Rudolph Giuliani, Sleazeball-in-Chief

One of the most satisfying byproducts of the primary campaigns was the sidelining of one of the most obnoxious and dishonest politicians of our age, Rudy Giuliani. According to today's New York Times, Giuliani is now offering to fundraise for Republican candidates--on condition that he gets a share of the proceeds to help retire his campaign debt. Some nuggets from the Times article:

The unusual request underscores the financial predicament Mr. Giuliani finds himself in, after he ended his presidential bid this year with roughly $3.6 million in campaign debt. Traditionally, prominent party figures help lower-tier candidates by headlining fund-raising events in return for good will and future political alliances, but do not receive funds themselves.

and:

Mr. Giuliani’s move has irritated some of his Republican colleagues, who say that the arrangement would put an additional strain on candidates who in many cases are struggling to raise money. Some say rather than making a generous gesture, the former mayor is seeking to tap local candidates’ donors.

and finally:

Political analysts say that Mr. Giuliani’s once prolific fund-raising abilities have been hampered by several factors. Perhaps most significant is the fact that Mr. Giuliani neither holds a position in government nor is a candidate for public office. Both qualities are attractive to donors who are looking for access to government.

It looks as though things are going to stay that way for poor Rudy for the forseeable future. By the way, holding a position in government is not a "quality," it is something that one earns by persuading voters that one is worthy of public trust.

Photo: Seth Wenig/Associated Press