Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani told George Stephanopoulos this morning on Good Morning, America, that “We had no domestic attacks under Bush” — a statement that, obviously, is flat-out false. Stephanopoulos apparently (I didn’t see the show, personally) did not challenge Giuliani on this point on the air, so he does so now in a post on his political blog, George’s Bottom Line. That piece resulted in a “clarification” from Giuliani’s press person — but Stephanopoulos, to his enormous credit, is not letting the former mayor — or himself — off the hook:
Through his spokesman, Rudy Giuliani has clarified the remarks he made this morning on GMA regarding terrorist attacks on the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama.
The Mayor’s spokesman says that the remark “didn’t come across as it was intended” and that Giuliani was “clearly talking post-9/11 with regards to Islamic terrorist attacks on our soil.”
Whatever the Mayor meant, it’s not what he said. All of you who have pointed out that I should have pressed him on that misstatement in the moment are right. My mistake, my responsibility.
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