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Rudy's Bizarre Behavior Ronald Kessler
Rudy Giuliani has a lot to learn about campaigning outside of New York City. The former New York mayor attended a roundtable discussion with heavy-hitters at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City recently. Two of the three co-hosts were natural gas billionaires who are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. "Mayor Giuliani was doing fine until one CEO asked him what his energy policy was," a participant said. "He gave a very detailed and lengthy answer covering every energy source imaginable, but he never once uttered the words 'natural gas.' Considering where he was, who he was talking to, and who was sponsoring the fundraiser, it was very insulting and showed a lack of preparation." Another participant started to ask a question about Iraq. "In the middle of the question, Mayor Giuliani's personal cell phone rang, and he answered it," the participant said. "At first, I think people thought he was kidding. But then he just started talking; and without looking up or saying anything to us, he just got up, left the room, and never came back! Everyone waited about 20 minutes, and then the room started to break up. It was bizarre behavior." A Giuliani spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
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Ever heard of WOOF? WOOF is the non-existent organization that Henrietta Fiore, a State Department official, used to lure Clay Johnson III, President Bush's close friend, to a surprise birthday party at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Johnson, the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, is the only person who has ever spanked Bush's dog Barney. He agreed to give a talk to WOOF, and was surprised to find his wife Anne, White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten, Laura Bush's Chief of Staff Anita McBride, and other friends gathered to celebrate his 61st birthday with a cake with an American flag on it.
Funny thing about conservatives who see former Sen. Fred Thompson as the answer to their dreams. On the one hand, they forgive him for continuing to support the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. Because conservatives believe it limits free speech, they hate the legislation almost as much as the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand. And it's true that Thompson otherwise has a generally conservative voting record. But on the other hand, many of those same conservatives dismiss Mitt Romney as not being one of them because, when running against Ted Kennedy in 1994, he said Roe v. Wade should not be overturned and gay marriage should be left up to the states. Since then, Romney has said he opposes both and has explained how he became strongly pro-life. More importantly, as Massachusetts governor, he backed up his words with actions by trying to block gay marriage and pro-choice measures. Sounds like a conservative to me.
Friends of the Bushes who have met Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon, the White House's new chief usher, have found his knowledge of history and antiques impressive. An expert in logistics, financial management, civil engineering and contingency planning, Rochon is a 35-year Coast Guardsman who was commander of Coast Guard maintenance and logistics for the Atlantic region. He is also a history buff who has produced video documentaries. A native of New Orleans, he is the first black to hold the chief usher post. In that job, Rochon is in charge of maintenance, laundry, food preparation, and keeping the first family and guests comfortable. "The term ‘usher' goes back to when the house was much smaller, prior to the east and west wings," Gary Walters, Rochon's predecessor as chief usher, told me. "In 1902, when the west wing was added, all the presidential offices were on the second floor in the east end . . . People literally came to the north portico [the front entrance] and were ushered from there to a room upstairs."
Members of the intelligence community have a cheery way to start their day: They take a look at their schedules in the "2007 Counterterrorism Calendar" and datebook published by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Alongside their appointments for May, they can check out "Biological Threats," including smallpox and anthrax. In August, they can review "Indicators of a Possible Radiological Incident." In September, they can study the list of "TNT Equivalents for Various Explosives and Fuel-Air Mixtures." In December, they can look forward to color photos of castor beans and pinto beans, used to produce ricin, a deadly poison. Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of NewsMax.com. Ronald Kessler Takes You Inside the Bush White House, the CIA, the FBI, and Congress.
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