Posted on 11/14/2006 4:12:37 PM PST by Sub-Driver
DNC Statement on Giuliani's Potential Presidential Bid
November 14, 2006
The Democratic National Committee issued the following statement in response to news that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani may seek the GOP nomination for President:
"It's unclear whether or not Rudy Giuliani will be able to just 'explain away' the fact that he's consistently taken positions that are completely opposite to the conservative Republican base on issues they hold near and dear," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "Throughout his career Giuliani has tried to paint himself as a moderate, but now that he's vying for his Party's nomination will he undergo an extreme makeover in an attempt to cozy up to the far-right?"
Giuliani Was A Registered Democrat For Much Of His Life. Giuliani registered as a Democrat and even served as a party committeeman on Long Island when he was 21. [U.S. News & World Report, 3/23/87; USA Today, 12/20/99]
Giuliani Is Pro-Choice. When asked to respond to social issues on CNN's Inside Politics, Giuliani replied, "I'm pro-choice." [CNN, 12/2/99]
Giuliani Doesn't Support A Ban On Partial-Birth Abortions. When asked whether he supported a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions, Giuliani replied, "No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing." Giuliani also told The Albany Times Union that he would not support a ban on late-term. Moreover, when asked "If you were in the Senate and he [President Clinton] vetoed the so-called partial-birth abortion procedure.you would support the president on that." Giuliani replied: "Yes. I said I then that I support him, so I have no reason to change my mind about it." [CNN, 12/2/99; New York Times, 11/26/99; CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, 2/6/00]
Giuliani Identified Himself As Pro-Gay Rights and Supports Civil Unions and Gay Benefits. When asked to respond to social issues on CNN's Inside Politics, Giuliani replied, "I'm pro-choice. I'm pro-gay rights." When asked whether marriage should be between a man and a woman, Giuliani agreed, but stated "I supported civil unions, however, partnerships, and I signed that legislation when I was mayor of New York City. The distinction is that you protect people's rights."[CNN, 12/2/99; Hardball, 10/13/04]
Giuliani Opposed Bush Tax Cut. "Although Mr. Giuliani is running as pro-gun control, pro-abortion-rights Republican who likes tax cuts, he did shy away yesterday from the large tax cut proposal of his political benefactor, George W. Bush, which has been criticized as too large and favorable toward the rich." [New York Times, 2/04/00]
Giuliani Announced a Publicly Funded Voucher Plan That Would Have Taken $12 Million Out of New York City Public Schools. In his State of the City address in January 1999, Giuliani proposed paying for a school voucher program with City money. In his FY2000 Preliminary Executive Budget, Giuliani proposed spending $12 million over two years to establish the administrative structure for a voucher program in a volunteer school district so as many as 3,000 public school students could attend private and parochial schools in the city. "The money would be distributed through [Giuliani's] office to avoid involving Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew, who opposes the idea," according to The New York Times. At a speech in Miami in March, 1999, The New York Times reported that, "Mr. Giuliani, who is in the midst of considering his political future, has adopted the national Republican Party's enthusiasm for school vouchers. On Sunday, while delivering a speech in Miami, for example, he called it "the most important thing that has to be done with education in America." [New York Times, 4/26/99; 3/4/99]
Giuliani Refused To Endorse Minimum Wage Increase. Giuliani declined to endorse an increase in the minimum wage to $6.50 from $5.50, pending studies that he said were necessary to make certain that a higher rate would not lead to the elimination of many low-paying jobs. [New York Times, 10/17/99]
Giuliani Said It Would Be a "Good Thing" If the Poor Left the City; Said That Was His Welfare Strategy. In April 1995, Rudy Giuliani said that many poor New Yorkers could be forced to leave New York City as a consequence of his welfare reforms, and that it "would be a good thing." WNYC radio then reported that Giuliani said in a press briefing, "That's not an unspoken part of the strategy. That is our strategy." The mayor denied these comments and offered to play them back, but his communications director had not taped the session. [Newsday, 4/29/95]
Source URL: http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/11/dnc_statement_o_9.php
Love it. Look at all the cited sources. They're scared.
Your wait and see attitude has a lot of merit.
Before dismissing a strong candidate like Rudy, people should at least take a good look, and find out what he actually believes, and where he wants to take the country, instead of relying on the left wing MSM to define him.
What on earth is wrong with you, tonight?
With all due respect, Rudy is no George Allen. He is perfectly on message all the time. He is a wizard when dealing with the Press, he had daily Press conferences every single day for 8 years.
I guess the fact that Guliani beats Hillary in every poll has the Democrats more than a little worried.
They support him.
He will probably modify his stances on several things, once he gets into the primary and so have many other candidates, some of whom I am sure that YOU have supported.
161 posted on 11/14/2006 11:06:33 PM EST by nopardons
That was almost clever slipping 'aren't...social right' into the middle of that litany of yours. Clintonesque even, just like the candidate you support.
This is a terrible time to talk about 2008, but "America's Mayor" certainly demonstrates gravitas and leadership no legislator in the ring does.
Notice no GOP governor yet has an "exploratory committee".
Sure, he has a lot of warts. But so does the Congress. We'll live. Since he was a prosecutor, he would instantly endear himself to us Rightties if he promises Originalist judges. All else could very well be forgiven.
So Rudy admitting that he agrees with the nations first black, female, gay president on almost everything is projection?
Good thing you don't have a psych degree.
Or, you can just get off this thread and stop making very silly replies.
Lots of political candidates have changed their positions on abortion and subsequently been elected by Conservatives.
And some Conservatives have voted for candidates who they have NO idea just WHAT position that politician had on abortion.
If you are against abortion for ANY reason at all, then you need to know that Reagan not only made abortion LEGAL in California, when he was governor ( yes, it was just for incest, rape, and the health of the mother, but he signed the bill that made that possible ) and he never did change his stance on it.
Supposedly Bush the elder was slightly more inclined towards early abortion being okay, but changed his mind, when he was RR's V.P.!
As you can now see, I did NOT lie about you, nor anything else and IF you keep at this, I promise you, I shan't take kindly to it.
Correction: Mitt Romney was Massachusetts' governor.
[FWIW - Massachusetts. LOL]
I concur. :-)
"some of whom I am sure that YOU have supported".That is a lie nopardons
.Could you answer this please-name one.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Our Governor Perry of Texas was a Democrat for most of his life also. So was Phil Gramm our Senator. Old Democrats were good people.... present day Demonrats are Socialist/Commies or put another way... they are UnAmerican.
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