Alan Smithee
2007-09-22 17:38:58 UTC
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 Rudolph W. Giuliani was making a very serious
legal point in a very important speech on Friday before some very
skeptical members of the National Rifle Association.
Then, a call came in on his cellphone.
This is my wife calling, I think, he said as the crowd looked on in
silence. Hello, dear. Im talking Im talking to the members of the
N.R.A. right now. Would you like to say hello?
He paused; she said something inaudible; he laughed.
I love you, and Ill give you a call as soon as Im finished. O.K.?
Was the call a genuine intrusion by an adoring wife? Or a campaign
stunt meant to soften his image before a potentially hostile crowd,
and show Judith Giuliani in a warmer light?
The campaign insisted Friday that the call caught Mr. Giuliani off
guard. It was a moment of candor and spontaneity on the campaign
trail, said Maria Comella, a campaign spokeswoman.
But it was not the first time Mr. Giuliani has interrupted a campaign
stop to take a call from his wife just as he was making a speech. In
June, visiting a community of largely Cuban immigrants in Hialeah,
Fla., almost the exact same scene played out.
As his supporters chanted, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, he hushed them,
flipping open the phone and revealing that it was his wife on the
line. Maybe a little cheesy, but the crowd loved it.
On Friday, however, there was awkward laughter.
And after The New York Times noted the previous cellphone interruption
in a blog posting on Friday after the speech to the N.R.A., the
campaign of a Republican presidential rival, Mitt Romney, wasted no
time in finding video and sending reporters links to YouTube, where
both calls could be seen side by side.
After taking Fridays call from his wife on stage, Mr. Giuliani said,
This is one of the great blessings of the modern age, being always
available. Or maybe it isnt. Im not sure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/us/politics/22call.html
O'ROURKE: I mean, this is lots of fun attacking George Bush, who is an
idiot and obviously screwed up on this completely
BEHAR: Thank you!
MAHER: Oh, thank you!
PJ O'Rourke on Bill Maher show 9/16/2005
legal point in a very important speech on Friday before some very
skeptical members of the National Rifle Association.
Then, a call came in on his cellphone.
This is my wife calling, I think, he said as the crowd looked on in
silence. Hello, dear. Im talking Im talking to the members of the
N.R.A. right now. Would you like to say hello?
He paused; she said something inaudible; he laughed.
I love you, and Ill give you a call as soon as Im finished. O.K.?
Was the call a genuine intrusion by an adoring wife? Or a campaign
stunt meant to soften his image before a potentially hostile crowd,
and show Judith Giuliani in a warmer light?
The campaign insisted Friday that the call caught Mr. Giuliani off
guard. It was a moment of candor and spontaneity on the campaign
trail, said Maria Comella, a campaign spokeswoman.
But it was not the first time Mr. Giuliani has interrupted a campaign
stop to take a call from his wife just as he was making a speech. In
June, visiting a community of largely Cuban immigrants in Hialeah,
Fla., almost the exact same scene played out.
As his supporters chanted, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, he hushed them,
flipping open the phone and revealing that it was his wife on the
line. Maybe a little cheesy, but the crowd loved it.
On Friday, however, there was awkward laughter.
And after The New York Times noted the previous cellphone interruption
in a blog posting on Friday after the speech to the N.R.A., the
campaign of a Republican presidential rival, Mitt Romney, wasted no
time in finding video and sending reporters links to YouTube, where
both calls could be seen side by side.
After taking Fridays call from his wife on stage, Mr. Giuliani said,
This is one of the great blessings of the modern age, being always
available. Or maybe it isnt. Im not sure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/us/politics/22call.html
O'ROURKE: I mean, this is lots of fun attacking George Bush, who is an
idiot and obviously screwed up on this completely
BEHAR: Thank you!
MAHER: Oh, thank you!
PJ O'Rourke on Bill Maher show 9/16/2005