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.
Except I already showed you just how loosely he defines strict constructionism.
Throw in the fact that he hates abortion so much that he addressed NARAL twice, and he cannot possibly present any positive to the pro-life movement now.
Why are you so logical? It’s not allowed on a Rudy bashing post! ;-)
Thanks...I’ve actually two of them....
Thoughtful post.
Duncan would be my candidate but he’s a 2 percenter. Let’s get real. The idea is to make sure Hitlary/Clintonista’s don’t set foot in the WH again. Anyone who doesn’t see that is not too bright.
The name of the game is to WIN.
No, I'd say they "got" Rudy. But even if Rudy is pro choice in his heart of hearts, he should not have replied the way he did. One can be pro-choice while recognizing that the SCOTUS over-stepped its bounds in 1973.
Well the latest Fox poll said the American people think a Democrat will win in 2008. And I believe that if the Conservatives play dirty and alienate their top three candidates they will LOSE just like the American people say they will.
President? Yes.
Pope? Probably not.
Wow - that’s an interesting observation.
((((PING))))
I’m a maverick. First I try to see things clearly. Then I think about it, and draw meaningful conclusions.
Increasingly on both sides of the political aisle, I see people coming to their conclusion first and then try and figure out how to justify it.
Bad form, for liberals or conservatives.
But...doesn't it depend on what Rudy's definition of the word "is" is...?
That’s showing a nice sense of humor - I laughed anyway.
I try to call them like they are, even if I don’t like what I see.
The tide is turning indeed - against the pro aborts! Pro lifers are growing within the Democratic party at the grass roots level, challenging the totalitarian party line.
The public tide is going to force Dems in office to change their positions. Watch for it.
Hardly. I don't think there has been a major SCOTUS abortion decision since Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and in that case the majority was O’Conner, Kennedy, Souter, Blackmun and Stevens.
Alito has now replaced O'Conner. Kennedy is the only swing vote, and from what I have heard, he feels conned by being convinced to vote with the majority in Casey and is moving back more to a pro-life stance.
So would Rudy appoint another strict constructionist who would overturn Roe as activism? Or keep it as precedent?
The tiebreaker goes to Rudy saying presidents appoint judges who agree with a president's basic philosophy. And he is showing himself to be pro-choice in his recent statements.
Rudy would NOT be a catalyst for overturning Roe. His past efforts at smoke and mirrors have been shown as just that.
I take no pleasure in it, as I have been pro life my entire life. But I gotta call it like it is.
My compliments for reasoned and rare discussion.
That's a hoot. Americans are looking at the current top three GOP candidates and deciding the Dems will win. What does that say about the top three?
I will tell you what might help change the tide to more pro-life. Those wonderful specials on filming inside the womb, like the one National Geographic did.
If you can watch that and not love life - you need to watch it again.
Beautiful.
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