Giuliani Gives Thumbs Down to DHS Funding Changes

Though criticizing his former understudy Michael Chertoff must have been uncomfortable, Giuliani did what needed to be done here:

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke out Monday for the first time about the Department of Homeland Security's decision to slash anti-terrorism funding for New York, blaming poor decision making and "a certain level of incompetence."

But Giuliani, a Republican, said he didn't believe political considerations had led to the 40 percent cut and said he was encouraged by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's willingness to review the agency's decision.

"I think the decision was wrong from everything I know about it," Giuliani said in an interview with The Associated Press. "You have to assume we are a big target, because terrorists want to hit a big target and kill a lot of people with spectacular effect."

More on the "incompetence" remark:

"We've got the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the (New York) Stock Exchange," Giuliani argued. "They just incompetently evaluated their own criteria."

Why did it take Giuliani till Monday to comment on an issue that hits so dead-center for him. For that matter, why doesn't he seem to comment on many news-of-the-day type items, or his laissez-faire approach to dog-and-pony show aspects of Presidential politics. This might help explain it:

"I don't want to interfere," he said. "I just know from my days as mayor that what you don't need is to have people interfere."

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