Yes he said that. Take the blinders off.
Posted on 10/20/2007 10:21:39 AM PDT by Ol' Sparky
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, walking into a political lion’s den, told the year’s largest gathering of social conservatives that he is “not always the best example of faith” but that their similarities are much greater than their differences.
“Isn’t it better that I tell you what I really believe instead of changing all my positions?” Giuliani told an audience of 2,000 at the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit at a Washington hotel. “I believe trust is more important than 100 percent agreement.”
The audience, generally hostile to Giuliani, recognized the shot at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and laughter and a few cheers spread across the room.
The former mayor, who left the stage grinning amid applause after his 40-minute speech, went for an authenticity contrast with Romney, substituting his law and order credentials for the family values emphasis of Romney, a long-married father of five.
Giuliani paid obeisance to the group’s concerns by speaking at length about his support for school choice, home schooling, conservative judges and Israel.
All drew earnest – even enthusiastic – applause. He also gave a detailed plan for reducing abortions and increasing adoptions, the meatiest policy element of his speech.
It was the “everything but” approach – he could agree with the audience on almost everything except whether a woman should be able to choose an abortion, which he supports.
"You and I know I’m not a perfect person,” he said. “I pray for forgiveness, I pray for strength.... I feel my faith deeply, although perhaps more privately than others, because of the way I was brought up.” He said he had prayed to God at the toughest parts of his life.
“During our lives, at some time, all of us need forgiveness,” he added. “If we expect perfection from our political leaders, we’re just asking for disappointment .... We lose trust when they’re not honest with us.... I don’t always agree with myself. [Laughter] … You’ll always know where I stand.... I will continue to extend my hand to you. I hope you’ll take it.”
Giuliani showed humor, noting that he almost entered seminary: “I know that’s hard to believe.” Noting that he attended Catholic school, he said the first school he attended where a prayer wasn’t said at the beginning of the day was the New York University School of Law.
He said that on the first day, out of confusion, he made the sign of the cross. “I looked around and realized people were staring at me,” he joked.
Giuliani pointed out that as New York mayor, he reduced murder, drugs, prostitution and other vices. "I don't believe in inevitable decline," he said, adding he shares President Ronald Reagan's belief in optimism.
"You put Republican ideas into action.... We got results. Humbly, I would say, the best results anyone in that time got in government."
"We drove pornography out of Times Square and other public spaces," he said, drawing hearty applause. "The pornographers lost and they were driven out of Times Square."
Instead of pandering to the group, Giuliani held his ground.
“We’ve got to find a way to be more inclusive,” Giuliani said. “Christianity is all about inclusiveness. It’s built around the most profound act of love in human history, isn’t it? … I’m running for president of the United States because I believe I can bring us together. Strong leadership can help us find common solutions to our problems.”
Giuliani drew laughter by saying he spends as little time in Washington as possible: “I’m afraid there’s something in the air here.”
“I’m not going to pretend that I can be all things to all people,” he declared. “I’m just not like that.”
But he added, in another dig at Romney, “I’ll always be honest with you.... You will always know where I stand.”
“You have absolutely nothing to fear from me,” Giuliani went on, adding that he was puzzled by those who make him out to be some kind of liberal activist: “Just read any New York Times editorial when I was mayor of New York City.” That got a big laugh.
Giuliani was speaking to one of the most conservative audiences in American politics. During a Christian worship service from the podium an hour before Giuliani spoke, leader Ron Freeman interspersed the praise hymn “Blessed be the Name” with the hopeful wish:
“We’ve got the right Senate and the Congress!” The prayer included: “We’ve tried hard to make your agenda, our agenda.”
Politico’s Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.
And he would pay for the murder of his own grandchild? No kidding. Not sure how exactly ...but the hyperbole is ankle deep...
AND, one thing I can say for Giuliani, is I haven't seen him lie. I've seen others tapdance around their resume, and I've seen them obfuscate about their record.
By the way, who do you see as the nominee worthy of your support? So far all I've seen is that you are AGAINST Giuliani. Who are you FOR?
Rudy = Arnold Redux
There's nothing conservative about Giuliani. He's a flaming liberal. -- Jim Robinson
My principles are victory next November against Hillary. I'm not engaging in the argument pro or con of Rudy, except to fight rabid hate mongering against him. Hate mongering against Rudy now will defeat us next November if he becomes the candidate and hard core conservatives stay home.
Say you like this candidate, or that one, and leave it at that. Engaging in personal destruction against Rudy cannot help us. Even if he didn't win the nomination, we want another powerful Republican like Rudy on our side that can help whomever the nominee is.
Because they vote.... Duh.
Right, Kev.
Ol' Rooty can trust us so/cons.
So go ahead and quit, Rooty.
Like you yourself told Values Voters: “You have absolutely nothing to fear........”
His NARAL rating is higher than Hillary’s. Look, they pulled this stunt in 2006. Bill was out saying that they were more conservative.
All those Reagan Democrats voted for those “conservative” Democrats. We lost them by putting up RINO’s. We lost their votes.
In the case of Rudy, they have no reason to come back to our party. Not to mention, the conservative value voters who will not be pumped and may not vote for Rudy.
