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.
That’s the only thing you saw, huh? Imagine that — dirtboy has reading comprehension problems.
Uniter? We don’t need no steeking uniters. Vote for me and my latest wife. Rudee the divider.......
Overturned Nebraska's PBA ban. Has major implications for SC's ban.
Dedided 5-4. Kennedy was in the minority this time. Alito joining the court should make it a 5-4 the other way. However, given Kennedy going back and forth on the abortion issue, it would be good to have one more judge that is a strict constructionist - by the dictionary's definition of such, not Rudy's.
So this does matter for state abortion laws, your feeble attempts to claim otherwise to the contrary.
Nice intellect there cowboy.
I read just fine. I've gone to several sites. Care to discuss the impact of Stenberg v. Carhart on state abortion restrictions? That's still standing SCOTUS precedent that hangs over SC's restrictions.
Note the word "major restrictions". All the other SC laws are meant to make it more difficult to get an abortion, but do not block abortion. The ban after 12 weeks is the legislation most at risk from Roe as a precedent and Stenberg as a follow-up.
Both of which could be tossed with a real strict constructionist added to the court, as opposed to a Rudy-versioned strict constructionist.
Gosh, and yet SC has greatly reduced the number of providers it permits to operate in this state and has greatly reduced the number of abortions in this state.
And like I said, last I knew, conservatives DEMANDED state’s rights. Sure, some feds have overturned some state laws regarding abortion, but not all laws by any means. If SC can do it, so can other states.
So toodles. I’ve had enough of your drama queen act for the day.
typical from a NY liberal. Rude and no apologies.
“BASH: So you support taxpayer money or public funding for abortion in some cases?
GIULIANI: If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right, yes, if that’s the status of the law, then I would yes.”
Rudy “The Compassionate Conservative America’s Mayor” Giuliani doesn’t want to deprive someone of a ‘constitutional’ right because of money.
Think he’d worry about the deprivation of a real Constitutional right from someone who couldn’t afford a firearm?
Public weal for AR-15’s!
The GOP has drifted/morphed left far enough. I see no reason to grease it’s slide by supporting not just a RINO, but an OBVIOUS RINO.
I see these same names pretty much dumping on all the GOP presidential candidates. Just like they did in 2000. They’re a lot of things but Republican isn’t one of them.
Somehow reading a lot of their posts I’m reminded of this:
“A modest little person, with much to be modest about.”
— Winston Churchill
I’m with you. They have short memories regarding the Clintonista presidency. Some people are very shortsighted. But then we get what we deserve, and some people prefer a Hillary/Obama/Marxist to a man who is not perfect, but is a GREAT leader and DOER.
This is a crazy country. Some want more perfection from a president than they do from their MATE, PASTOR, or BOSS and on issues that are non-presidential. A president’s 1st and foremost function is to keep this country SAFE and SECURE from it’s ENEMIES.
We have plenty of those in this evil world at the moment. Well we agree so ......L0l
Its a shame. We have morphed into what we made fun of in 2004. Funny how it goes around.
However, if a woman wants an abortion before 12 weeks, she can get one.
Sure, some feds have overturned some state laws regarding abortion, but not all laws by any means
The most restrictive ones have been. The ones that actually OUTLAW abortions instead of making them harder to get.
And since this dicussion is largely about Roe, it boils down getting Roe overturned. Then abortion will truly be a state issue. Again.
Its a shame. We made fun of the democrats in 2004 - the Ultra left wanted Dean and the middle of the road wanted Kerry. There was a deep division. We had a huge laugh at their expense. Now its our turn. Shame on us for becoming what we thought we never would.
Now some in the GOP want Rudy - a man on the left fringe of the party - whereas a lot of folks are coalescing around Fred, a centrist. No comparision whatsoever.
Sorry, should have said 'dengenerate hypocrite'.
The question is not your personal preference in the primary. My issue is with people who will sit out the General Election if their PERFECT candidate is not the nominee. Yeah, they’d rather have the BEAST/Marxist Hillary or Obama.
She will set the country back so FAR in time that conservatives will probably not be able to recover.
Yup, me too. Go Rudy!
Here we go again.
Someone opposed to Rudy wants a PERFECT candidate. Or is an unappeasable. Or a 100 percenter.
Sorry, but the groundswell of support behind Thompson completely obliterates that talking point. Fred has his flaws. But he is at the center of the GOP, not at the far left fringe.
Rudy would not be able to hold the GOP together. Heck, he's apparently given up even trying to court the social conservative vote and is back to a rabid pro-abort stance. If you are so concerned about keeping Hillary out of the White House, back someone from the center of the party.
That’s a little better - or at least less nasty.
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