Giuliani Leaves Health Advocates Feeling Sick

Some health advocates (most with the Partnership for Better Health, I believe) say they got the brush off from Rudy Giuliani during his campaign stop in Des Moines (his first visit to the state since his campaign announced he would not take part in the Iowa Republican Straw Poll). They weren't pleased from the start since the event began more than a half hour late.

Giuliani took no questions from the crowd, and according to the health care'ers, he walked past them as they tried to talk with him about his commitment to improving health care for people with chronic disease.

One woman did tell me she didn't completely get ignored. As she tried to hand the Mayor a packet of health care packet, he instead reached out and grabbed her "12 Commitments" handout from his campaign. Then, he signed it and gave it back to her.

I could also mention the post-speech debacle in an adjacent room where we reporters were permitted to speak with Rudy G. Unfortunately, there was no podium for our several dozen microphones. We were told the campaign also didn't want lights illuminating the event (at least according to one of the equipment workers).

So instead, we were forced to half-circle around the Mayor, reaching and stretching however we could to make sure our microphones could get within a decent distance from his lips so our people back home could hear what he had to say. I could also mention how it forced one reporter, who happens to be 9 months pregnant, to have to kneel on the floor in front of him for the duration of the news conference. But I'm late for dinner, so I won't mention those things...