Brownback to Meet Rudy
(Hat tip: Custos Fidei)
From The Hill:
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is considering endorsing Rudy Giuliani for the GOP presidential nomination and will meet with him Thursday in Washington to hear his views on abortion.My Comments:
Brownback, who ended his White House run last week and is a champion of social conservative issues, said he would consider Giuliani because he had heard that the former New York City mayor had changed his position on partial-birth abortion and has pledged to appoint to the courts strict constructionists who would not overturn anti-abortion laws.
If Brownback pledged his support, it would be a big boost for Giuliani. It might help shore up the biggest perceived weakness of his candidacy — namely, the lack of support among social conservatives because of his stance on abortion.
“I’m going to meet with him and I’m going to talk to him and hear what he is specifically saying now because he’s changed on a number of the abortion issues,” Brownback said in an interview. “He’s changed on partial-birth [abortion] and he … has said he would appoint strict constructionists.”
When asked about Giuliani’s position on allowing women the right to late-term abortions, also known as partial-birth abortions, Brownback said: “He is opposed to it. That’s what I’ve been told indirectly. I want to hear it from him.”
Brownback has not indicated that he is likely to support Giuliani, but he has not ruled it out. He said he is also considering endorsing other top-tier Republican candidates. Several have asked for his support in telephone conversations, and Brownback has already met with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to discuss a possible endorsement.
***
Giuliani would gain the most from Brownback’s endorsement because he has consistently encountered opposition from social conservatives owing to his views on abortion. He has drawn strong criticism for reiterating in a televised interview earlier this year his position that the federal government should provide funding for an abortion if a woman could not afford one. Giuliani’s standing atop national polls has scared Christian conservative leaders so much that several prominent leaders threatened last month to support a third-party candidate to block his path to the White House.
Brownback’s support, however, could assuage the concerns of many social conservatives and provide him a path to the Republican nomination.
***
Kim Lehman, president of Iowa Right to Life Committee and a member of the Iowans for Brownback Leadership Committee, said she met with a representative from Huckabee’s campaign Wednesday and has also been contacted by Thompson’s campaign.
“Brownback got quite a bit of Catholic support,” she said. “I’m seeing a lot of people at my end trying to decide which way to go.”
She said that social conservatives are beginning to peel away from Romney as they learn of statements he made in favor of abortion rights when he ran for Massachusetts governor in 2002.
She said she would be stunned if Brownback backed Giuliani.
“I find it simply hard to believe because Giuliani has expressed his position to even pay for abortion,” she said.
Lehman’s son, Zachariah Gordon, who served as pro-life coalition director for Brownback in Iowa, said Huckabee’s campaign has expressed interest in hiring him.
He said it would be “hypocritical” for Brownback to endorse Giuliani or Romney because of their views on abortion.
[More]
If Sen. Brownback endorses Rudy, then he's not the man I thought he was. It will prove that he puts party above principle - and that's not the sort of person that I signed on to support when I first announced I was backing Sen. Brownback. A Brownback endorsement of Rudy would be a profound disappointment, to say the least.
And such an endorsement would have absolutely no effect on my stance that I will NEVER vote for Giuliani under ANY circumstances.
posted by Pro Ecclesia 12:31 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
This is the sort of calumnious crap I would expect to read on Mark Shea's blog.
Whatever generates a hit, I guess.
Politics is the art of being compromised, after all.
My hope is Brownback is only talking to Rudy in hopes of extracting concessions from the candidate he really plans to endorse.
Who knows, perhaps he has a shot at changing Giuliani to the pro-life position.(Though even if he claimed a conversion, I still wouldn't trust him)
Billy,
I'm not sure what you find so "calumnious" about this post. I am not accusing Brownback of anything, I'm just posting a story from a source that is generally not considered suspect.
I prefaced my comments with "If". And if what this story says is true - that Brownback could endorse Rudy - then yes, I see that as problematic.
And I'm really at a loss as to what you think this blog has to do with Mark Shea. This is the second time in about a month that you've mentioned him in comments here. If you've got a problem with Shea, take it up with him. Don't drag it over here for me to have to deal with.
So what happened to the Fred bandwagon? He rode in on high horses and now you hardly hear about him?
Steven Colbert is looking better and better... Maybe I can convince my in-laws down in SC to vote for him?
