Giuliani Compares Bridge Scandal To Benghazi, IRS Controversies

[DonViejo]

CAITLIN MACNEAL – JANUARY 12, 2014, 11:54 AM EST

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) on Sunday compared the controversy surrounding New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and the George Washington Bridge lane closures last year to the IRS scandal and Benghazi when defending the governor.

"The reality is, things go wrong in an administration. And frankly, you know, he was in campaign-mode at the time, during campaign-mode you miss a lot of things. You're not paying as much attention," he said on ABC's "This Week." "We see that with Benghazi."

When asked whether Christie's office culture encouraged his aides and appointees to use the lane closures as political retribution, Giuliani said Christie's staff should not have interpreted his style that way, comparing the situation to the IRS controversy.

"The people in the IRS though President Obama wanted them to do this. President Obama didn't want them to do this. But they got the sense because of that culture that they were supposed to target right wing groups. It was totally wrong," Giuliani said. "I think it was totally wrong for these people to have interpreted Chris Christie this way."

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/guiliani-compares-bridge-scandal-irs-benghazi

[The Wielding Truth]

1. It's the Sunday morning talking point. It makes no sense but they all were told to say it.

[Jim__]

2. Yeah, so which of Obama's close aides had this interpretation and acted on it?

[The Wizard]

3. Da Mayor

lost all credibility when he said he thanked god George Bush was president as he was watching people leap to their deaths from the burning World Trade Center.

[Arneoker]

4. The IRS people had the hard job of determining whether or not so-called "social welfare" groups were

...too political to be entitled to tax-exempt status. They screwed up in the method they used, and as a former Fed and current federal contractor (or rent-a-fed) I am ashamed about how they handled it. But it had nothing to do with the "tone" Obama set. A President isn't supposed to be aggressively political? A Right-winger wants to tell me that? And I'm supposed to keep from laughing in their face?

The difference between the IRS fiasco and bridge-gate is whether the INTENT is to screw people because of their politics. As others have pointed out there have been no IRS memos about it being, "time for tax headaches in Tea Party Land." There have been no memos about only Tea Party members suffering, as in fact, there were progressive groups who also suffered. And of course there is a difference between career bureaucrats and top administration aides in terms of political motivations. I have worked with people of different political views my entire time with the federal government an

[NCLefty]

5. Does anybody even take this guy seriously anymore?

He had his 15 minutes when we were all in shock. I don't think anyone has cared about him since but he always acts like we do.