Howie Kurtz over at the Washington Post recounts Rudy Giluliani's recent CNN performance:...Rudy was on CNN the other day and was asked about the three wives and his kids and all of that. He was also asked about abortion. Here's what he said:
"Personally opposed to abortion, don't like it, hate it, would advise that woman have an adoption rather than an abortion, I will help you find the money for it. But it is your choice, it is an individual right."
Does Giuliani support public financing of abortions?
"If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right, yes."
That would be a perfectly routine position . . . for a Democratic presidential candidate. But it happens to be consistent with Giuliani's position when he was mayor.
Yes, I know he's talking about appointing "strict constructionist" judges, which sounds good but doesn't mean much on the Roe v. Wade question. Had Guiliani edged away from his stance on public financing of abortions, the media's flip-flop police would be called out. Since he stuck to his guns, the question is how many Republican primary voters will strongly disagree to the point of ruling him out...
Kurtz then goes on to give a few answers to his question -- answers that included these two from, respectively, Josh Marshall and Kathryn Jean Lopez:
(Marshall) -- "Rudy still supports public funding of abortions. Apprently we're still supposed to be in that pretend place where we believe that Rudy Giuliani can be the Republican nominee. But let me go out on a limb. Nobody who supports public funding of abortion is going to be the nominee of the Republican party. Say all you want about Rudy's 'leadership uber alles' campaign platform: I'm not buying it."
(Lopez) -- "Giuliani is a pro-choice pol who supports public funding of abortion but would not actively change current law for as long as current law is in place. So if Hyde is repealed? If Roe is overturned? Where will Rudy be? Well, he'll be a pro-choice pol who supports public funding of abortion and he'll be the Republican president of the United States. NOW and the gals must be loving the possibility of Rudy."
