More from the article:
The campaign’s approach would be a sharp departure from the traditional route to the Republican nomination of the last 20 years, in which Republicans have highlighted their antiabortion views.
Mr. Giuliani hinted at what aides said would be his uncompromising position on abortion rights yesterday in Huntsville, Ala., where he was besieged with questions about abortion and his donations to Planned Parenthood. “Ultimately, there has to be a right to chose,” he said.
Asked if Republicans would accept that, he said, “I guess we are going to find out.”
Mr. Giuliani acknowledged that his stance on abortion alone might disqualify him with some voters, but he said, “I am at peace with that.”
Here’s an excerpt from a report on his Huntsville press conference:
But he didn’t get a single question about the military at a press conference.
Instead, Giuliani spent most of his public appearance defending his position on abortion in the wake of a debate last week among his Republican rivals for the nomination.
Giuliani, the leading Republican candidate in the polls, said he opposes abortion “as a matter of morality” and would advise against it. But he said he respects those who disagree and would “maintain that personal right” to choose.
“My position today is the same as it was yesterday,” Giuliani told reporters at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
At the debate in California last week, his position on abortion appeared at odds with all nine of his GOP rivals. Asked about the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court’s repealing the Roe v. Wade ruling 34 years ago, Giuliani said it would be OK to repeal the law and added that it also would be OK to keep the law as is.
Since then, he has been questioned over donations - about $900 total - that he and his then-wife, Donna Hanover, gave in the 1990s to Planned Parenthood, one of the national advocates of abortion rights.
“It squares with my support of the right of choice,” he hold the Huntsville press conference. “I personally oppose it. I support a right of choice.”
When pressed, Giuliani explained: “It’s very consistent; it’s just a different view of morality.”
But would Republicans, who have traditionally nominated anti-abortion presidential candidates, support a nominee with a pro-choice history?
“That’s up to Republicans,” Giuliani said.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1831091/posts
Hi Jim. I’ve been living in a cave for the last 3 weeks and I just got out. What did I miss? It seems to me that you don’t like Rudy. :-)
I think that this speaks to a much larger problem. As if the 2008 Presidential election weren’t a big deal in and of itself. It’s not even just about Rudy even though he is todays’ lightning rod. Here’s the question:
What if anything does a politician have to do to get kicked out of the Republican Party? Not get kicked out of the conservative movement because that is a more exclusive club, but kicked out of the bigger tent that is the Republcian Party.
Do you have to disagree with 80% of the party platform? Have an ACU rating < 10? What?
How can liberals like Michael Bloomberg, Olympia Snowe, and Arnold call themselves “Republicans” and use the brand to embarass everyone? Where do you draw the line?