Giuliani Joins Lhota, Christie On Campaign Stops
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Rudy Giuliani is back on the stump, campaigning for Republican New York City mayoral candidate Joe Lhota and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Largely absent from Lhota's campaign, Giuliani swooped in Friday to rally seniors on Staten Island's South Shore.
"He was my right-hand man during Sept. 11," the former New York City mayor said of Lhota, who served as deputy mayor in the Giuliani administration. "The man he's running against has no experience like that."
Lhota continued to argue that the city will see an increase in crime if his opponent Bill de Blasio becomes mayor, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported.
"Anybody who believes that the reduction in crime or the enhanced quality of life cannot go backwards is kidding themselves," Lhota said.
Giuliani Joins Joe Lhota On Campaign Trail
Giuliani railed against de Blasio's plan to curtail the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy on the grounds it discriminates against minorities, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.
"This has been the whole rationale for his campaign: 'The police department's terrible, the police department's awful, we're stopping all these people for no reason;' the court of appeals has just basically said to him that is a bunch of malarchy," Giuliani said.
Giuliani's remarks came a day after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a judge's decision that found stop-and-frisk discriminated against minorities would be on hold pending the outcome of an appeal by the city.
De Blasio has said he would drop objections to U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin's decision, which had called for a monitor to oversee major changes to the police tactic.
"I've said repeatedly that what Judge Scheindlin did was correct," De Blasio said. "We had a situation that could not continue. The specific remedies she offered were fair and a first step toward the kind of reforms we needed."
Giuliani Joins Joe Lhota On Campaign Trail
Lhota has said he believes an Inspector General for the NYPD is not necessary.
Giuliani said de Blasio's position on stop-and-frisk makes "an unfair case against our great police department."
"The whole rationale for Mr. de Blasio's campaign is phony," Giuliani said.
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When asked about his perceived absence from the Lhota campaign trail, Giuliani said, "I'm much more popular among Republicans and Independents than I am Democrats, he needs Democratic votes."
The former New York City mayor is also slated to join Christie at some campaign stops as the New Jersey governor heads into his final weekend seeking re-election.
Giuliani and Christie will walk through downtown Rutherford, greet patrons at a pizza joint in River Edge and visit the Bergen County Republican Headquarters on Friday.
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The stops are part of Christie's statewide bus tour leading into Tuesday's election.
Democrat Barbara Buono is doing a radio interview Friday, talking jobs at a diner in Nutley and discussing the environment in Succasunna.
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