Rudy Giuliani attacks Barack Obama for his friends -- and gets called out over one of his own

Republicans far and wide have eagerly jumped on the assertion Monday by top Barack Obama aide David Axelrod that the candidate was unaware of Bill Ayers' background as a violent radical when the two first met in the mid-1990s.

Sarah Palin pressed the GOP attack today while campaigning in Florida (our colleague Mark Silva has the details at the Swamp).

Sometimes, though, a particular surrogate may not match up well with delivering a particular message. That appeared to be the case this morning, on Fox News' "Fox and Friends."

Rudy Giuliani, sitting on the set's couch, castigated Obama for "a pattern" of apparently not being fully aware of the views and detects of some of his associates, mentioning the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Chicago crook Tony Rezko, along with Ayers. The bottom line, the former New York mayor said, was that all this showed Obama lacked "the judgment" to serve as president.

On camera next was Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs, speaking from Nashville, the site of tonight's town hall faceoff between his candidate and John McCain. And Gibbs was ready with an acerbic response.

He noted that Giuliani has been the main advocate for Bernard Kerik, New York's former police commissioner, to be named head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. President Bush made the nomination, only to quickly withdraw it when a morass of legal and personal problems surrounding Kerik surfaced (he currently is under federal indictment for conspiracy, mail fraud and several other charges).

As a result, Gibbs said, "taking judgment advice" from Giuliani "is a little bit like being called ugly by a frog."

The not-to-be missed exchange can be seen here.

-- Don Frederick

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Comments

[Twan]

Guiliani is a JOKE

TONIGHT ALI vs. Frazier

Im Bundini saying to BARACK...."Rumble young MAN RUMBLE"......

Though the POLLS say otherwise...Barack is the UNDERDOG.....

SO he has to 20x sharper than {John using a McCain Frazier}

OLD MEN Never Lose their Strength only their SPEED and ENDURANCE. and McCain is throwing HAYMAKERS.

Stay LIGHT on your feet OBAMA...BOB and Weave and take shots when you can... Beat him on points and STYLE..... Let HIM tire himself then knock him out in the 11th ROUND..... Rumble young MAN Rumble

[Very simple]

ROLFMAO. I guess it is very easy to throw slime when your made of the stuff, eh Rudy?

[McCain ties to Anti-war Radical]

McCain, like Obama, has ties to an anti-war '60s radical
John McCain's vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, is out on the stump saying the Sen. Barack Obama has been "palling around" with terrorists.

She's referring to William Ayers, a founder of the radical Weatherman during the 1960s, and now a college professor. By palling around, Palin apparently means that Obama and Ayers were members of the board of an anti-poverty group called the Woods Fund of Chicago between 1999 and 2002.

News reports also indicate that Ayers contributed $200 to Obama's re-election fund to the Illinois State Senate in April 2001, and that the two men lived within a few blocks of each other in Chicago.

Some people might refer to that as both guilty by association and stretching the truth.

I McCain's friendship with the 1960s radical David Ifshin.
In 1970, Ifshin was president of the National Student Association. That year he actually traveled to Hanoi and urged American troops to rebel against the Vietnam War. Radio Hanoi broadcast his remarks. He even made the cover of Life magazine, standing behind Jane Fonda.

People called him a traitor.

They said that he may have cost American lives.

And yet, McCain was the guy's pal.

When Ifshin died of cancer a few years back, McCain attended the funeral and spoke of how Ifshin "always felt passionate about his country." Adding, ''I learned a lot about courage from David."

Check it out

[Rick]

There's a big difference between opposing the Vietnam War, which many, many people did, and engaging in and advocating violence against this country, including bombing the Pentagon, like Ayers. Not only did he advocate bombing the Pentagon, he's never refuted those radical beliefs. So, he's not just "another 60s' radical" who opposed the Vietnam War. He is a terrorist, or at least a terrorist want-to-be. But Very Simple is like most of the simple-minded people who love Obama; they're so hypnotized by his "celebrity" that they refuse to really look at who he is.

[Chuck U. Farley]

I can't believe the mccain pinheads think that this excrement has anything to do with what IS important today. just remember 2 things, 1. those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. 2. IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID! WHAT A BUNCH OF JO's you rebumblikins are.

[Socrates Six-Pack]

Let me get this right. We have a choice between an old, crotchety opportunist politician and his empty headed pretty puppet end-times religious cult vp on one ticket or a bright, vibrant, thoughtful, wise and compassionate rising leader with his wise as well, savvy, smart, compassionate vp running mate. I'll take the later.

American's who choose the sick old man and the lunatic chic from Wasilla deserve a one way ticket, along with putrid Sean Hannity to somewhere-east of Europe.

[Chuck Farley and his hand outs]

Chuck U. Farley sounds like a typical Dem/Lib..Alway mentioning the economy but doesn't know anything about it.

Dems/Libs.. You are so lazy. Why why why?

Obama is a terrorist. Face the FACT!

No go back to getting your hand outs and food stamps little Chucky.

[As in the HIP HOP World - OBAMA IS SUCH A HATER]

Obama is a JOKE

TONIGHT ALI vs. Frazier

Im Bundini saying to McCain...."Rumble OLD MAN RUMBLE"......

