(Via Political Animal) We learn from the Wall Street Journal that Rudy Giuliani apparently makes a habit of taking phone calls from wife number three during meetings, speeches, etc.
…Columnist Robert Novak cites “supporters from outside the Giuliani staff” who claim that taking phone calls from his wife as been “part of his political bag of tricks all year.” But Mr. Giuliani’s deputy press secretary Jason Miller told me the NRA incident was definitely not a stunt. Instead it was a “candid and spontaneous moment” that would humanize the tough-guy former mayor with voters.
Nice try. Just in case this isn’t obviously ridiculous, Fox News commissioned a poll on the subject. It found that only 9% of Americans think a candidate should ever interrupt a speech to accept a call from his spouse.
The fact is that people inside the Giuliani campaign are appalled at the number of times their candidate has felt compelled to interrupt public appearances to take calls from his wife. The estimate from those in a position to know is that he has taken such calls more than 40 times in the middle of speeches, conferences and presentations to large donors. “If it’s a stunt, it’s not one coming from him,” says one Giuliani staffer. “It’s an ongoing problem that he won’t take advice on.”
…
Consider a spring incident in Oklahoma City. Mr. Giuliani spoke twice at the Oklahoma History Center, first at a small private roundtable for $2,300 donors and then to 150 people who donated $500 apiece. Ten minutes into the roundtable, Mr. Giuliani’s phone rang. He left the room to take the call, apparently from Mrs. Giuliani, and never returned. The snubbed donors received no explanation. “The people there viewed it as disrespectful and cheesy,” says Pat McGuigan, a local newspaper editor who was asked by the Giuliani campaign to moderate the roundtable.
I’ve seen a lot of comment on this. The rudeness and self absorption is self evident. But no one has mentioned a rather basic fact. Why is his phone even on when he’s giving a speech, or meeting with supporters? Isn’t it rather basic that you turn your phone off in a situation like that? Maybe Rudy thinks he’s still in charge of something, and should Osama strike again, the guy who put the emergency NYC headquarters in the World Trade Center complex will, at a moment’s notice, be called upon to stumble through the streets of New York again.
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