Time to add the Duke Chronicle to my morning reads. Rudy Giuliani’s son, Andrew, defended his relationship with his father during an interview with the campus newspaper last week. The Duke University Junior spoke to the paper after learning that Details Magazine labeled him as the “person who could most easily torpedo” his father’s campaign, ranking him the 19th most powerful man under-45.

In it’s January 2008 issue, the magazine writes: “The person who could most easily torpedo the presidential campaign of America’s Mayor is not a former mistress or political insider; it’s Rudy Giuliani’s own estranged son, Andrew….this spring, an angry Andrew revealed that he and his father had no relationship and announced that there was no way he’d work on Pop’s political campaign.”

The younger Giuliani responded to an interview request by the paper, where he defended his relationship with his father and lashed out at The New York Times (like father like son), but did admit giving them “too much rope to hang myself with.”

Giuliani said he was surprised he made the rankings, adding that he did not feel he could have any influence over the Republican party’s primary.

“I understand with reality TV and mass media there is a lot more tension and focus on politicians’ family members than before,” Giuliani said. “But when push comes to shove, people will choose the person who represents them best.”

He added that Details mischaracterized his relationship with his father based on a New York Times article earlier this year that he said twisted his words.

“For them to say I have no relationship with my father is flat out wrong. They took a 20-minute interview and spun it in the direction that they wanted,” Giuliani said. “It’s not anything new to say that The New York Times is not in my father’s corner, and they did a good job of proving that. I wasn’t careful enough in watching my words and gave them too much rope to hang myself with.”

Here is the NYT interview from March.