Rudy Giuliani: [to SC Firefighters & Police] 'A Woman Has the Right to Choose Abortion'

Associated Press/Newsmax.com ^ | 2.22.07 | staff report

[meg88]

hursday, Feb. 22, 2007 8:13 a.m. EST

Rudy Giuliani: 'A Woman Has the Right to Choose' Abortion

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Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani met with firefighters and police officers in this early voting state Wednesday, using the forum to reference the Sept. 11 terror attacks, which earned him national attention.

"The first people that arrive on the scene of the bombing or the anthrax attack ... it's going to be one of your brothers or your sisters or you that gets to do it," the former New York mayor told a crowd of about 200 emergency workers. "Your ability to do it well will once again determine if we save lives - save America."

Giuliani compared firefighters and police to uniformed military personnel and said the federal Department of Homeland Security needs to ensure first responders "have the training and protection you need to defend your country."

Giuliani has a tough road ahead in South Carolina, which is to host the first Southern primaries in 2008. His moderate positions on gun control and support for abortion rights do not sit well with the state's Christian conservatives, who accounted for a third of the 2000 GOP primary vote. Those voters swung heavily to President Bush that year, giving him a 2-1 ratio margin over Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was viewed as soft on abortion.

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On Wednesday, Giuliani reiterated his own position.

"I'd advise my daughter or anyone else not to have an abortion," Giuliani said. "I'd like to see it ended, but ultimately I believe that a woman has the right to choose.

"I believe that you've got to run based on who you are, what you really are and then people actually get a right to disagree with you," he said. "And I find if you do it that way, even people who disagree with you sometimes respect you."

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"We're a tremendous amount of time away from an election," he said. "We haven't even gotten to a primary yet. The best thing we can do now is organize."

© 2007 Associated Press.

[George W. Bush]

As far as I know the United States has never passed a law which allows a woman to choose to abort her baby.

Reagan signed the Therapeutic Abortion law in CA in 1968. It was a landmark case. He later regretted it and became thoroughly pro-life.

[LtdGovt]

What are you trying to say? It's a Zogby poll. More authoritative polls have shown results that are quite different. The American people don't want unrestricted abortion, but they don't want to ban it either.

[epow]

There was a "war" here amongst the local draft elegible young men and the sherrifs and recruiters over who had to serve. Several people were killed on each side.

That was exactly the same situation here in the north GA mountains area. Quite a few men were killed on both sides, also homes and crops were burned or trampled and much livestock killed, run off, or stolen by both sides.

If you scratch below the surface of some old timers in this area you will find a small remnant of that old intra-societal hostility still alive after almost 1-1/2 centuries.

[LtdGovt]

That's good. Showing love and compassion is always the best way to win people over, rather than talking using overblown language like 'holocaust', like one poster earlier.

As for the risks, they're part of the choice. I choose to drink a lot. If it kills off brain cells and/or my liver, well, tough luck for me! I think people who want to have abortions, should do the research.

I hear that early abortions are safer than childbirth. That isn't true, you say?

[HairOfTheDog]

You can just allow abortion in cases of rape, and women will not opt for it. Of course, we know it's not about that.

Curious... How would you prove a rape occurred? Would she have to prove it? What if it was never prosecuted, or hasn't been prosecuted yet, certainly in the first days and weeks after the event. How would you know the difference between a rape victim and a woman who just really really really doesn't want to be pregnant? All I'm saying is that IF abortion is outlawed except for cases of rape, you have a very big practical problem that does not exist now.

[zarf]

The American people don't want unrestricted abortion, but they don't want to ban it either.

Which is why the overturning of Roe would be the worst nightmare of both radical sides of this issue.

[George W. Bush]

Did you not say, some time ago, that most pro-lifers think that abortion in cases of rape should be allowed?

What I was saying was, generally, most pro-lifers concentrate their fire on abortions after the first trimester. There is some division among pro-lifers on exceptions for rape and incest and it's not clear how that would resolve if the matter returned to the states.

Should we pretend that a woman needs more than three months to get either the morning-after pill or an abortion after she was raped? Are we saying that women are actually incapable of making a 'choice' if we allow them to abort a child up to the very last day of pregnancy? Why shouldn't we expect them to report the rape to the police and get a morning-after pill or to get their abortion after they miss their first period after the rape? Or even the second period after their rape?

Again, we have all sorts of easy methods to determine pregnancy or prevent implantation of the egg. How many choices do they need?

