To: drirak who wrote (104654 ) 9/13/2001 9:35:44 PM From: Lipko Respond to DrI: You may be a doctor (just catching up on the board) and live in NY (I hold neither against you - I live in Manhattan myself), but your response to Diamond was mean spirited arrogance. This is GW's first major test - he just hasn't been given much chance, although in the midst of much irresponsible Democratic noise he has managed to pull off solid, responsible, sensible legislation already. With first hand knowledge in the City in the last 60 hours, all New Yorkers should now know our Mayor for a responsible,capable leader, able to shine during crises. Name one candidate in the postponed mayoralty primary who deserves to shine Giuliani's shoes in demonstrated leadership capabilities. We will be sorry to lose him in fifteen weeks. Who was Winston Churchill really, until he, and his supremely brave compatriots, stood, uniquely, against evil personified? GW will succeed or fail in his response; but he will respond. Could Bill Clinton without a personal crisis to avert? Would Al Gore under any circumstances? This New Yorker, admittedly a member of a small political minority in my neighborhood, thinks not, and the past eight years is my proof. Fanatic Islamic Fundamentalists, (Bin Laden most especially) no more representative of their co-religionists than are any other ultra-extremists, have been making clear for years (in 1993 they most definitely sought to bring down the WTC), their primary goal to strike at the capitalistic commercial heart of "The Great Satan". They have done so now in a logistical masterpiece, most tragically, and I pray, but also expect, that GW is up to the task. John
