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Rudy: Switching on guns, abortion
AM New York ^ | 4/20/07

Posted on 04/20/2007 9:07:37 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside

Rudy: Switching on guns, abortion

BY CRAIG GORDON

craig.gordon@newsday.com

April 19, 2007, 9:21 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Rudolph Giuliani Thursday linked the 1995 bombing of a federal building here to the Virginia Tech massacre by speaking in the role he wants Republicans to remember -- the leader who guided another terror-battered city through tragedy.

But this week's events highlight another side of Giuliani -- the presidential candidate who once bluntly rejected some of his party's core beliefs, only to switch his stances now to walk in step with GOP faithful.

Giuliani this week issued statements on gun control and late-term abortion that differ sharply from his previous positions, opening him up to "flip-flop" charges by activists. The gun control switch seems particularly stark.

As New York mayor, Giuliani didn't just support tough controls -- he became former President Bill Clinton's go-to Republican to lobby a GOP Congress to back an assault-weapons ban.

Later, Giuliani joined a lawsuit against gun makers and called for a "uniform law passed by Congress" to regulate handgun ownership.

This week, however, his campaign didn't mention that. Instead, spokeswoman Maria Comella said, "He supports reasonable restrictions and believes that in most cases it's best left up to the states to determine what those restrictions are."

Giuliani said Thursday the Virginia Tech massacre calls out for solutions, but he ducked questions about whether one such solution would be greater gun control.

On the abortion issue, Giuliani issued a statement praising the Supreme Court for its decision Wednesday upholding a ban on so-called partial-birth abortion. But as recently as 2000, he was still voicing support for allowing the procedure.

During the campaign, Giuliani has stood by his support for abortion rights more broadly. Comella defended Giuliani's position now, saying the ban upheld by Congress is "fundamentally different" from the one he opposed in the past, because it now includes scientific findings about protecting the life of the mother.

Charles Cook, an independent political analyst in Washington, said the perception that Giuliani is switching positions for political convenience could cause him trouble with Republican voters -- though he's already in trouble with some for his initial positions on gun control and abortion.

"Whether people see him as a flip-flopper, or whether people see him as out of the Republican mainstream, either way it's a problem," Cook said. "The more the gun issue is in the news, the more abortion is in the news, the harder it is for Rudy Giuliani."


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; elections; flipflop; giuliani; julieannie; prolife; rudyonabortion; rudyonguns; stoprudy2008
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To: dirtboy
Given Rudy's past history, his idea of reasonable restrictions is more in line with the Brady Center than the rank and file of the GOP.

**************

Agreed.

41 posted on 04/20/2007 11:58:25 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Vaquero
You will be arrested for having that Daisy soft-air, or a paint ball gun...

Or a ferret, for that matter.

42 posted on 04/20/2007 12:00:31 PM PDT by dirtboy (Duncan Hunter 08/But Fred would also be great)
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To: trisham
"He supports reasonable restrictions and believes that in most cases it's best left up to the states to determine what those restrictions are."

I can certainly respect a "states rights" position on many of these issues, especially when you consider that the 10th Amendment clearly gives states broad powers when it comes to responsibilities that are not specifically assigned to the Federal government.

However, I would point out that when a candidate who has never before shown any interest in "states rights" starts talking like this, it is clearly a case of this candidate punting the issue away so as to avoid taking a real position on the issue (because he knows damn well that his position is extremely unpopular).

Nowhere was this more evident than in the 2004 presidential campaign, when John Kerry tried to duck the whole gay marriage issue by suggesting that each state should be free to do whatever they wanted on this issue. Even left-wing sycophant Chris Mathews couldn't believe his ears on this one, asking Kerry incredulously how he could possibly believe that when Kerry would never take the same position when it came to other areas where he (Kerry) obviously didn't give a damn about states rights (abortion, for example).

43 posted on 04/20/2007 12:18:39 PM PDT by Alberta's Child
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To: Mister Politics
I think we should all be ready to support him totally against the Hildabeast.

I don't vote for liberal candidates -- regardless of their party affiliation.

44 posted on 04/20/2007 12:20:29 PM PDT by Alberta's Child
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To: Mr. Brightside
This is Rooty on all the issues ...

And here are the Rootybots trying to justify his flip-flops...

Quick Mable, put it in Spin Cycle!

And here is Rooty's campaign.......

USS Rooty Fruity Tooty

45 posted on 04/20/2007 3:17:23 PM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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To: Alberta's Child
However, I would point out that when a candidate who has never before shown any interest in "states rights" starts talking like this, it is clearly a case of this candidate punting the issue away so as to avoid taking a real position on the issue (because he knows damn well that his position is extremely unpopular).

***************

Excellent point.

46 posted on 04/20/2007 3:53:12 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

LOL, ain’t that the truth.


47 posted on 04/20/2007 4:38:22 PM PDT by 383rr (Those who choose security over liberty deserve neither- GUN CONTOL=SLAVERY)
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To: Mister Politics
I would therefore warn against this constant Rudy bashing.

Are you kidding? Now's the perfect time to put Rudy through the meat grinder. If he's nominated, the MSM is going to tear him to shreds anyway.

48 posted on 04/20/2007 7:48:08 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Ben Franklin, we tried but we couldn't keep it.)
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To: Mr. Brightside

I’m pleased that Rudy has reconsidered his past positions and I’m looking forward to his future statements on these issues.


49 posted on 04/20/2007 7:58:34 PM PDT by Ciexyz (Is the American voter smarter than a fifth grader?)
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To: karnage
If Fred Thompson or Newt Gingrich get into the race, I’ll consider them very seriously, but right now I like Rudy. The main goal is defeating the Dims. They are the true enemy.

Wheel in that big horse from the Trojans -- we can use it as a weapon against the donks! :) (nothing against you personally.)

50 posted on 04/20/2007 10:49:09 PM PDT by ellery (I don't remember a constitutional amendment that gives you the right not to be identified-R.Giuliani)
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To: ellery

Do I love Rudy Giuliani? No. Do I think he is Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan? No. Do I think he would be vastly superior to any Dim? Scoop Jackson is dead and Zell Miller ain’t running. So: YES!

Before absolutely ruling out voting for Giuliani, read his book, “Leadership.” It’s pretty impressive. So is he.


51 posted on 04/21/2007 6:12:17 AM PDT by karnage
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To: Mr. Brightside

So much for STEADFAST on principles. He could get away with one such switch if he had made it before he started active campaigning. Reagan did that, then held to his new orientation . HE made the switch honestly, saying he was switching and giving his reasons as it was what the people who mattered desired, and therefore what the country needed.


52 posted on 04/21/2007 6:20:46 AM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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To: Little Ray

He can’t win the War because he will not have any funds or a military with which to fight it. The congress that would come in with an election of Giuliani will be somewhat left of this one and the next one will be lefter still. I doubt he can beat Mrs. Bill, anyway. There are no reasons for the Republican “core” to vote for him and Democrats will vote against him because he is organizationally a Republican.


53 posted on 04/21/2007 6:24:35 AM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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