Yesterday we showed the ad that Rudy Giuliani put into the New York Times to counter the ad MoveOn.org used to question the credibilty of General Petraeus, a man that has devoted his life to defending our country for over 35+ years.
The we showed Rudy's online web video that followed that up.
Disclaimer: I have not decided who I will officially endorse, but that doesn't stop me from bringing news of what I consider good strategic moves on the parts of the candidates.
Today we see that Rudy Giuliani has reaped massive online donations for his efforts to counter the disgusting ad by MoveOn and question Hillary Clinton's equally disgusting comments to General Petraeus as he was testifying.
Rudy Giuliani shelled out $64,575 for a pro-Gen. David Petraeus ad in The New York Times, but it paid big dividends yesterday - in contributions to his Republican presidential campaign.
Aides to Giuliani, who swiftly e-mailed copies of the ad to supporters as part of a fund-raising push, said they reaped "tens of thousands of dollars" in online donations yesterday alone.
"It will have paid for itself by week's end," said one top adviser, predicting the return would top $64,575 by tomorrow.
For Giuliani, the ad flap was the gift that kept on giving, and a clear sign that Giuliani - as when he was mayor - will not hesitate to pick fights with Democratic groups or candidates, especially Hillary Clinton.
It also suggests he's not above using claims of unfair attacks - on himself or others - as a money-raising gambit, already a time-tested tactic in the 2008 campaign.
Clinton managed to turn a Washington Post story that commented on her cleavage last July into an opportunity to raise cash ("Take a stand against this kind of coarseness," read her appeal).
And Democrat John Edwards raised thousands of dollars this year from gays and others after right-wing pundit Anne Coulter called him a "faggot."
Giuliani's bonanza began Monday when the left-leaning MoveOn.org ran a full-page ad in The Times that accused Petraeus of "cooking the books" on Iraq and asked, "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"
Giuliani pounced, demanding an apology from MoveOn.org for "character assassination" - a charge he extended to Democratic front-runner Clinton on Wednesday after she did not denounce the ad.
At the same time, Giuliani demanded a chance to run a pro-Petraeus ad in The Times at the same $64,575 rate paid by MoveOn.org. The ad ran yesterday, asking pointedly, "Who should America listen to? A decorated soldier's commitment to defending America, or Hillary Clinton's commitment to defending MoveOn.org?"
Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and many other GOP politicians, rightly so, stood up for General Petraeus and the unfounded, unproven attacks against his credibility.
All of which has garnered them more support from good Americans that were disgusted by the MoveOn attack against the General, disgusted by the Democratic party and their refusal to denounce the MoveOn ad and did,in fact, BLOCK a resolution that would have condemned the ad, as well as Hillary who attached herself to that MoveOn ad by publicly making comments which seemed to support the ads basic content.
MoveOn did these GOP'ers a HUGE favor and the Democratic politicians are starting to see their moderates fall away from them because the moderates do not want any part of unjust personal attacks against General Petraeus without proof to back them up.
As I said the other day, we can thank MoveOn for pushing people to rally behind General Petraeus and against MoveOn and the Democratic party.
So, once again, THANK YOU MOVEON.
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