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Thursday, April 5, 2007

Giuliani Adviser Dupes NYT

posted by on April 5 at 8:55 AM

In a recent NYT story on Rudy Giuliani’s position on gun control, Giuliani adviser Anthony Carbonetti told the NYT he didn’t know where Giuliani stood on the assault weapons ban.

The NYT wrote:

“If there was a federal assault weapons ban up right now that he had to make a decision on, I honestly don’t know where he would stand,” Mr. Carbonetti said. “Right now, there’s nothing for him to read and take a look at.”

Hey, I have an idea: Carbonetti—or the NYT for that matter—should ask Giuliani where Giuliani stands on the assault weapons ban.

It’s what I did when Giuliani was in town last year stumping for Mike McGavick.

He told me: “I don’t think [the assault-weapons ban] is one of the most critical issues right now. The assault-weapons ban is something I supported in the past.”

If the NYT did ask Giuliani directly about the assault weapons ban, here’s what they came away with:

Mr. Giuliani’s campaign says it is not clear that he would support a measure he once championed, an assault weapons ban. In explaining his past positions, he and his aides say they were about fighting crime in New York City when he was mayor, adding that restrictions that make sense there can be wrong for other parts of the country.

Not clear? That’s a forgiving interpretation. Giuliani made it clear to me. He supported it in “the past.” In the context of my question, everything was clear: Ixnay on the assault weapons ban.

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