Giuliani backs terrorist tip shield law

Audrey Hudson:

Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph W. Giuliani yesterday endorsed a provision to protect citizens from being sued for reporting potential terrorism-related activity and criticized congressional Democrats for blocking the legislation.

"Congressional Democrats are once again showing they just don't get the terrorists' war on us, by attempting to strip important protections for those who report suspected terrorists on airlines," said Mr. Giuliani, who was mayor of New York City during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The provision is the sticking point in a conference committee between the House and Senate to settle differences in legislation that will enact the final recommendations of the September 11 commission. A final draft report could be released as early as tonight.

Primarily sponsored by Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, the provision would put an end to lawsuits such as the one currently filed by a group of Muslim imams who were removed from a US Airways flight in November. The Islamic scholars sued, among others, the "John Doe" passengers who reported the men were behaving suspiciously.

"Peter King is doing the right thing by putting our national security first and political correctness run amok second," said Mr. Giuliani, who also criticized Democratic presidential candidates for failing to acknowledge "Islamic terrorism" in public debates, including Monday night's YouTube gathering.

"The terrorists are at war with us — whether or not Democrats in Washington and on the campaign trail choose to acknowledge it. And we must stay on offense to prevail," Mr. Giuliani said.

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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is the only presidential contender on the Democratic side who voted in favor of a similar proposal last week. Sens. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware voted no, and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was absent for the vote. Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain of Arizona voted in favor of the provision and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas was absent.

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Hillary is either smarter or has smarter advisers than the other Democrat candidates. What Giuliani is doing that is very smart is not only backing the legislation but he is correctly framing the war issue as one where the terrorists are at war with us. By framing the war issue this way as well as one in which we must stay on offense, he put the Democrats in a box when they claim they can end the war. In fact it shows just how absurd the Democrat claim is. The Giuliani campaign was further boosted by CAIR putting out a statement expressing "concern" about his support for the shield legislation.