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Giuliani Defends Pro-Choice Stance
WNBC, NY ^ | April 5, 2007

Posted on 04/05/2007 11:53:02 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Thursday defended his record favoring the use of public money for abortions, saying he wouldn't try to undo a Supreme Court ruling allowing the procedures.

"Ultimately I believe it's an individual right and a woman should make that choice," the former New York mayor said during a Statehouse news conference where he picked up three endorsements.

Support for abortion rights is unpopular with conservatives who dominate the GOP in South Carolina, an early voting state.

"I tell people what I think. I tell them (to) evaluate me as I am and do not expect them to agree with me on everything. I don't agree with me on everything," Giuliani said. "If that's the most important thing, then I'm comfortable with the fact you won't vote for me."

The comments came as South Carolina lawmakers push a measure that would require women seeking abortions to first view ultrasound images of their fetus. If the South Carolina measure is approved, the state would be the first to make such a requirement. Other states require the images be made available to women.

Giuliani said states should make the call on such issues. "The Legislature of South Carolina should make its decision about that," he said. He also said states should make the decision whether to use public money for abortions.

Conservatives and political experts in South Carolina said Giuliani's moderate stance abortion will hamper his ability to win votes here.

"He's toast," said Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard. "I think it's going to be really hard for him to overcome this in South Carolina."

While Republicans in South Carolina oppose abortion by degrees -- allowing abortions in certain circumstances, such as a mother's health, rape or incest -- there's little room on public financing, said Oran Smith, executive director of the Palmetto Family Council, an anti-abortion group.

"That's usually one of the first things off the list when you talk about things related to abortion," Smith said.

Some Giuliani supporters said the abortion issue doesn't bother them. "I'm really for the whole package. I feel like I'm comfortable being for him," said Rosemary Byerly, a staunch abortion opponent from Inman.

But Alexia Newman, a state Republican Party first vice chairwoman who runs Spartanburg's Carolina Pregnancy Center, said she felt duped by Giuliani's recent comments to the state Republican executive committee that if elected he would appoint judges who favor a strict interpretation of the Constitution to the Supreme Court.

However, Giuliani said those comments weren't a nod in the direction of undoing Roe v. Wade.

"If I'm going to appoint strict constructionist judges, which I'm going to do, for the reason that they are going to strictly interpret the Constitution, then, as president, I have to be a strict constructionist," Giuliani said. "The present state of the law on these issues is not something that I would seek to change."

Giuliani also said the state should be left to make its own decision about the Confederate flag, which flies outside the Statehouse.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; giuliani; life; rudy; rudy08; rudy2008; women
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To: Sans-Culotte
I’m with you. I guess I could reluctantly vote for Rudy, but just now, on Hardball, Chris is defending Rudy saying he thinks Ruby believes the same as most Americans on the abortion issue. If Chris defends him, that’s hard to swallow.
121 posted on 04/05/2007 2:48:39 PM PDT by upcountry miss
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To: Jake The Goose
I will remain respectful of their candidates. Even though some of those candidates have as much chance of getting the nomination as my mother has.

I will vote GOP on election day. No matter what. They will not say the same.

122 posted on 04/05/2007 2:51:31 PM PDT by veronica
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To: veronica

I second your comments - 100%.

Those Duncan Hunter poll numbers are sure surging.

Must be his endearing personality.


123 posted on 04/05/2007 2:53:39 PM PDT by Jake The Goose
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To: Jake The Goose

I think it’s those suits from The Dollar Store.


124 posted on 04/05/2007 2:55:42 PM PDT by veronica
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To: veronica

Oh man that’s funny - and so true.

A buddy told me the other day that “Duncan Hunter also looks like he need to go to the bathroom”.

I have no idea what that means - but I laughed.


125 posted on 04/05/2007 2:57:19 PM PDT by Jake The Goose
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
*** Not toast. I think Rudy Giuliani is going to play well in Peoria. ***

You better clarify that and make that 'South' Peoria. Peoria ain't what it used to be, but it's still not Gomorrah ;-)

So ... except for 'South Peoria' he will be...

126 posted on 04/05/2007 2:58:35 PM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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To: Jake The Goose

This is a conservative website. Where do you see any support of abortion or gun control on the home page.


127 posted on 04/05/2007 3:16:05 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: veronica
Last time I checked this site covered politics. Mostly GOP politics. I wish you people would grow up a bit.

So when we point out the facts on Rudy's liberalism, you guys squeal like stuck pigs and whine that it's "unfair."

128 posted on 04/05/2007 3:21:06 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: You Dirty Rats
As a practical matter I don't think there will be too many states -- if any -- that would criminalize abortion and aggressively prosecute doctors and women. The real issue is cultural, not legal.

I agree completely.

129 posted on 04/05/2007 3:25:23 PM PDT by HitmanLV ("If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking until you do suck seed." - Jerry 'Curly' Howard)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
When did I ever whine “unfair” or squeal like a stuck pig? You can say whatever you want. Doesn't make it so, but you can say it. :)
130 posted on 04/05/2007 3:27:23 PM PDT by veronica
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To: TommyDale; Liz; Spiff; Ultra Sonic; dirtboy; Antoninus
(((( small ping ))))

I think I finally have Rudy figured out.