You know, I had a hard time dealing with people who refused to vote for Santorum because he endorsed Specter over Toomey. I thought they were being short-sighted and foolish. I am starting to understand their point-of-view a lot better now. IF Brownback endorses Rudy, then shame on Sam.
I wondered what your reaction to this would be, Jay. I see it's much the same as mine.
Sometimes, it seems Brownback has a bit of a tin ear.
He took a lot of flack in 2006 for his willingness to compromise on immigration enforcement, and didn't seem to learn from it in 2007.
Now, it appears that he's in danger of losing his pro-life credibility by endorsing Giuliani.
I think he's a good guy, one of the best elected officials in Washington. But if he endorses Giuliani, that will do much more to damage Brownback's rep with social conservatives than it will do to improve Giuliani's.
I suspect that Brownback is falling prey to the idea that social conservatives can be led, like other, unthinking, groups.
It's hard to be social conservative, it's very counter-cultural. I think there are very few social conservatives who come to that viewpoint without thinking, and without having to personally defend that view from questions and attacks by friends and family, and hold in spite of constant assault from the entertainment and news media.
We've studied these issues, and we know what we know. We know that abortion is always and everywhere wrong, that pro-abortion candidates don't advance our policy goals, and we know that Giuliani is pro-abortion.
Nobody this side of the Blessed Virgin will convince us otherwise.
I prefaced my comments with "If".
That's really just a big cop-out. There's absolutely nothing in this story that indicates it's anything other than journalistic sensationalism. That you reproduced it is unworthy of a Catholic blogger.
*If* it's true that Jay Anderson molests his children, then my respect for him will be completely lost.
Do you see?
The reason I mention Mark Shea is because he does that sort of ugly un-Christian slander all the time.
I suspect that Brownback is falling prey to the idea that social conservatives can be led, like other, unthinking, groups.
Ah, yes, let the reading of hearts and minds begin.
There's no need to actually *wait* for Sam Brownback to actually endorse Giuliani with his own spoken words. We have a journalist here who can actually infallibly read his mind, and knows exactly what he's about to do.
I want to crucify him now dammit! Since when does the most Catholic and pro-life politician in the Senate deserve the benefit of the doubt?
And *If* he plans to support Planned Parenthood too, well, it'll just prove that we were right about him all along.
Is Sam meeting with Rudy or not? Did Sam say the things attributed to him in this story or not?
Is there anything in this story that should've tipped me off that it was inaccurate? It's from a fairly reputable source. It's not like I'm citing to the two Andys (Sullivan and Greeley).
I do what I always do ... post stories about Catholics in public life. I don't post things from questionable sources. IF this story is true, then it's problematic. That's all I've said.
And when it's reported by a reputable new source that I've been accused of doing what you suggest, then you would have some basis for saying "IF Jay did X, then I have lost all respect for him."
Until then, your analogy sucks ass.
"Since when does the most Catholic and pro-life politician in the Senate deserve the benefit of the doubt?"
Sen. Brownback does deserve the benefit of the doubt, and he's still my favorite guy on Capitol Hill. I haven't accused him of anything, but I did want to make clear what I would think of an endorsement of Rudy. And if Sen. Brownback doesn't endorse Rudy, then we've got no problem.
But neither am I stupid enough to think that such a sellout by one of my Congressional pro-life Catholic heroes could never happen.
Isn't Billy an FUS grad? I'd expect better based on that alone.
I want to crucify him now dammit! Since when does the most Catholic and pro-life politician in the Senate deserve the benefit of the doubt?
Oh, yes, I crucified Brownback. He has holes in his hands and feet. Don't believe me? Go put your fingers into them.
It's nice that Brownback didn't endorse Giuliani. It's nice that Brownback believes that Giuliani would undergo the firestorm, should he become President, that would be involved in finding, nominating and confirming another John Roberts.
I don't happen to believe that Giuliani would.
And I'm disappointed that Brownback would accept his assurances. I didn't see Brownback offering any reason why I should trust Giuliani.
And while we're at it, why is John Roberts the poster boy for justices that social conservatives would like? What's he written on abortion? Simply being a friend of Sam Brownback's not sufficient. Hillary Clinton is his friend, too.
I expressed my suspicions, based on Brownback's public actions. I claim no inside information. I don't read hearts or minds. I'm entitled to my opinion, and to express it, and no jerk like billyhw will silence me.
Jay,
I concur with your comments 100%.
Tito
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