Posted on 02/06/2007 4:03:31 PM PST by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life advocate says he thinks Rudy Giuliani is too pro-abortion to deserve support form the overwhelming majority of Republican voters who are pro-life. Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, says he doesn't think the former New York mayor will be able to capture the party's nod.
Giuliani moved another step closer to a full-fledged candidacy on Monday by filing a statement of candidacy and removing the words "testing the waters" from his exploratory committee papers.
He has a high standing the polls both nationally and in early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire but Perkins says that's simply because of his high name identification.
"At this point most people have no idea where candidates stand on the issues, the polls simply reflect name ID," Perkins told CBN.
"Giuliani is known for his impressive leadership in the wake of 9/11, but most pro-family Americans do not yet realize how far outside of the mainstream of conservative thought that Mayor Giuliani social views really are," Perkins added. "Once people focus on this election and the candidates Giuliani's lead will diminish."
Should Giuliani get the party's nod for president, Perkins said it would likely hand the White House over to the Democratic candidate because pro-life voters would have no one to support.
The last several elections have been between pro-life Republican and pro-life Democratic candidates and a Giuliani nomination would change that dynamic.
"If by some chance Giuliani were to gain the Republican nomination it would set up a very similar scenario that we had last November," Perkins told CBN. "A unenthusiastic Republican base which will suppress turnout and set up a Democratic victory."
Republican voters have previously turned away pro-abortion candidates from capturing the primary nod, including former California Gov. Pete Wilson and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter. Republicans haven't had a pro-abortion nominee since Gerald Ford in 1976.
When asked to respond to social issues on CNN's Inside Politics in a 1999 interview, Giuliani replied, "I'm pro-choice."
In the same CNN interview he also indicated he does not support even a modest ban on the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure saying, "No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing."
Giuliani also indicated he would have upheld President Clinton's veto of the partial-birth abortion ban.
"Yes. I said I then that I support him, so I have no reason to change my mind about it," he told the New York Times in November 1999.
The former mayor also backs embryonic stem cell research, which pro-life groups oppose because it requires the destruction of human life to obtain the stem cells.
Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are the top two candidates in the polls apart from Giuliani.
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are also running and drawing significant support from the pro-life community.
Other potential Republican candidates include pro-life former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, pro-life Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, pro-life Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
LOL, you don't think the MSM and the lunatic left are gonna "tear down the frontrunners"? Grow up. Or if you prefer, go to a board where dissent is verboten.
Something that I'm sure you'll greatly delight in.
I must be really showing my age because last I knew, conservatives and by extension, Republicans, did not want the federal goverment running our lives, especially our social lives.
Back when I was first voting, Republicans WANTED states to handle social issues.
First of all, why don't you be respectful and stop feminizing Rudy's name?
Second of all, you and others wouldn't be scared like teenage chicks in a slasher movie if you were so confident that he wouldn't win. Why don't you simply vote against him in the primary, go vote for your loser of a candidate instead of defecating on those who do choose to support Rudy/Romney.
It's not just the abortion position that gives me pause; it's the gay marriage, gun control and illegal immigration positions as well. He said we need to "regularize" the illegals who are here.....sounds like amnesty to me.
Check your filament. Rudy opposes overturning Roe, he thinks it is settled law and should remain so. His words, not mine. He has complimented Clinton on the Ruth Bader Ginsberg pick and appointed exactly ZERO conservative judges among the 70 or so he appointed in New York. Those are the facts, your wishes not withstanding.
Which is what will happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
Sounds like it because it is. We tried that already, didn't work.
He is smart. That's why he is popular. That's why he will win.
All of this has been reported on extensively in the NYC tabloids and liberal media and Hillary won't do it anyway because she's the last person on Earth to talk about scandals.
I think the chances of Roe v. Wade being overturned are very slim. It's been a pipedream, imo.
But regardless, states are taking care of the abortion issue through various legislation which makes it more difficult or undesirable for a woman to have an abortion.
You're being dishonest. It's something I want to prevent. People, you don't have to vote Giuliani because the media has crowned him "electable". The media is just drooling over taking Giuliani down if he wins the nomination. Find a better candidate. And just about everyone is better except for maybe Hagel. If you want someone more conservative "who can win", go for Romney or McCain. Just get off the Rudytanic before it hits the iceberg.
You need therapy. You castigate your opponent for doing exactly what you do in the same sentence. Pretty amusing actually.
Uh, why do you think the MSM is attacking Rudy/Romney and ignoring the Hunters and Tancredos.
Which is probably what many were saying a half century ago about Plessy v. Ferguson.
Correct. And he also pointed out that as mayor of NYC, abortions went down, and adoptions went up. Why? -- "Because we placed an emphasis upon adoption," Giuliani told Hannity last evening. This is real accomplishment. If he could continue to place solid originalists on the courts, and reduce the number of abortions while increasing the opting of adoptions, these would be solid achievements.
Then go to whine to the MSM, it is a very unappealing trait here at FR.
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