Though the POLLS say otherwise...McCain is the UNDERDOG.....

OLD MEN Never Lose their Strength only their SPEED and ENDURANCE. and McCain is throwing HAYMAKERS.

Stay LIGHT on your feet McCain...BOB and Weave and take shots when you can... Beat him on points and STYLE..... Let HIM tire himself then knock him out in the 11th ROUND..... Rumble young MAN Rumble

[dave]

Rudi is a retarded jocker and a hypocrat! I guess all the conservative republicans are the pathatic bastards.. Economy is so freaking ruin, they don't care about it, but gets involved in smear tactics..

[Serf6]

TWAN, love the ALI boxing reference.

Yeah, Republicans get desperate because your clock is ticking. MOST of us that are rational and honest in this country are sick and tired of your pathetic leadership. You accuse us of being in denial about OBAMA'S shortcomings...you all are in denial about your FAILURES (and there are too many to list). You elephants have been in power for 8-years in the White House, controlled Congress 10 of the last 12 years, and yet you blame "liberals" and Democrats for the problems that ail our country. For the party of "self-responsibility" you sure have a difficult time owning up to YOUR responsibility. In the words of Bill Maher "Honky Please"!!

[EJP]

Obama was eight years old when Ayers was starting the Weather Underground. It is the depths of desperation for Palin/McCain to be claiming that Obama is "palling around with terrorists" because Obama served on a charitable board with Ayers decades after Ayer's despicable actions.

In fact, it is worse than desperation--it is irresponsible and indefensible. I think most voters see through this vile campaign, which has clearly revealed that McCain's reputed integrity and honesty were always just strategic posturing and not core values. McCain's current campaign shows him to be dishonest, dishonorable, and willing to say or do anything to get elected. In the end, one gets judged by actions, not by labels you try to apply to yourself.

Palin was pathetic in her debate, with her ridiculous channeling of the speech patterns from that Fargo movie, and her clumsy avoidance of the questions posed to her. And now she's taking the lead with this ridiculous distortion of Obama's past association with ayers. The Republican Party has fallen far, if this is the best they can come up with.

Fortunately, it was an earlier, better Republican who told us that "you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but..."

I think time is running out on the modern Republican Party's attempts to fool all of us all of the time.

[Puppet Master]

Thanks to my Fox news compats on here. Lock step on the talking points. Next week we're announcing that Obama was a biological field assistant for you know who.........yes, Sir Charles Darwin, the anti-Christ evolution theorist. But, it's just a theory, whew. So, the message is that Obama was collecting butterflies and finches and sometimes marine iguanas during Darwin's travels on the HMS Beagle. There's also gay innuendo to be attributed as Barack did laundry and cooked during the cruise.
Got it? good. God Bless America.

[Donald from Hawaii]

"Chuck Farley and his hand outs", when certain people question the intelligence of the average GOP voter, you've just offered yourself up as Exhibit No. 1. Your penchant for insults and name-calling makes one truly wonder whether you could find either of the open ends of a roll of toilet paper, without first referencing illustrated directions.

[Ron Alford]

It is true, Obama was 8 years old when Mr. Ayers was doing his bombing. How old was he when he started his campaign in 2002 in Mr. Ayers living room. This morning one of his top campaign advisors was on the radio. He stated that Obama did not know about Mr. Ayers past. If he is that naive do you really want this man as President of the United States? My age was 18 when Mr. Ayers started his bombing spree. I have not forgotten. Obviously, some of you have. You are who your friends are. Our country is in need of a leader that has the ability to reach both sides of the aisle. I am not sure McCain or Obama can do the job. I think we need to all back up and look at this thing again. Will you really feel secure with either of them? Unfortunately, there is not a good answer. I have tried to pick the best of two problematic politicians. John McCain does not have any loyalty to be repaid that I can find. Have you given any consideration to the money Obama has received for his campaign? Yes, he did return $33,000 to the Palestenians. They sent him over $500,000. Give it some thought. Ask yourself who you want to lead your country when these guys come calling. Believe me, they will!

[Character Counts doesn't it?]

If McCain were the one who had past ties to William Ayres (i.e., launching his political career in Ayres living room, serving on a few educational boards with him, aiding in distributing funds that Ayres obtained to spread radical ideology to college students, as well as providing some of those funds to ACORN) don't you think McCain would be under a lot more scrutiny and his judgment be damned if it were him instead of Obama? His judgment and character would be under intense fire and he would loose creditability both politically and personally. Obama on the other hand, is so charismatic, eloquent in speech and "Popular with the celebs & main stream media" that he is virtually unscathed. Why, because today a vast majority of our society is "Liberal" just like he is sadly, and at the end of the day, we all have to account for our own judgment and character. So Obama can just keep pretending to be a good American Christian, then you he can win no matter what he actually does (assuming you can distract people away from any negatives). As long as he says there is a God and that he loves America, that’s all a great deal of people need to be convinced. If that kind of thinking (or lack thereof) persists much longer, this country is going to hell in a hand basket… God help us!