Yesterday at a campaign stop in Cincinnati, Rudy Giuliani compared himself the 9/11 rescue workers, many of whom now suffer from illness as a result of their efforts. According to the Associated Press report, Guilani said:

"This is not a mayor or a governor or a president who's sitting in an ivory tower...I was at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers. ... I was there working with them. I was exposed to exactly the same things they were exposed to. So in that sense, I'm one of them."

As you might expect, this remark did not go over very well with 9/11 workers, and Jason Horowitz reports that Rudy was quick to elaborate on his comment this morning on Mike Gallagher's radio show (audio):

"It is a major concern of mine - the health of the workers there at Ground Zero. What I was trying to say yesterday is that I empathize with them because I feel like I have that same risk. And the way I said it, I probably could have said it better, but what I was trying to say was I was there quite a bit, there are people that were there more than me, people that were [there] less than me. There were people there less than me, people on my staff, who already have had serious health consequences and they weren't there as often as I was.

But I wasn't trying to suggest a competition of any kind, which is the way it came across. And I think I could have said it better.

What I was saying was, 'I'm there with you.' Gosh alimighty. I was there often enough....so that every health consequence that people have suffered, I could also be suffering from. "

Giuliani went on to praise the 9/11 workers as heroes.

Meanwhile, sensing a political opportunity, the John Edwards campaign released a broadside against Rudy coming in the form of this statement from national campaign chairman David Bonior. It begins:

"Evidently, Rudy Giuliani has taken a break from reality. It is outrageous for Giuliani to suggest, in any way, shape or form, that he did more at ground zero or spent more time there than the brave first responders who worked tirelessly around the clock for many months during the rescue and recovery operation. It seems that Giuliani is determined to take every opportunity to exploit the memory of 9/11 for political gain, rather than honor the incredible sacrifices of our first responders. Enough is enough."

Rudy's campaign responded swiftly with a two-sentence release from Communications Director Katie Levinson:

"For John Edwards to lecture Rudy Giuliani about September 11th is laughable at best. This is, after all, the same guy who thinks the War on Terror is simply a 'bumper sticker.'"