Posted on 11/28/2007 7:13:04 AM PST by Fred
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-abortion activist says Rudy Giuliani's attempt to moderate his pro-abortion views during the Republican presidential contest is a betrayal of his hard-core position backing abortion when he was New York City's mayor.
As the mayor of the largest city in the nation, Giuliani could be counted on to support abortion.
He supported taxpayer funding of abortions, gave a donation to Planned Parenthood, and repeatedly spoke in opposition to pro-life laws.
Giuliani appointed Kelli Conlin to the city's Human Rights Commission, an irony not lost on pro-life advocates.
Conlin, the head of NARAL's affiliate in New York, told CNN in an interview that Rudy's attempt to moderate his pro-abortion views for Republican voters, most of whom are pro-life, is a betrayal of his mayoral record.
"He never seemed to have a struggle with the issue as mayor," she said. "He was very proudly pro-choice."
Conlin told the television news station that she finds it disconcerting when she hears Giuliani say he will appoint "strict constructionists" to the Supreme Court.
"It is code for judges who will overturn Roe v. Wade," she says.
Perhaps the biggest change is the former mayor's position on partial-birth abortion.
"I have not supported [a ban] and I do not see my position on that changing," Giuliani told CNN when former President Clinton vetoed a ban on partial-birth abortion.
But when the Supreme Court upheld a national ban this April, Giuliani said, "I must say, Justice [Anthony] Kennedy's opinion convinced me even more that my support for the ban is a correct one."
Whether Giuliani has truly flip-flopped or if he is trying to hide his uncompromising pro-abortion views behind minor issues such as a partial-birth abortion ban, Conlin remembers Giuliani not budging on opposing even the minor ban on a gruesome abortion procedure.
"He spoke at one of our events one time about that legislation and he was very intelligent about it," she told CNN.
She added that Giuliani clearly opposed the partial-birth abortion ban as mayor because he said doctors needed the abortion method in cases when the mother's life is in danger. However, the ban includes such an exception and doctors have said the three-day-long abortion procedure is never necessary to protect a woman's health.
Ultimately, Colin says Giuliani needs to do more to explain why he has changed.
"He owes the American people an explanation of why he's flip flopped so dramatically," she concluded.
Rudy is a little rat.
What is better: that he still favors PBA or that he now opposes it?
I prefer the latter position. I don’t understand why anyone would wish that he still support PBA.
Seems that he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
One of the things about elected public service is the official is elected to represent and enact the will of the people whom elected him. NYC is a staunchly pro-abortion pro-gun control city, and it is ridiculous to demand that any elected politician go against that. An effective politician tinkers where he can, and leaves the status quo alone where he can’t.
It’s good to see Rudy moderating his position now that he is no longer shackled by the radical politics of NYC. Are we supposed to think that’s a bad thing? Should we prefer he brought NYC social attitudes to the GOP race?
Presidents don’t set abortion policy anyways. Currently, only the Supreme Court does. Rudy has said he would appoint Justices like Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito. After that, it would be up to the new Justices’ opinions on abortion, not Giuliani’s.
The pro-abort activists don't want any limits on legalized murder of babies.
WRONGO. The president signed the Ban on PBA.
And it’s held up in the courts as always, and as always, the courts will write the law on abortion.
More and more, every day, I’m seeing abortion as THE central point of battle between good and evil.
Everything seems to revolve around it. The stem cell issue. Terri Schiavo. Euthenasia.
And here in KC, we have a “movement” that is out to DESTROY the former DA that dared go after planned parenthood and a PBA mill for breaking the law. Seriously, the media is stalking him, his family, his kid’s teachers, etc, in an attempt to destroy his life.
I’m sorry, I meant anyone here.
Rudy was either lying then about his beliefs, or he’s lying now. Either way, he has lied to the voters.
Since Rudy is a liar, how do I know he would actually appoint strict constructionist judges? The answer, of course, is I do not.
If I vote for Rudy, I have to put myself in the positon of trusting a known liar on a vital social issue. Only a fool would do that.
“Rudy was either lying then about his beliefs, or hes lying now. Either way, he has lied to the voters.”
Apparently you agree with the kook fringe in that you assume that when people change their minds it is lying. As if everyone is born knowing the truth. By this criteria, a substantial fraction of the U.S. population, which polls suggest has changed its mind on abortion over the past 30 years, is also lying.
It would be wise to bear in mind that legal abortion is only a beginning. In choosing the lesser of two evils, it is important to remember that we do not, as yet, have blatant tax supported abortions. This is something that the Dems routinely try to change. The other issue is “end-of-life” care. Basically the policy battle there is to prevent government controlled health insurance advocates from allowing Medicare to begin legalizing murder of those who are extremely ill.
Please. I wasn’t born yesterday. Rudy changed all of his liberal social positions into conservative ones just in the nick of time to try to appeal to Republican primary voters. Changing one position in mid life could possibly be construed as a genuine change of heart, but changing all of them is cold, political calculation, pure and simple.
Rudy was either lying then, or he’s lying now. I pick now. Either way, I don’t vote for liars.
ping
BUMP
As long as Roger Stone’s ex-wife and all the harpies of the far left of the Republican party aren’t screeching about Rudy’s change of position in regard to abortion anytime for any reason as well as paid for by taxpayers, we can be assured that Rudy has not actually changed his abortion position one iota. Otherwise, we would not be able to avoid the noise the Republican “feminazis” would be making.
Rudy's got TROUBLE!!
RECEIPTS: HAMPTONS ESCAPADES COST TAXPAYERS
Spread the word.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALDfwXIYUX0
“There must be public funding for abortions...
We cannot deny any woman the right to make her own decision about abortion because she lacks resources.
I disagree with President Bush’s veto...of public funding for abortion.”
—Rudy Giuliani
We need judges who embrace originalism, endeavor to determine what others meant when they wrote the words of our Constitution. Justices like Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, and Chief Justice Roberts. That would be my model.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.