[Liz]

Giuliani should have run against Hillary for the Senate.........he CANNOT win in a national election.

Julie-Annie's initial Senate run against Hillary showed him losing in most polls. He quit that race, citing illness. Now he's b-a-a-a-c-c-k, like an unwanted rash.

Julie-Annie's 2008 handlers showcase Rudy as the "new" Republican----but longtime Repubs know Julie-Annie is a serial loser, a rank opportunist, an individual totally lacking in self-control, and anathema to social conservatives (who are the most important Repub voting bloc).

LOSER RUDY EXHIBIT ONE Giuliani ran three times for mayor on New York's Liberal Party line. At the same time he distanced himself from the state’s influential Conservative Party, even refusing to foreswear P/B abortion that would have gotten him conservative backing. Others question Rudy’s loyalty to the party. In New York’s hotly contested 1994 gubernatorial race he endorsed liberal incumbent Democrat Mario Cuomo against a Republican (Cuomo lost despite Julie's backing).

LOSER RUDY EXHIBIT TWO Giuliani’s flawed judgement rasied eyebrows in the aftermath of 9/11 when, drunk with power, Julie sought to suspend the city’s election laws to extend his mayoral term of office. Even blase liberal NY'ers wouldn't buy Julie's naked power grab.

LOSER RUDY EXHIBIT THREE He has demonstrated he is not fit to handle national security. The myth about Giuliani's credentials on homeland security, and military matters.....is manufactured by his handlers.

CASE IN POINT: Giuliani, recently lost his campaign's critical vulnerabilities playbook. Julie-Annie publicly blamed the "opposition" (Hillary's old VRWC trick). Julie-Annie wanted us to believe that an airport employee knew precisely in which bag, and in which binder the critical documents were, sneaked them out of the bag, copied them, then stealthily returned them to the bag without anyone knowing it.

Giuliani's campaign organization obviously has a leaker, and Julie-Annie did not deal with it? He placed blame on "someone" at the airport. If he was so sure it was an airport employee, did he demand an investigation? Did he file charges? He did not because he knew the story was bogus. .......and don't forget that Julie-Annie is the owner and operator of a multi-million dollar "security" company (formerly known as Giuliani-Kerik LLC).

LOSER RUDY EXHIBIT FOUR "Security expert" Rudy co-opted GWB into naming his mobbed-up buddy, Bernie Kerik, as Home/Land/Sec chief (Kerik is Rudy's former driver and bodyguard). Kerik was ushered out the WH door when dirt spilled about his hiring an illgal nanny. Married Kerik was also having trysts in an apartment set-aside for 9/11 workers. Kerik later pleaded guilty to misdemeanors for accepting gifts from a company that was trying to do business with New York while he was corrections commissioner. Giuliani and Kerik were partners in a SECURITY company, and Julie-Annie STILL didn't vett Kerik (leaving GWB with egg on his face).

LOSER RUDY EXHIBIT FIVE Julie-Annie is the linchpin in the The Big Plan to toss social conservatives off the Repub flotilla. Julie is being groomed as the candidate of The Everything-For-Us-Nothing-For-Conservatives crowd.

[George W. Bush]

If he's not confused, then he does believe in ending rights.

Actually, you can get dizzy just trying to figure out his real position. Well, assuming he has a coherent one.

Notice his use of the word 'constructionist' judges instead of 'originalists'. For conservatives, we're after the originalist, not the constructionist or even the vague 'strict constructionist'. Rudy thinks that because much of the base heard the constructionist term during the Miers flap, that he can slide past us on this. But he can't if we pin him down on exactly what he means. This is why Mark Levin, another veteran of the Reagan DoJ and a person who backed Roberts and Alito to the hilt, has expressed so many reservations about him.

And one other thing: his claim to fame is "mayor." Mayor??? At least governors have had to deal with legislatures.

Notice that he is essentially in his position by accident. He would not and could not be a nominee if it were not for the accident of the terrorists hitting NYC on 9/11. Like Hillary getting the nomination because she is the Wife Of Clinton, Rudy's standing is another accident of history. And history shows us that such leaders generally have a poor record once given power.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Thanks for the info!

[P-Marlowe]

Reagan signed the Therapeutic Abortion law in CA in 1968. It was a landmark case. He later regretted it and became thoroughly pro-life.

That was California. It was not the law of the United States. As far as I can tell the United States has never passed any law making abortion legal in the United States.

