The American Spectator

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Rudy, Aim, Fire

9.27.06 @ 12:01AM

RUDY, AIM, FIRE
Re: Deroy Murdock's Ready for Rudy:

"Ready for Rudy" is a fine article and quite inspiring. Now let's complete the portrait. Let's discuss Rudy's support for abortion on demand and same-sex "marriage."
-- Andy Fuller

How startlingly short the memory of those Republicans who would float presidential candidacy trial balloons on behalf of fellows such as Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. Wasn't it the consensus view on both sides of the political aisle that the hair's breadth difference at the end of the day in '04 was the values voters? Based on his meaningless mumbling at Pepperdine University just last week concerning abortion, John Kerry sure as hell thinks so!

Would the GOP be foolish enough to allow a pro-choicer or friend of the anti-family homosexual lobby to carry its flag in '08? That this is even a serious question is a source of morbid fascination!
-- Francis M. Hannon, Jr.
Melrose, Massachusetts

Not everyone's ready for Rudy. He's so out of line with the social conservative portion of the Republican Party that he'll have to do more than "repackage" himself; he'll have to convince social conservatives that he saw the light on the way to Damascus (or, better, the Bronx). Maybe there's a place for Vice President Giuliani, or Secretary or State or Defense Giuliani, but don't be minting those nifty presidential gold medallions just yet.
-- Jeff Schmidt
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

While Deroy Murdock justly points out the many ways in which Mr. Giuliani was an exemplary mayor of New York City. He downplays the very serious concerns of the Pro-Life Movement. The abortion issue was one of the main reasons Americans voted against another pro-abortion Catholic, John Kerry. Repeating the mistake on the Right makes no sense whatsoever. Dissing social conservatives is a recipe for disaster.
-- Gregory Tatum

Rudy has unquestioned qualities of leadership and courage. But, he is pro abortion in the extreme; pro gun confiscation, while willfully misrepresenting the context of "militia" in terms of the Constitution, and is pro gay marriage, and these are the just the minor social differences with the conservative, still somewhat Republican base. We are not even discussing his sordid personal marriage history.

The idea that the base in mass would not sit out an election with him as the R. presidential candidate even if (highly unlikely) Rudy were nominated is delusional.
-- Craig Sarver
Behind Enemy Lines
Seattle, Washington

I greatly enjoyed the Deroy Murdock article on Mayor Rudy. I would opine that the current war with the Islamic Jihadists would be going a great deal better were Rudy at the head of it. I wonder, however, if he would have appointed someone like Sec. Def. Rumsfeld and then had the audacity to stick with his appointee during a very messy, very bloody, but necessary transformation of the U. S. military to a lighter, faster, but more lethal military. Rudy does not seem to be the type of politician that can operate well while sharing the spotlight with one of his appointees.

I would have to see great change in Rudy's stances in three areas in order to vote for him, plus seeing a comprehensive discussion of the kind of judges that a Rudy administration would nominate. First, Rudy would simply have to genuinely reverse his thinking on the 2nd Amendment. It is real simple. If you are an advocate of the freely exercised right to bear arms, then I am with you. If not, then I am not. That means no registration of guns, or their law abiding owners, period. It also means a "Shall Issue" policy on carry permits, and passage of a "Castle Doctrine" that removes any need to attempt to retreat from a threat to my person or that of my family when I am abiding by the law in a place that I have a legal right to be. This is NOT an issue that I am squishy on.

Second, the border control issue must be dealt with and settled before any bill to grant citizenship rights to illegal aliens. That means that the borders must be effectively sealed against the invasion of illegals. It also means that any illegal here now would have to return to their home country and apply for admission to the U. S., AND wait in their home country for permission to emigrate. We had an amnesty under Pres. Reagan, and it didn't work. Quite simply the carrots are passed out immediately, but the sticks are NEVER applied. I also want to see a deliberate and consistent crack down on the employers that hire illegals, not some kind of token enforcement. If the employer doesn't swing, it ain't got no zing.

I would lump together the homosexual rights and the abortion rights issues. Bottom line is that these are both gender rights issues in my view. I would like to see abortion illegal except for rape, incest, and the life (not health) of the mother. I can, however, live with the first step of outlawing the late term abortions/partial birth abortions as a down payment on heading in the right direction. As for homosexuality, society got along well enough for many millennia without the many having to have the sexual habits of the few shoved in our faces. You do your thing and I will do mine, but I don't want to be constantly told (or shown) what you are doing. I also do not think that companies should be told who has to be covered under their employee benefit plans. It has served the purpose well for society to favor heterosexual arrangements, since we have no interest in our species becoming extinct, and nature's plan for the perpetuation of the species is the heterosexual model.

If Rudy can come to these three threshold levels, then we can talk about nominees to SCOTUS and the other levels of the Federal Judiciary. Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito are the acceptable models. Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer do not pass the test. And for our Libertarian friends, Janice Rodgers-Brown would be a splendid choice for elevation to the SCOTUS.

So, how about it, Rudy? Can we talk?
-- Ken Shreve

Rudy can win the Abortion issue by shifting the argument away from abortion and onto judges. So long as Rudy goes for strict constructionist judges, he can win.
-- John Jaggers
Ashburn, Virginia

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, John McCain, Islam, Abortion, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Military, Iraq, Iran, European Union, NATO, Energy