Which NY Times Are We Supposed to Believe?

In its endorsment of John McCain the NY Times had some harsh things to say about former Mayor Rudy Giuliani:

• "The real Mr. Giuliani, whom many New Yorkers came to know and mistrust, is a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man who saw no need to limit police power. Racial polarization was as much a legacy of his tenure as the rebirth of Times Square. Mr. Giuliani's arrogance and bad judgment are breathtaking. When he claims fiscal prudence, we remember how he ran through surpluses without a thought to the inevitable downturn and bequeathed huge deficits to his successor. He fired Police Commissioner William Bratton, the architect of the drop in crime, because he couldn't share the limelight. He later gave the job to Bernard Kerik, who has now been indicted on fraud and corruption charges."--editorial, New York Times, Jan. 25, 2008

As James Taranto points out, they sang a different tune when Giuliani left office:

• "It would be easy to go on about the things Mr. Giuliani failed to do--New York City has so many problems and crises and needs that all mayors leave office with far more losses than wins. The most its residents can expect of a mayor is that he--or someday she--accomplish one big thing, as Mayor Koch did in restoring the city's financial health. If that one achievement is important enough, it will come to stand for everything. When measured in that way, Mr. Giuliani more than did the job. He restored New Yorkers' confidence in their ability to control the city's destiny. The long years he spent fighting crime and disorder became the platform from which he showed us how to fight terrorism and Osama bin Laden."--editorial, New York Times, Dec. 30, 2001

All in all I'm sure Rudy isn't disturbed at all about what they said of him in the McCain endorsement. I'll bet he was afraid they were going to endorse him and completely ruin his candidacy.