It's no surprise that GOP preznitial nominee Rudy Giuliani has been flogging the 9/11 horse all through his campaign, but it may have reached past the ridiculous and into the realm of the absurd with this latest gimmick: a fundraising party that asks attendees for -- are you ready for it -- $9.11 per person. Shame, shame. How tacky can you get?:"A supporter of Rudy Giuliani's is throwing a party that aims to raise $9.11 per person for the Republican's presidential campaign. Abraham Sofaer is having a fundraiser at his Palo Alto, Calif., home on Wednesday, when Giuliani backers across the country are participating in the campaign's national house party night." [...]
"According to the invitation, "$9.11 for Rudy" is an "independent, non-denominational grass-roots campaign to raise $10,000 in small increments to show how many individual, everyday Americans support `America's Mayor.'""
I've always felt that the Republicans' ongoing exploitation of the 9/11 tragedy for political gain is sick and sad, twisted and macabre, but that feeling has really reached critical mass with Giuliani's campaign, and especially this tacky idea for a party. Here's someone else who's disgusted:
"The International Association of Fire Fighters accused Republican Rudy Giuliani of exploiting the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because a supporter is holding a $9.11-per-person fundraiser for the presidential candidate. The union — already a vocal critic of Giuliani's — said Tuesday that the fundraiser's "$9.11 for Rudy" theme is an abuse of the image and symbols of the 2001 attacks."It is nothing short of disrespectful to the legacy of the thousands of civilians and 343 brave firefighters who died at ground zero," IAFF president Harold Schaitberger said.
The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd called the theme "unconscionable, shameless and sickening." The firefighters' union has endorsed Dodd."
Why doesn't he just change his middle name to "9/11"? Then it's right there in bold type for everyone to see, no fancy fundraising parties or slick ad campaigns required. Cut out the middleman, so to speak -- wouldn't that be the fiscally conservative thing to do?!
|