Monday, October 22, 2007

Sorry Charlie

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) can be a real pain in the ass.

In a cover story on Giuliani in this week’s New York Observer, Rangel went after Giuliani in unusually personal ways, expressing confidence that Giuliani’s frontrunning status will fade either because of the former mayor’s liberal positions on social issues or the operatic drama of his personal life.

“Referring to Andrew Giuliani’s reportedly distant relationship with his father since the ugly bust-up of Mr. Giuliani’s marriage with Donna Hanover,” the article says, “Mr. Rangel said it was because ‘sons respect and admire their fathers, but they love their mothers against cheating goddamn husbands.’ … Rangel said he regretted that all the personal problems surfaced so soon in the electoral process. ‘I’m sorry this damned thing turned out so early because, really, just like [embattled former Giuliani aide Bernard] Kerik, it would have bombed his ass out.'”

The Giuliani campaign declined to comment to ABC News about the attack, referring a reporter to comments made in the story by Randy Mastro, a former Giuliani deputy mayor, who said of Rangle’s remarks, “Comments like that are not worthy of a response.”

Giuliani and Rangel have long had a contentious relationship.

There’s enough about Giuliani’s politics, temper, grandstanding, fear-mongering, and toadying to the right wing to take issue with, so bringing in his kids is just a waste of space and a distraction. All Mr. Rangel’s comments will do is provide the righties with yet another platform to get all mushy and touchy about the mean things the Democrats say. Besides, attacking children is a Republican tactic, so they will probably sue for copyright infringement.