(From the diaries - MissLaura)

For six years we have been hearing about how Rudy Giuliani is the hero of the World Trade Center attacks for his role in just "showing up" with video cameras in tow near ground zero.

The truth is, Rudy Giuliani failed to prepare the New York City Fire Department prior to September 11 for a potential calamity.

Just as worst, he has subsequently exploited 9/11 to make tens of millions of dollars and build a base of support through the media for his presidential campaign.

In response, the real heroes of 9/11 - members of the International Association of Firefighters - have released a documentary, "Rudy Giuliani: Urban Legend" - which features active and retired fire fighters, fire officers and families speaking out about the Real Rudy Giuliani that the cameras missed.

While the real heros of 9/11 were searching for their fallen bretheren, Mayor Giuliani along with Administration officials like Christine Todd Whitman, made sure the interests of their Wall Street donors were placed above those of the fallen heros:

Riches was one of 343 firefighters who died. His father spent every day sifting through the wreckage for bodies, eager for some sign of his son. In November, Giuliani ordered a halt to the work after the remains of 91 firefighters had been recovered. "Giuliani told everybody the bodies were pulverised, but I was digging them up every day. It was grisly stuff, limbs, little bones - people were blown to bits - but the bodies were there," said Riches, 55. The searchers refused to stop. An ugly clash between the firefighters and the New York police left 18 officers injured. Eventually Giuliani backed down and allowed the work to continue, but not before branding the firefighters’ actions as "sinful". As late as March, clumps of victims - 13 here, five there, a couple more scattered around - were being found. One of them was Riches’ son. London Times

Several months ago, the International Association of Firefighters held a town hall style forum where Presidential candidates from both parties gathered to talk to the assembled crowd. Only one Presidential candidate was missing, and it was no accident.

In a letter explaining why the IAFF refused to invite Giuliani to their bipartisan town hall forum, union president Harold Schaitberger writes:

What Giuliani showed following 9/11 is a disgraceful lack of respect for the fallen and those brothers still searching for them. He valued the money and gold and wanted the [World Trade Center] site cleared before he left office at the end of 2001 more than he valued the lives and memories of those lost."

You can see the web video at the website set up by the Firefighters at Rudy-UrbanLegend. Like the swiftboaters who targeted John Kerry in 2004, the New York City firefighters intend on following Rudy's every step as he campaigns for the Presidency. Unlike the swiftboaters, they will have the truth behind them.