Much of the political world arched an eyebrow last week when Rudy Giuliani interrupted a speech to the NRA to chat with his wife, a shtick he has pulled a couple of times on the campaign trail.
In an interview posted today, Giuliani told TV preacher Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network exactly why he answered his phone: 9/11.
Giuliani also addressed a cell phone call he took from his wife, Judith, last week during his speech to the National Rifle Association, an important appearance because Giuliani clashed with the group when he argued for tougher gun control as mayor of New York.
“And quite honestly, since Sept. 11, most of the time when we get on a plane, we talk to each other and just reaffirm the fact that we love each other,” he said.
A few thoughts. First, I know Giuliani has an acute case of “9/11 Tourette’s,” but this just isn’t healthy.
Second, it’s interesting that Giuliani makes this reaffirmation with his third wife before air travel “since Sept. 11,” given that on Sept. 11, Giuliani was married to someone else.
And third, Giuliani is trying way too hard to convince people he’s a good husband. We’re talking about a thrice-married candidate who, among other things, married his cousin, was a serial adulterer, and marched with his mistress in a St. Patrick’s Day parade. If Giuliani doesn’t want to be the subject of ridicule, he probably should stop talking quite this much about his personal life. He’s only making matters worse.
But in talking to Robertson’s CBN, Giuliani apparently couldn’t help himself.
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani compared the scrutiny of his personal life marked by three marriages to the biblical story of how Jesus dealt with an adulterous woman.
In an interview posted online Friday, Giuliani was questioned about his family and told the Christian Broadcasting Network, “I think there are some people that are very judgmental.”
Giuliani has a daughter who indicated support for Democrat Barack Obama and a son who said he didn’t speak to his father for some time. Giuliani’s messy divorce from their mother, Donna Hanover, was waged publicly while Giuliani was mayor of New York.
“I’m guided very, very often about, ‘Don’t judge others, lest you be judged,'” Giuliani told CBN interviewer David Brody. “I’m guided a lot by the story of the woman that was going to be stoned, and Jesus put the stones down and said, ‘He that hasn’t sinned, cast the first stone,’ and everybody disappeared.
“It seems like nowadays in America, we have people that think they could’ve passed that test,” he said. “And I don’t think anybody could’ve passed that test but Jesus.”
Hmm, what’s the funniest part of this? It’s a tough call. Is it the fact that Giuliani is indirectly describing Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and most of the GOP base, who have no qualms about judging people and condemning those who fail to meet their standards?
Or is it the fact that Giuliani messed up the story from the Gospel of John? (Jesus didn’t “put the stones down”; he never picked the stones up.)
Or is it the irony that the woman in the story was accused of adultery, a sin Giuliani has quite a bit of experience with?