Giuliani & Iran

I've noted earlier that Rudy Giuliani's foreign policy is crazy, but now there are two articles out today demonstrating just how autocratic and violent a Giuliani presidency may be.

The first is "Rudy Awakening" in this month's Washington Monthly, which suggests that Hizzoner would likely carry on the tradition of failed management that has caused such disfavor among the public with the current administration:

Many Giuliani watchers already understand that Rudy is a hothead and a grandstander, even a bit of a dictator at times. These qualities have dominated the story of his mayoralty that most people know. As that drama was unfolding, however, so was a quieter story, driven by Giuliani's instinct and capacity for manipulating the levers of government. His methods, like those of the current White House, included appointments of yes-men, aggressive tests of legal limits, strategic lawbreaking, resistance to oversight, and obsessive secrecy. As was also the case with the White House, the events of 9/11 solidified the mindset underlying his worst tendencies. Embedded in his operating style is a belief that rules don't apply to him, and a ruthless gift for exploiting the intrinsic weaknesses in the system of checks and balances. That's why, of all the presidential candidates, Giuliani is most likely to take the expansions of the executive branch made by the Bush administration and push them further still.

Yikes...

The second focuses on Giuliani foreign policy adviser Norman Podhoretz, who feels quite comfortable speaking for his employer when he says:

MR. PODHORETZ SAID he has seen ample evidence that Mr. Giuliani supports the idea of military strikes. He referred to a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition earlier this month in which Mr. Giuliani said, “If I’m president of the United States, I guarantee you we will never find out what they will do if they get nuclear weapons, because they’re not going to get nuclear weapons.”

Although Mr. Giuliani’s closest competitors, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson, have also tried to project a tough line, Mr. Podhoretz said he doubted their nerve.

“Do I think that Giuliani would take that action? I personally think he would,” said Mr. Podhoretz.

(emphasis added)

MORE: Creepy ... Steve Benen points out the same two pieces.