This week, Rudy Giuliani traveled to Missouri to pick up the endorsement of the state’s governor, but was admitted to a St. Louis hospital after experiencing what his campaign described as “flu-like symptoms.” He was released the next day, waved to cameras, and went home.
It was unfortunate timing for the former mayor — it’s hard to stay off the campaign trail at this stage in the process — but these things happen. He shakes a lot of hands, works long hours, and spends time in freezing-cold states. Candidates are bound to pick up a bug sooner or later. It all sounds fairly routine.
Ordinarily, that’d be the end of the story, which would hardly be worth thinking about. But as it turns out, excessive secrecy about the incident has raised a few eyebrows. ABC News’ Jake Tapper reports:
What was wrong? What tests did he get? What was causing such severe pains? Giuliani gave no details.
His campaign will not release any concrete medical information to the press — raising questions about the former New York mayor’s health and the transparency of his campaign.
Giuliani was experiencing headache pain so severe Wednesday night he had his charter plane turn around and go back to St. Louis and was rushed to the emergency room.
His campaign shared no concrete medical information about which tests the mayor undertook and what the exact results were, also refraining from allowing the media to see his medical records or speak to his doctors.
A senior Giuliani campaign official told ABC News, “He’s fine. He campaigns very vigorously. He did 77 events in 53 cities this month. He just got sick.”
That explanation sounds fairly reasonable, but why, then, insist on secrecy? If Giuliani came down with a minor flu, why be so reluctant to talk about it?
I’m inclined to give candidates wide berth when it comes to personal medical matters — whether someone has hemorrhoids or not is none of the public’s business — but the truth is Giuliani has a history of health trouble. Given the circumstances, and recent history, there’s some expectations of transparency.
From the lymphoma of former Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas or the irregular heart rhythm of former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, every medical issue takes on greater consequence in the harsh glare of the presidential stage.
However, experts on political crises say Giuliani is handling this exactly the wrong way.
Former Bush administration strategists say the Bush team faces relentless questions about Vice President Dick Cheney’s heart. “What you learn is that the times that you hide and the times that you are not as upfront about it is the times the story continues on and feeds on itself,” said Matthew Dowd, former Bush strategist.
In December 1999, then-Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., faced tough questions about the irregular heart rhythm he had not been completely forthright about. Former Clinton White House senior aide Lanny Davis recalls Bradley’s lack of disclosure as a turning point for his campaign. “I was in Iowa that night during the caucuses, and I heard Iowa voters wondering whether Sen. Bradley had a very serious heart problem,” Davis said.
Giuliani told reporters yesterday, “I’m feeling good; I got a good night’s sleep.” I’m glad. But there’s just no need for secrecy on this. Did he just catch a virus? Was he on some kind of medication? What kind of tests did he undergo?
I can’t imagine why these mundane details have to be kept under wraps. If there’s one thing Giuliani should have learned by now, people ask more questions when a candidate tries to keep a secret.
Update: In an interview recorded today for tomorrow’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” Giuliani continues to sidestep the details.
Stephanopoulos: One big question this week – how you feeling?
Giuliani: I feel great now, I feel terrific, I’ve been tested out, everything came back 100 percent.
Stephanopoulos: Take us back through it, because the symptoms on Wednesday night must have been so severe to have you turn around that plane. What was going on?
Giuliani: It was a terrible headache, I mean all day — it got worse all day. It got really bad at night, when I was speaking to a crowd and did a press conference with Sen Bond. Got on the plane. I imagine what happened is the pressure of the takeoff made the headache worse than I’ve ever had.
Stephanopoulos: Did you black out?
Giuliani: No. My staff was very concerned so we turned around. I actually made that decision. Were only 6 or 7 minutes out. It actually made no sense to get on the plane. I probably thought of it. Once I got on and the pressure got worse I said let’s turn back. They decided, you better really check him out. And they did really check me out.
Stephanopoulos: So what did they check for? What were they worried about?
Giuliani: They checked everything. I mean you’d have to ask my doctor everything they checked for. I mean he put out a statement that I’m in very good health, that every test came back normal. What I’ll do now is – there’s also, I’m a cancer survivor. So there’s always the issue of cancer, so I’m going to have him put out a statement and then you know make everyone really comfortable that I’m okay. But they tell me I’m in very good health.
Stephanopoulos: Yeah, we’d actually like to talk to your doctor about it to find out what kinds of tests were performed, what the results were, what the final diagnosis was.
Giuliani: After Christmas he can address this himself.
Stephanopoulos: After Christmas?
Giuliani: Well, he’s tied up until then and also I’ve got to make sure I get all the cancer tests back, and he’s going to put together a complete picture. So that he can address himself to the whole thing so people can be assured –
Stephanopoulos: So you will put out all the records after Christmas?
Giuliani: He’s going to put out everything that’s appropriate to show that I’m in good health.
Stephanopoulos: There were some questions, though, about why no one was allowed to speak with the doctors on Thursday. Why the delay?
Giuliani: I don’t –
Stephanopoulos: Why the delay in talking to the doctors, finding out what kinds of tests were given?
Giuliani: I think the statement was put out right away.
Stephanopoulos: Well the bottom line was put out, but no one knew what kinds of tests were performed.
Giuliani: I see, I see. Well, he’ll address all that. He’ll address it all also in the context of having had cancer, what my situation is right now, that I’m cured of cancer. And that my PSA test has come back negligible. The whole group of things like that he’ll address himself.