Seriously, what would possess Rudy Giuliani to say this:

Speaking to reporters in Cincinnati, Giuliani said, "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."

Watch it (c/o TPM):

Does he really not get that the 9/11 mythos that surrounds him is based entirely on an unfounded emotional impression people took away from that day? Yet Giuliani hopes to bolster his 9/11 cred  by casting himself as a bona fide 9/11 rescue worker, foolishly subjecting himself to attacks by the real thing.

Fire Captain and Giuliani foe James Riches, whose firefighter son died on 9/11:

"That's insulting and disgraceful. He's a liar. I was down there on my hands and knees looking for my son."

Queens paramedic Marvin Bethea:

"I personally find that very, very insulting," he said..."Standing there doing a photo-op and telling the men, 'You're doing a good job,' I don't consider that to be working."

Ironworker Jonathan Sferazo who spent a month at ground zero:

"He's not one of us. He never has been and he never will be. He never served in a capacity where he was a responder," Sferazo said.

Why would he insist on imposing reality on a facade that seems to be serving him quite well in its present form? I mean, as Atrios says, these things can be checked, public schedules can be verified. And as David Dayen at The Right's Field observes, if Giuliani is a real live 9/11 rescue worker

then Rudy! is completely unfit to be President since he's about to come down with a terrible respiratory disease like 70% of the other rescue workers.

So why does he even go there? Because he clearly believes it. These guys are so deluded about what it really means to serve and sacrifice, running around a devastated city holding press conferences = "rescue worker" and driving an RV around Iowa = serving the nation.

The Village Voice has a great debunking of Giuliani's 5 biggest 9/11 lies HERE. Tparty breaks them down for us in Breaking Blue:

1. 'I think the thing that distinguishes me on terrorism is, I have more experience dealing with it.' 2. 'I don't think there was anyplace in the country, including the federal government, that was as well prepared for that attack as New York City was in 2001.' 3. Don't blame me for 7 WTC, Rudy says. 4. 'Democrats do not understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us.' 5. 'Every effort was made by Mayor Giuliani and his staff to ensure the safety of all workers at Ground Zero.'

And Edwards attacks:

"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.

"Mayor Giuliani should start answering the serious questions of why firefighters and other first responders didn't have proper equipment and support. The 9/11 Commission and National Institute of Standards & Technology reports have documented the failures of the broken radio communications system, a splintered chain of command and an unprepared Office of Emergency Management under his watch as mayor. These are the questions he needs to answer."