Rudy is running as a Democrat, but as a personal convenience, under the GOP banner - just like Bloomberg did to win in NYC. And just like he magically became a republican overnight to get a job in the Reagan Justice Department.

But Rudy's problem is he can't WIN running as a Dem. He knows Hillary or Obama will clean his clock. This is proved by Hill stomping him in his home state by 12%. And the moonbats don't like his tough talk on terrorism (and talk is all it is).

So Rudy's only chance at a power grab was to say; "Hey I'll run as a republican and BS the dopes with my 9-11 'heroics'."

After all, he himself said he'd like to run on and I quote; "The Liberal Platform, The Democratic Platform and the "Republican Platform if I could". And don't forget, he did leave that FEC form unchecked for the Republican Party candidate. That was no oversight or accident, that was on purpose.

So that's it, he's running as Dem and all his 'blunders' were and are actually calculated moves to get the average sheeple Dem and the 'California Republicans' to vote for him.

As Sherlock Holmes said,

"Once you eliminate the probable, whatever remains no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
So that's that, Rudy is really running as a Democratic candidate.

(And if by some deal with the Devil he was elected POTUS as a republican, I'd give odds he'd switch parties after being sworn in)

131 posted on 04/05/2007 3:45:04 PM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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To: veronica

Statement by the Founder:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1103363/posts

“As a conservative site, Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family, pro-Constitution, pro-Bill of Rights, pro-gun, pro-limited government, pro-private property rights, pro-limited taxes, pro-capitalism, pro-national defense, pro-freedom, and-pro America. We oppose all forms of liberalism, socialism, fascism, pacifism, totalitarianism, anarchism, government enforced atheism, abortionism, feminism, homosexualism, racism, wacko environmentalism, judicial activism, etc. We also oppose the United Nations or any other world government body that may attempt to impose its will or rule over our sovereign nation and sovereign people. We believe in defending our borders, our constitution and our national sovereignty.”


132 posted on 04/05/2007 3:47:28 PM PDT by RabidBartender
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To: Jake The Goose
Yes indeed - I am surprised people can’t disagree with him and still respect the man.

the abortion issue brings out reasoned and polite dialogue such as 'babykiller' and 'murderer'.

people like to call names hiding behind the internet.

133 posted on 04/05/2007 3:53:07 PM PDT by Swordfished
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

even worse than being “pro choice,” Rudy is pro Roe v. Wade. That is indefensible on legal and intellectual grounds. That leaves only ideology. It means he believes that the Supreme Court can usurp power from the democratically elected branches and the states, as long as it serves the right ideology. Roe is about power. Yeah, I’ll vote for him if it’s him against Hillary or Obama. I hope it doesn’t come to that.


134 posted on 04/05/2007 5:18:41 PM PDT by cdcdawg
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To: HitmanLV; Cincinatus' Wife; areafiftyone
If all my eggs were in the pro life basket, I would be worried too.

That's why you might want to keep some with you, for when you decide to have children.

135 posted on 04/05/2007 8:11:09 PM PDT by Victoria Delsoul (If you think the world's dangerous, and you need a tough guy... that's me [Rudy] --Newt Gingrich)
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To: Victoria Delsoul

Keep an eye on those eggs! :-)


136 posted on 04/05/2007 8:20:54 PM PDT by HitmanLV ("If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking until you do suck seed." - Jerry 'Curly' Howard)
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To: areafiftyone
"The Legislature of South Carolina should make its decision about that," he said.

Rudy is the states' rights candidate.

137 posted on 04/05/2007 8:34:16 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; mkjessup; flashbunny; TommyDale
"He's toast," said Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard. "I think it's going to be really hard for him to overcome this in South Carolina."

No, he's evil and repulsive. He is campaigning to compel us to fund the Left's war upon the unborn children of the poor and minorities.

Just read some of the Sangeresque and essentially eugenic arguments his supporters here at FR post about how the hordes of illiterate and undesirable poor (especially minorities) will overrun the country and vote us into a full Marxist state if abortion is not used to cull them.

It's just repulsive. I'm not sure just how much of this kind of 'free speech' a pro-life forum like FR should be expected to provide.
138 posted on 04/06/2007 1:30:13 AM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: dirtboy; TommyDale
Sorry, I don't respect a guy who tried to con social conservatives that he would appoint strict constructionists that would overturn Roe v. Wade, but then more recently so loosely defined strict constructionism as to have no real meaning and no impact towards Roe v. Wade.

But while waiting for him to appoint those judges who may (or may not, who really cares) overturn Roe, enjoy some nice taxpayer-funded abortions instead.

He campaigns like a Gelgameck Republican.
139 posted on 04/06/2007 1:37:17 AM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
President? Yes. Pope? Probably not.

He cannot receive communion in his church.

He and his current cohabitor misbehaved so badly in previous marriages that they could not be married in their church.

Are you sure you want to discuss his religious standing as a mark of his character?
140 posted on 04/06/2007 1:41:03 AM PDT by George W. Bush
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