Bratton and Giuliani's reunion

Today's New York Times reports on the rapprochement between LAPD chief William Bratton and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who "had not spoken to each other in 10 years. When they had crossed paths at social gatherings, they exchanged little more than icy nods."

The two had a falling out as Mr. Bratton was capturing some of the limelight for the city’s crime drop, and Mr. Bratton was ousted in 1996. Later, he would consult, privately, for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democrat, when it looked like she might compete with Mr. Giuliani for the Senate.

Now, Mr. Bratton is speaking about his renewed relationship with former Mayor Giuliani, saying it began when people close to Mr. Giuliani reached out to him. The two had a meeting in early March, and it went even further with an extended sit-down on May 31 in Mr. Bratton’s office at the Los Angeles Police Department, where he is now chief.

“It was comfortable,” Mr. Bratton said. “It’s not social and not friendship in the traditional sense.”

Mr. Bratton, who said he wanted to keep certain aspects of the meeting private out of respect for Mr. Giuliani, said that he did not harbor resentments, and that he sensed a similar change in his former boss.

Mr. Bratton summed up the falling out in simple terms: a difference in style. He said Mr. Giuliani was “incredibly smart” and “detail oriented,” but a “micromanager.” Mr. Bratton said he was not one to be micromanaged.

Upshot: "Mr. Giuliani’s decision to renew his ties to Mr. Bratton comes at an opportune time politically, as he highlights his record in New York and says he would apply tactics from those days to the federal government. It could also help paper over a potentially embarrassing rift from his days as mayor of New York."

1995 Photo: AP / Clark Jones