Giuliani: No 'litmus test' on abortion

by Mark Silva

Candidates who oppose abortion often have been held to the question of whether or not they might make the issue a "litmus test'' for their appointments of federal judges.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who favors abortion rights for women, faces the same question in his campaign for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2008.

Campaigning in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Wednesday, Giuliani said he would not make a judicial nominee's stance on the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Roe v Wade a litmus test.

read>>> Chicago Tribune

Pat Robertson Comments on Rudy Giuliani's Speech

Pat Robertson (host of the 700 Club) reviews Rudy Giuliani's speech at Regent University in Virginia earlier this week.

Robertson comments that he believes Rudy Giuliani will appoint conservative judges which will be faithful to pro-life positions.

Nevertheless, some remain skeptical. They include the following blogs -

TheCrOnline

Slice of Laodicea

Rudy sprints to the front

RUDY Giuliani has said that if he hadn't gone into politics, his dream job would have been to play for the New York Yankees.

I can see it. The GOP presidential hopeful could be a natural. In fact, last week, in laying out his views on abortion to a conservative audience, he hit a triple.

insidebayarea.com article

Giuliani Is a Refreshing Change

The Collegian Online | Jordan Ruud

Issues of Giuliani’s potential purely as a leader aside, how does he hold up as a candidate in the eyes of his own party?

According to a Cook Political Report poll from April 1, he draws the highest potential vote from Republicans nationwide: 34 percent of the potential vote, as opposed to John McCain’s 17 percent.

The poll was conducted prior to Giuliani’s emphatic championing of abortion rights and his acknowledgment that he would not try to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

“If I’m going to appoint strict constructionist judges, which I’m going to do, for the reason that they are going to strictly interpret the Constitution, then, as president, I have to be a strict constructionist,” Giuliani said during an April 5 news conference. “The present state of the law on these issues is not something that I would seek to change.”

SCOTUS upholds Partial Birth Abortion Ban

Here's an excerpt from the Associated Press article detailing the reactions to the SCOTUS decision from major presidential candidates:

Giuliani favors abortion rights and has drawn criticism for supporting public funding of some abortions. But he says he would appoint justices very similar to Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, President Bush's appointees. Both were part of the majority in Wednesday's ruling.

Giuliani said in a statement that he approves of the high court's action.

"The Supreme Court reached the correct conclusion in upholding the congressional ban on partial birth abortion. I agree with it," he said.

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

Steven Ertelt

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.

LifeNews.com