Rudy is a loser. It is a damn shame we might have to endure Hillary to point that fact out.
Whose fault is it? Where is the leadership in the Conservative movement? Where has it been for the last 8 years? There has apparently been no coordination at all between the Conservative movemnet and the GOP! It is all willy-nilly. If Jim Robinson is the man, then he and Dobson and all the other members of the conservative movement should have been cooordinating with the GOP, grooming another Real Reagan candidate that we can embrace with vigor! I dont sense that that has occured at all. By doing nothing, we have allowed this Rudy thing to occur. Are Conservatives just bad strategizers? Were we thinking that another Reagan was going to pop out of thin air?
Got it...like I said earlier, Jews need not apply.
I guess this is a discussion for a different time and place. And I don't want to be accused of hijacking the thread.
I can only say that I find your comments, both, sad and quite shocking.
Yes he said that. Take the blinders off.
So what you’re saying is that when you said Rudy is to the left of Hillary you where being disingenuous and using the same rhetoric you claim the left will use against him? In other words, you where simply lying.
Get real. I'm as conservative as they come on almost every issue. At the same time I'm a realist, and that makes me disagree with conservative dogma with the correct approach to some things. Thus I hate illegal immigration, but I thought Bush's ideas on immigration were best for the long term. Thus I dislike many attributes about Rudy, but I am willing to support him 100% if he wins the nomination.
By the way, Hillary is the left of Rudy on every issue I can think of. Hillary disguises her communism well, pretending to be centrist to get votes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZe1j4csMq8
“During his unsuccessful 1989 mayoral campaign, Giuliani said, “I’d give my daughter the money for it [an abortion].”
-Rudy Guliani
“By the way, who do you see as the nominee worthy of your support?”
I like Hunter but I am realistic, and will support the nominee if it isn’t Trudy.
NARAL would be very surprised to hear Rudy "say" he would appoint judges to eliminate and/or undermine free-for-all abortion (course, what he'll "do" is something else).
Fact is, Rooty is joined at the hip with NARAL, P'Phood and the rest of the abortion worshippers. Rooty himself donated to PP and received contributions from NARAL. Mayor Rooty received more donations from NARAL than Hillary---a testament to NARAL's trust in Rooty's pro-abortion credentials.
From the FEC database: 04/24/1999 Donations
NEW YORK STATE NARAL INC WOMEN'S HEALTH PAC
NARAL donated exclusively to Democrat candidates with one exception----Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani accepted $1,000 from NARAL in 1999. NARAL gave $1000---4 times as much-----to pro-abortion Giuliani. Clearly, NARAL trusted Rudy's pro-abortion credentials, and Rudy's willingness to advance NARAL's radical abortion-on-demand agenda, even more than NARAL trusted Hillary. NARAL gave $250 to Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Rudy was the honored guest speaker and made The Opening Remarks to the N.A.R.A.L. "Champions of Choice" Luncheon few years back.
NARAL, Planned Parenthood and the rest of the abortion savages know Rudy is on their side now, and has been from the getgo.
BTW, look for Rooty to have several more "Come to Jesus" moments as we near the primaries---these are temporary blackouts Rooty will conveniently discard should he, by some stinking fluke, get anywhere near our WH.
" P-l-e-a-s-e make me sound conservative."
"Who knew? My stupid advisors told me I didn't need those redneck gun
nuts and dumb Christian conservatives to make a primary showing."
"Man, they're killing me on FR just b/c I had three wives, several mistresses,
was honored by NARAL, donated to Planned Parenthood, and marched
for gay rights under the NAMBLA banner, and appointed gays and
pedophiles to top city jobs."
As someone else pointed out. If Giuliani is a ‘liberal’ (often compared to Hillary by cement heads) then Hillary is in fact Joseph Stalin.
There is no comparison.
You are full of BS and you know it.
Doesn’t matter , you ride the losing train, when you get off, shake hands with the new conductor, Hillary Clinton.
That just doesn't make sense. If you're speaking of the primaries, vote your conscience. Go ahead. But if you're speaking of next Nov, anything less than full support of the nominee (which could well be Rudy) is just plain dumb. As is destroying his character now during the nomination process, which could backfire and get Hillary elected in Nov when people who have been convinced to hate Rudy stay home.
Campaign for your favorite nominee. But trashing any Republican is a bad idea and will only help Democrats.
So what blinders do I have to take off?
I will ask my question again. We know who you are against. We were reprimanded earlier that in order to win elections we have to be "for" something.
I'm trying to find out, who are you for?
Oh come off your stupid highhorse... You try to lecture me on how a Christian should be and I point out exactly what our Christian Bible says. If it offends you, so be it.
BTW.. there is millions of Christian Jews, more every day. Jews apply daily. There is no more support for Israel than that given by Christians, and you know it. You may not understand why Christians support Israel so feverently, but most people can't understand why most so called Jews vote for democrats either (JINO). Christians understand the value of supporting Israel, and turning our backs on Israel is not to our advantage. Jesus was born a Jew and under Jewish law, law that true Christians understand are worth defending. Rudy has a track record that spits on the sanity of human life... God doesn't change, he demands we respect human life today as yesterday.
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