Rudy Giuliani Says He Backs Pro-Life Laws But Supports Legal Abortion

From LifeNews.com:

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Most of the potential GOP candidates for president fall somewhere along the scale ranging from reliably pro-life to opposing abortion but supporting embryonic stem cell research. Rudy Giuliani falls squarely in the pro-abortion camp but he's now trying to reassure pro-life voters he's not that bad.

Giuliani has always been in favor of legalized abortion -- even supporting the grisly partial-birth abortion procedure that kills an unborn child halfway through the birthing process.

On the Fox news program Hannity & Colmes on Monday night he used some pretty strong language against abortion, though he admitted he still is pro-abortion when it comes to whether it should be legal.

"Where I stand on abortion is, I oppose it. I don't like it. I hate it. I think abortion is something that, as a personal matter, I would advise somebody against," he said.

"However, I believe in a woman's right to choose," Giuliani admitted. "I think ultimately you have to leave that to a disagreement of conscience and you have to respect the choice that somebody makes."

The former mayor tried to reassure pro-life advocates by saying he would appoint judges in the mold of the ones President Bush nominated and pro-life advocates supported.

"I think the appointment of judges that I would make would be very similar to, if not exactly the same as, the last two judges that were appointed," Giuliani said.

"If I had been president over the last four years, I can't think of any, you know, that I'd do anything different with that," he said, referring to Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

"I would appoint judges that interpreted the Constitution rather than invented it, understood the difference between being a judge and being a legislator," he said. "I do think you have sort of a general philosophical approach that you want from a justice, and I think a strict constructionist would be probably the way I'd describe it."

On the program, Giuliani was asked about partial-birth abortions. He previously told CNN's Inside Politics in a 1999 interview, that he does not support even a modest ban on the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure saying, "No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing."

Yet, on Monday, Giuliani said that he supports a ban on partial-birth abortion as long as there is a provision to protect the life of the mother.

"If it has provision for the life of the mother, then I would support it," he told the Fox News program.

Giuliani also said he supported parental notification laws as long as there is a judicial bypass for cases when a teenager is abused by her parents.

"I think you have to have a judicial bypass. If you do, you can have parental notification," he said.

Will these concessions and apparent flip-flop on partial-birth abortion be enough to gain the support of pro-life advocates?

[More]

(emphasis added)

My Comments:
Even where Giuliani allegedly supports restrictions on abortion, doesn't he seem to be awfully preoccupied with the exceptions to the restrictions?

Giuliani says he backs pro-life laws but supports legal abortion? How is this any different from the following?

John Kerry: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Rudy’s a No-Go

That's News to Me

Resources Rolling In for Pro-Abort, Pro-Gay, Anti-Gun Presidential Candidate (and He's "Catholic" to Boot)

The Pro-Giuliani Crowd Tries to Rehabilitate the Mayor's Image Among Pro-Lifers

Brownback: I Could Support Rudy

For the Second Day in a Row, I Find Myself in the Uncomfortable Position of Agreeing With the DNC

Meet the Next President: Giuliani Tops in Early GOP Polls

Presidential Election Still 2 Years Away, But GOP Seems Intent on Self-Immolation

The Conservative Case Against Rudy Giuliani In 2008

Southern Appeal Takes on The Anchoress' Support for Rudy Giuliani's Presidential Aspirations

Pro-Abort, Pro-Gay, Anti-Gun Republican Tops Pro-Abort, Pro-Gay, Anti-Gun Democrat in Recent Poll

Four in 10 Republicans Would Not Find McCain an "Acceptable" Nominee

Pro-Abort/Pro-Gay Republican Tops Pro-Abort/Pro-Gay Democrat In Presidential Poll - Who Cares?

Pat Robertson Says Giuliani Would Be "Good President"