Rudy Giuliani- The 30 Million Dollar Question

I think that we have all seen enough corruption in Washington to last several life times. Apparently Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani hopes to continue the filthy way the government now operates. Yesterday in Iowa, he had this to say about spending in Washington:

While he said repeatedly that government spending should be reduced, Giuliani said military spending is one part of the budget that should be increased. "I don't think we ever made up for the peace dividend we took in the 1990s," he said. Invoking Ronald Reagan, he said military spending sends a message to countries like China and Russia: "We need to say it doesn't make sense to get into an arms race with the United States."

I'm sure the Republicans were quick to applaud his tough guy stance on defense and his calls for increased spending. After reading an article in Time today, one must wonder if the following is the real reason that he supports increased defense spending.

Not long after he stepped down as mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani received an intriguing offer. A group of officials from a Florida company called Seisint Inc. asked him to promote a powerful new database technology capable of tracking potential terrorists and other criminals. Their timing was perfect. Giuliani had just opened Giuliani Partners (GP), a consulting shop that planned to specialize in helping companies like Seisint grow. "Nobody knew us; everybody knew him," says Michael Brauser, a major shareholder who negotiated the December 2002 contract between GP and the Boca Raton based firm. "It was an unbelievable fit."

For Giuliani's new company, it was a remarkably profitable fit too. GP pulled in more than $30 million for just one year's work on Seisint's behalf, company records show. Big paydays have not been unusual for GP, which in just five years has reaped tens of millions of dollars from clients at home and abroad, a business success story closely linked to Giuliani's fame as a hero of 9/11. That same legacy has propelled him to the top tier of Republican presidential candidates.

The lines between public and private business continues to blur. Politicians consistently espouse many issues that resonate with the public only later to be exposed as having an ulterior motive behind their actions. We have all seen how the Cheney-Halliburton connection was exploited to the hilt with profits of Halliburton increasing dramatically over the last few years.

These Conservatives talk a good game when telling their supporters that they will solve the nations economic woes. Free markets, less taxes, personal responsibility. This will do it! No 'nanny state' as Giuliani so proudly proclaimed when denouncing any type of government health care reform. The only problem is, you see, that more money for programs that can help people like me and you ultimately means less money for the Halliburtons and Giuliani Partners of the world. Pretty simple when you think about it.