Vito Fossella's Giuliani Problem

The NYTimes has a devastating piece on the realities of Rudy deciding to place the emergency command center at the World Trade Center despite experts recommendation against it;

The New York Police Department produced a detailed analysis in 1998 opposing plans by the city to locate its emergency command center at the World Trade Center, but the Giuliani administration overrode those objections. The command center later collapsed from damage in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.

“Seven World Trade Center is a poor choice for the site of a crucial command center for the top leadership of the City of New York,” a panel of police experts, which was aided by the Secret Service, concluded in a confidential Police Department memorandum.

The memorandum, which has not been previously disclosed, cited a number of “significant points of vulnerability.” Those included: the building’s public access, the center’s location on the 23rd floor, a 1,200-gallon diesel fuel supply for its generator, a large garage and delivery bays, the building’s history as a terrorist target, and its placement above and adjacent to a Consolidated Edison substation that provided much of the power for Lower Manhattan.

This is the man Rep. Vito Fossella has endorsed and wants to be President of the United States. So when you hear Fossella spouting security concerns and the need to continue his war in Iraq because we are safer ask yourself (or him for that matter) why he is putting politics above those concerns? Does he support recommendations of experts or does he support Giuliani for the political gain he receives.

More Rudy

via Liz Benjamin;

Panicked by Rudy Giuliani's tanking presidential campaign, New York Republicans are contemplating abandoning him in favor of a man who ditched them months ago.

"Rudy's downward spiral has caused enough concern that there have been conversations about whether people will continue to support him or cut their losses now and jump on the Bloomberg bandwagon," said one GOP insider who has been privy to the talks.

Rudy finished 6th out of 7 in Iowa.
Rudy finished tied for last in Wyoming.
Rudy is likely to finish 4th or 5th out of 6 in Hew Hampshire.



That large drop off of Rudy's trend line is not just the chances of him winning the nomination free falling, it is also the downward trend of Rep. Fossella having a Republican nominee on top of the ticket with strong NY ties who would have driven Republican voters to the polls this fall.

More Rudy

"Republican Giuliani Plummets In National Poll", via the WSJ;

After holding a double-digit advantage over his nearest rivals just six weeks ago, the former New York City mayor now is tied nationally with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 20% among Republicans, just slightly ahead of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 17% and Arizona Sen. John McCain at 14%. Other polls show Mr. Giuliani's lead shrinking in Florida, one of the states he has based his strategy around.

see also:
Rudy's poor showing is bad news for Vito Fossella

Giuliani's poor showing is bad news for Vito Fossella

via the NY Sun;

Rudolph Giuliani's decision to largely abandon the early voting state of New Hampshire and concentrate his efforts on the Florida primary three weeks later reflects an uncomfortable truth for the former New York mayor: The more he campaigned in the Granite State and the more he spent on advertising there, the more his poll numbers dropped.

snip

He must now be sure to win Florida on January 29 to capture its large cache of delegates, as part of a strategy that sees him withdrawing from the smaller early states in favor of states such as New York, California, and Florida, which send large numbers of delegates to the nominating convention.

However, the wisdom of that strategy was cast in doubt yesterday by the latest poll in Mr. Giuliani's home state of New York showing the mayor's lead over his nearest Republican rivals cut by 11 points.

Any decline by Rudy is good news for Harrison and Recchia. Should Giuliani win the Republican nomination it will be a difficult, maybe impossible road ahead for the Democrats here as Rudy will undoubtedly run extremely well in Staten Island and easily poll several points above any other Republican candidate. As I discussed in my very first post Fossella and Bush pulled nearly identical numbers in each AD back in 2004 while the Democratic candidate Frank Barbaro saw down ballot attrition caused by John Kerry voters turning out to the polls in large numbers but not voting past the office of President. In another presidential year the Democrats benefit from a Republican Presidential candidate that does not excite New Yorkers.

see also:
Rudy Continues his Death Spiral
Giuliani tries to revitalize campaign in Florida
Rudy Giuliani's Poll Numbers Tank in New Hampshire