao xia en]

It's a shame that they didn't throw that cross-dressing closet Nazi slimeball Ghouliani overboard. I hope they get another chance.

[Jared Richardson]

Very nice write up. Its just as honest and accurate as your Newt Gingrich piece.
Oh, wait, I guess you didn't call that one so well either.

As others have stated, watch the video, find out what REALLY happened instead of a hit piece.

[Truth]

This story is a lie! This event did happen, but it was not "last weekend" at all! It was a few weeks back.

(Read the date of the article.)

[Uniblogger]

As a rabid Ron Paul supporter, I find the altercation amusing, though I nor any other true Ron Paul supporter would ever condone the use of violence. Rudy had to hide in the wheelhouse, huh. That'll teach him to call Dr. Paul's explaination of the 9/11 motives "absurd". It's absurd that Rudy never read the 9/11 Report,.. must have been too thick and not enough pictures.

[Jay]

These sorts of articles are so trite. It's a problem when all people can do is attack a candidate's odd supporters as opposed to the candidate's ideas or political philosophies. I am a Ron Paul supporter, a libertarian, an advertising professional, a husband, a secular humanist and an all around normal guy. I just happen to believe in human freedom and liberty. If others you consider "strange" believe and value their liberty too, then who cares? Isn't this country about freedom and tolerance? In the end tolerance is best achieved through freedom and it is apparent you do not value either. Sad.

[Jeremiah Ellison]

I just have to address your seemingly backhanded remark about noisy Ron Paul supporters and say, you can thank the media for that.

We've been trained by the media to be noisy. By ignoring, shutting down and implying that the "crazy guy" we endorse shouldn't even be running for president, we've learned that we, the supporters, have to be very vocal and carry the message.

The amount of noise we make only emphasizes the mistake the media is making when they brush off Ron Paul. If there weren't such a demand for Ron Paul you wouldn't be hearing so much noise. And once we're satisfied with the coverage they give to the Ron Paul campaign, we'll quiet down a bit.

[Ann]

Actually this story for some reason pops up on Google News on a Ron Paul search. I think it is cool you like sneering at Ron Paul. He and his supporters have gotten under your skin. It's bothering you. It's annoying you quite a bit I would guess. I haven't noticed almost any Paul Republicans using all caps though. Journalists really shouldn't lie, you know. That is yet another reason people like Ron Paul. He doesn't lie.

[Kurtis]

This story is wildly inaccurate. The Ron Paul people merely chanted his name for awhile but for the most part rode back quietly. There are a lot of people in the country besides Ron Paul supporters that might like to see Giuliani take a swim. If anybody said that, they were merely voicing their displeasure for what Giuliani represents. As for a few idiots mouthing off about some kind of conspiracy, I guess there's freedom of speech. This happened a long time ago too, it's old news.

[Tom D]

Really?

Now you have stooped to rehashing month old stories to try to smear Dr. Paul?
Wow, you really are that desperate.

Bwahahahahahaha

(Try reading the date on the item before you blow. Save your heart.)

[Tom D]

As to your smug retort to the first poster, we don't read you regularly. You showed up on a google news search with a month old hit piece. You are a hit ho, your masters know that on slow news days they can smear Ron Paul, and all of a sudden you will have thousands of hits to your website. Duh. Try reporting news. You had the opportunity to be the only MSM news source to carry the meteoric rise of Dr. Paul, you could have been the "bible" to Paulites. You, as well as every other weak, puppet, propaganda rag, decided to try to ignore and smear Dr. Paul. Enjoy your temporary traffic boosts...you will be out of business soon enough. Brush up on your waiter skills.

[Gerald Gibson]

Reposted or not it just now showed up on the Google News page on Nov. 8th when it was originally up on Sept 26