Yet our friend Registered seems to think that "in the United States our law allows for a woman to choose to abort her baby". That is not true. Our "laws" allow for no such national right. It is only the opinion of 5 unelected arrogant and ignorant judges that created that supposed right.

[nina0113]

1) Not a dude.
2) He dropped out of the race in 2000 because he had cancer. Remember how Hillary cleaned Lazio's clock? I don't remember him offering any reason for not running in '06. Do you?

[Spiff]

Julie-Annie's initial Senate run against Hillary showed him losing in most polls. He quit that race, citing illness. Now he's b-a-a-a-c-c-k, like an unwanted rash.

Be careful. The Rudynuts are going to slam you for saying anything about Rudy's prostate cancer. What they refuse to consider is that the surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes about 3 days from which to recuperate. John Kerry had prostate cancer and the surgery during his run for President and be barely missed a step because of it. Giuliani was was polling just barely behind Clinton when he quit the race. He saw the numbers and dropped out just days after Clinton received the Democrat nomination. His motivation for dropping out of the race is somewhat suspect.

[TommyDale]

This is very enlightening. The guy who people at FR are trying to pass off as a conservative ran three times on the New York LIBERAL PARTY ticket! LOL!

Speaking of the company, the former Giuliani-Kerik LLC, why is Bernie Kerik hiding out in South America? Think he will return to the U.S. before the GOP nomination is decided?

[Spiff]

Julie-Annie's initial Senate run against Hillary showed him losing in most polls. He quit that race, citing illness. Now he's b-a-a-a-c-c-k, like an unwanted rash.

Be careful. The Rudynuts are going to slam you for saying anything about Rudy's prostate cancer. What they refuse to consider is that the surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes about 3 days from which to recuperate. John Kerry had prostate cancer and the surgery during his run for President and be barely missed a step because of it. Giuliani was was polling just barely behind Clinton when he quit the race. He saw the numbers and dropped out just days after Clinton received the Democrat nomination. His motivation for dropping out of the race is somewhat suspect

[George W. Bush]

According to Zogby International, which has tracked public opinion on many topics in many countries since 1984, a total of 56 percent of 1,209 respondents from across the nation agreed that either abortion should be illegal (18 percent) or that there should be limits on abortion (38 percent). These limits include making abortion legal only when the mother’s life is in danger (15 percent) or legal when the mother’s life is in danger or in cases of rape and incest (23 percent). Since abortions actually performed under these circumstances are “extremely rare,” the Zogby study suggests that a majority of Americans oppose “approximately 96 percent of all abortions.”

Great poll there. The public isn't nearly as pro-choice as the libmedia would usually pretend.

Hearts and minds do change, especially now that we know so much more medically and have so many more options for dealing with a rape or unintended pregnancy.

[George W. Bush]

Those of us who are considering who to vote for would be wise to consider whether we want "social conservatives" in office who would include birth control pills and IUDs in any ban on abortion. I sure as heck don't.

Now, I think you know that's not even on the radar. Show us any nominee who talks about it. Beyond that, we've got a five-member Catholic majority on the Court. They're not talking about it either.

[LtdGovt]

Curious... How would you prove a rape occurred? Would she have to prove it? What if it was never prosecuted, or hasn't been prosecuted yet, certainly in the first days and weeks after the event. How would you know the difference between a rape victim and a woman who just really really really doesn't want to be pregnant? All I'm saying is that IF abortion is outlawed except for cases of rape, you have a very big practical problem that does not exist now.

No testing. And a complaint should not be necessary, since that may create an incentive to make false allegations of rape against innocent people.

What I was ssaying that, IF you are going to have a ban on abortion, you've got to have an exception for rape, at least.

[LtdGovt]

Okay, I imagine that if you allow first-trimester abortions, exceptions will not be necessary. But imagine that a state bans ALL abortions, including those in the first trimester, like the ban South Dakota had. And South Dakota did not even include an exception for rape. Should there not be an exception in that case?

[EagleUSA]

Gee, pro-abortion, pro-illegal, pro-gay, pro-gun control, and, IIRC, pro-Kyoto. Whats not to like about Rudy? Frankly, if these issues haven't been settled in the GOP, we need to tear it apart and do some work on it.
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Lots of liberals with an "R" after their names. And talk is cheap, as we have so sadly learned from Washington. I am also stuck with a gub in California -- a lib with an "R" after his name.