The American Spectator : Giuliani's Gaffe

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Giuliani's Gaffe

By Philip Klein on 4.6.07 @ 12:08AM

Rudy's comments in support of public financing for abortion not only complicate his efforts to woo social conservatives, but create the impression that he's simply "winging it."

Rudy Giuliani's affirmation of his support for public financing of abortions was undoubtedly the biggest blunder of his nascent presidential campaign. Not only have his comments undermined his efforts to assuage the concerns of social conservatives, they have reinforced the perception that he's running an undisciplined campaign.

p>By now, most readers are likely familiar with Giuliani's comments to CNN reporter Dana Bash. But just to recap, after Bash played Giuliani a YouTube video from 1989 in which he advocated public financing of abortion, the following exchange occurred: br> /p>

BASH: Is that also going to be your position as president?
GIULIANI: Probably. I mean, I have to re-examine all of those issues and exactly what was at stake then, and it is a long time ago. But generally that is my view, abortion is wrong, abortion shouldn't happen, personally you should counsel people to that extent.

When I was mayor, adoptions went up, abortions went down, but ultimately it is a constitutional right, and therefore if it is a constitutional right ultimately, even if you do it on a state-by-state basis, you have to make sure that people are protected.

BASH: So you support taxpayer money or public funding for abortions in some cases?

GIULIANI: If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right, yes, I mean, if that the status of the law, then I would, yes.

br> His response is problematic on several levels. Politically, it hurts him not only among social conservatives, but also among fiscal conservatives who may even be pro-choice but abhor any kind of government subsidies. While Giuliani has received mostly friendly treatment on conservative blogs up until now, the response to his remarks has been overwhelmingly negative, turning off even those who had previously been sympathetic to Rudy. Semantically, it isn't helpful for him to use the words "constitutional right" with regard to abortion, even if he meant it in terms of what the courts currently hold. Legally, the idea that anything that is a constitutional right should be provided by the government, is patently absurd. As has been pointed out

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topics:
Television, Abortion, Constitution, Law