Giuliani's At It Again—For Real This Time

So, you know how I allowed myself to be completely taken in by that Onion article about Giuliani? Remember how Afshin laughed heartily at my naïveté?

Well, it turns out I'm not so gullible after all. For while Giuliani has not launched an official campaign for president of 9/11, he's still exploiting it for all it's worth. And then some. For instance, how about that fundraising party where participants were urged to donate $9.11 each? Classy.

As nauseating as that is, check out this Village Voice article for some insight into good ol' Rudy's role in the 9/11 incident and its aftermath. Ugh. No, it's not a conspiracy-theory piece; it's not even what you'd call an exposé, exactly, as it discusses things many people—particularly New Yorkers—already know. It's more of a refutation of Giuliani's incessant grandstanding.

Giuliani: Now With Explicit Pandering!

Last Thursday night, as I was getting ready for bed, Afshin called me over to look at his screen. On it there was an article about how Rudy Giuliani was campaigning even more aggressively based on his experience dealing with the 9/11 debacle. This did not surprise me. I had just finished reading the headline when Afshin pointed to the picture:

In case it's not immediately obvious, yes, that's a little plane about to fly into the two towers that represent the digits in the number 11. As soon as I saw it, I gasped.

"That's so tasteless!" I was genuinely horrified. I mean, Giuliani already exploits 9/11 for all it's worth, but I didn't think he'd make it quite that explicit.

Afshin stared at me. "You know it's in the Onion, right?"

No, I did not. The page, as I tried to explain through the, oh, three straight minutes of laughter, had looked like the New York Times or something comparable. And I hadn't checked the URL.

Once again, I have made a mockery of myself.