Giuliani Squawks

Biden-Giuliani Smackdown Enlivens Campaign Trail - New York Times: "It was a rare case of a candidate who is leading in national opinion polls firing back at a candidate who is trailing far behind. Many campaigns are reluctant to do such a thing, for fear that it would simply serve to elevate the lesser-known candidate. But Mr. Biden may have touched a nerve by questioning the crime-fighting credentials of Mr. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor."

I should have mentioned this in the previous post. It is almost a cardinal rule that you don't hit hard against an opponent that is way behind you. It only elevates the person you hit.

I think this quote has it right. The rapidity and vociferousness of this response indicates that Giuliani is extremely sensitive to criticism of his performance on 9/11. If he (through his mouthpiece) snipes back this strongly against a minor opponent then just think how he will respond when he faces a general campaign that calls into question his biggest selling point.

Karl Rove may have been a bastard, but he had one thing right: attack your opponent on their perceived strengths. Rudy is all about 9/11, so the Dems shouldn't hesitate to call him on it.