First, he criticized the First Lady for waiting to condemn the anti-Israel comments of the PLO leader’s wife. Then, he tried to score political
points in New York’s Jewish community after Hillary shared a dais with a Harlem leader who made anti-Semitic comments at Al Sharpton’s Martin Luther King Day event.

But, as they say, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

It seems that Rudy Giuliani may have his own guilt by association problem with a prominent anti-Semite and it’s getting worse, says one local elected leader.

Recently, Hizzoner attended a Congress of Racial Equality dinner also attended by Joerg Haider, head of the xenophobic Freedom Party in Austria that has provoked international outrage.

Both the U.S. and Israel immediately recalled their ambassadors (Israel permanently) and several members of the European Union intend to isolate Austria diplomatically because of Haider and his anti-immigrant, anti-Jewish views.

Now West Side State Senator Eric Schneiderman is calling on Mayor Giuliani to put his money where his mouth his and end our City’s trade dealings with Austria in protest.

Last week, the rookie State Senator introduced a resolution in the NY State Senate which calls on the Governor and Comptroller to review all of New York’s business and trade dealings with Austria. The resolution passed unanimously.

And Schneiderman is urging the Mayor to take a stand. "You may not be aware that one of Austria’s major imports to the United States is the 9-millimeter Glock semi-automatic, a gun used by police officers nationwide," Schneiderman wrote to the Mayor. "I urge you to put an immediate halt to the purchase of Glock firearms for New York City police officers. Surely an appropriate substitute
can be found. As a world-class city, New York does not need to support a country governed by apologists for the Third Reich."

Over to you, Rudy.

Is "Angela’s Ashes" the new ‘Huckleberry Finn?’

Mention former News Communications columnist Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning "Angela’s Ashes" to just about anyone and you’ll likely hear nothing but glowing praise.

The memoir recounting McCourt’s youth in Limerick, Ireland, recently released as a film, received near universal praise upon its release four years ago. No one would anticipate it would join the ranks of works like Salman Rushdie’s "Satanic Verses" and John Steinbeck’s "Grapes of Wrath" that were burned for their content.

Apparently not everyone agrees with McCourt’s recollections of life in Limerick, claiming his version of events are too harsh. To make their point, a group based on Long Island, who maintain that Limerick isn’t as bad as McCourt makes it out to be, plans to burn the book in a ceremony next month. They’ve even invited another famed Limerick native, Richard Harris, to participate.

One question: Why have they waited so long? Even McCourt’s follow-up, "Tis," has been on bookstore shelves for awhile.

Having a hard time choosing between the presidential candidates? Could you use a little help sifting through the issues? With the fast approaching New York primary, if you’ve got Internet access, you might pay a visit to www.govote.com/votematch/index.asp to find out what candidate is your best match.

In this computerized matchmaking web site, you answer a number of questions regarding views on international, domestic and economic issues, among others and your answers are compared to the candidates’ beliefs.

Within seconds, the name of your candidate match appears. An added bonus for registered users is that your profile can be saved so when a candidate drops out or changes a point of view on an issue (or more than one), your match can change as well.

Certainly seems like a preferred method to eenie, meenie, miney, mo or blindly pointing to a name on a ballot.

• EMAIL CORRECTION:

Subject: "Black Power?"

From: Pat Oettinger

I am sure that by now someone has questioned your remark that the Manhattan Borough Presidency has been held by a black since David Dinkins replaced Andrew Stein. Where does Ruth Messinger fit into this picture?

Ed note: Ruth who? Sorry, we stand corrected!