Giuliani & Murdoch: The Execrable Defends Like Kind

[hgc]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/15/new.york.giuliani.hacking/

Here's what the mayor of 9/11 has to say about his dear friend and former client, the man whose employees attempted to hack the voicemails of 9/11 victims:

He's a very honorable, honest man. This can't be something that he would have anything to do with.

I am reminded of how commendable Bernie Kerik was for a cabinet post in the Bush Administration.

Please, please, please run for president. The GOP field needs more schmutz balls and schmendricks.

 

[hgc]

Mod: Please move this thread to USA Politics.

 

[Beerina]

He issues standard disclaimer, what's the problem?

 

[leftysergeant]

Uncle Ruppert caught him doing more than just cross-dressing and used that to gain access to some city computer files and used Rotten Rudy's password to unlock them, would be my first guess.

 

[hgc]

He issues standard disclaimer, what's the problem?

That the disclaimer is "standard" doesn't mean it should be ignored. First, his opinion of Murdoch's integrity is untrustworthy, Giuliani having famously bad judgement about such things. Second, Giuliani has collected money from Murdoch (a former client of his consulting business) and favors, his 2008 presidential campaign (aka laughable disaster) having been heavily promoted by Fox News.

But most galling is that he wants to jump to excuse Murdoch, without knowing what he's talking about, for the heinous practices at issue here. Murdoch's press outlets all over the world have been famous for unethical practices, long before illegalities came to light. It's Murdoch's policy to gather and generate news by unethical means, and Giuliani couldn't care less -- even when the targets are 9/11 dead.

How can the press operations of News Corp in both the UK and the US engage in the same illegal practices, and the head of the company not be at fault in some way?