Giuliani Splits With Pack On Abortion
In GOP Debate Former NYC Mayor Says Roe V. Wade Repeal Would Be OK
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Play CBS Video Video Sparks Fly At Debate Several Republican candidates are using this trip to the West Coast as a fundraising opportunity, while others are trying to get their faces known by voters. Sandra Hughes reports.
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Video GOP Debate Excites Residents Ten GOP contenders are preparing to debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. Residents say the debate is good for the community. Teri Okita reports.
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Video Republicans Debate The 2008 Republican candidates have had their first official debate. Steve Chaggaris, Dep. Pol. Dir. for CBS News, discusses their answers and weighs in on how they might affect the campaign.
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Republican presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, left and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., look out into the audience before the start of the first republican presidential primary debate of the 2008 election at the Ronald Reagan Library, Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP)
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Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, answers a question during the first republican presidential primary debate of the 2008 election at the Ronald Reagan Library on Thursday, May 3, 2007 in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP)
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Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, Jim Gilmore, former governor of Virginia, Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., Tommy Thompson, former secretary of Health and Human Services, Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. (AP)
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"It would be OK to repeal it. It would be OK also if a strict constructionist viewed it as precedent," said the former New York city mayor, who has a record of supporting abortion rights.
In a party that draws strength from anti-abortion voters, Giuliani's nine GOP rivals agreed that it would be a great day if the court overturns the landmark ruling.
"Glorious day of human liberty and freedom," enthused Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney acknowledged he had changed his mind on the subject when he began to delve into the issue of cloning. He said his position had once effectively been "pro-choice."
But Giuliani, who said he personally hates abortion, hedged when asked about his current position.
"I think the Court has to make that decision and then the country can deal with it," he said. "... The states could then make their own decisions."
Alone among the top three contenders, Arizona Sen. John McCain has a career-long record of opposition to abortion.
The 10 rivals showed their conservative credentials across 90 minutes of debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, each claiming to be a worthy heir to the political legacy of the late 40th president.
They stressed the importance of persisting in Iraq, called for lower taxes and a muscular defense and supported spending restraint.
"The first pork barrel, earmark bill that crosses my desk I'm going to veto it and I'm going to make the author famous," said McCain.Read: Republicans Debate Iraq And Iran
Romney jumped in at that, saying that as governor he had cast a veto "hundreds of times." Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson put his total at some 1,900 vetoes.
The field split on another issue, with Brownback, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo raising their hands when moderator Chris Matthews asked who did not believe in evolution.
Giuliani, McCain and Romney were the first among 10 equals on the debate stage — the men with the most money and the best approval ratings in the polls more than eight months before the first 2008 national convention delegates are selected.
Other participants included former Gov. Jim Gilmore of Virginia; and Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Ron Paul of Texas.
They debated in the shadow of Reagan's Air Force One, the aircraft hanging suspended in the library's pavilion. The 40th president's widow, Nancy Reagan, sat in the front row next to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The issue of abortion looms large in the 2008 presidential campaign in a party where a wide swath of political activists support the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
Both Romney and Giuliani must persuade conservative voters they are ready to embrace that view — or else persuade them to overlook the issue in picking a candidate for the White House.
In a debate that ranged broadly, most of the contenders said they opposed legislation making federal funds available for a wider range of embryonic stem cell research.
The technique necessarily involves the destruction of a human embryo, and is opposed by many anti-abortion conservatives as a result.
There are exceptions, though, including Reagan's widow, Nancy. Also, public opinion polls show overwhelming support for the research, which doctors say holds promise for treatment or even cures of numerous diseases.
Most of the contenders said they opposed expanded federal research.
McCain was the exception, saying unambiguously he supports expanded federal research into embryonic stem cells.
Thompson said there was "so much research" in the area that he couldn't give a yes or no answer.
Giuliani's response was open to interpretation. He said he supports it "as long as we're not creating life in order to destroy it," then added he would back funding for research along the lines of legislation pending in Congress.
The bill he cited does not expand research on embryonic stem cells, however, but deals with adult stem cells.
MSNBC and The Politico co-sponsored the debate.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 24 CommentsPosted by allisiorex at 10:49 AM : May 04, 2007
When Tancredo appears in public he has to have one aide whose only job is to make sure his white KKK sheets don't stick out anywhere. I have no doubt that sometime before the convention he'll have been eliminated for having allowed a few racist names slip out in public. If not a N word or two then certainly something like "Send all them s*pics back home! Yeehaa!
Posted by ekucrew at 10:15 AM : May 04, 2007
No way! He's so far to the right on all issues (including supporting the continuation of this debacle of a war even more then McCain) that my TV set almost slides off the stand every time he's on! On second thought I hope they do nominate him, because of his stand on the war he wouldn't stand a snowballs chance against ANY Democrat! Run Fred, Run!
It's time to move on and elect new leaders who will respect only our will and not their hunger for power.
Elect Tom Tancredo or anyone else who is not part of the oppressive establishment.
America has been invaded by evil aliens who care nothing about out culture and are causing continuous White flight and desperation. Our laws are old and oppressive. The all system must be restructured to meet the need of our modern society.
The welfare people are creating millions of future criminals but none of the candidates talks about it.
We need a huge change. Let's not waste again and again out vote. Except for Tancredo all those candidates are ready only for one thing: a nursing home.If any of them is elected nothing it's going to change.
http://www.usapoliticaltyranny.info
http://www.vdare.com
http://www.outragedpatriots.org
They are soooo out of touch with the American people. If only they would do a campaign that put them down at the level most people LIVE. Remember Fmr Governor/Senator Bob Graham, Florida, who used to go out and work a day on different jobs. Although, it didn't give him the experience of dealing with living off minimum wage and trying to pay bills, raising a family and competing with cheap labor force.
Maybe their #1 candidate is still "waiting in the wings"!
Front runner Rudy G. made a huge error when he declared his pro-choice stance, a song which was clearly not from the right genre.
John (McC) McCain seemed to forget the words to most of the conservative songs ... screaming his lyrics at times, reducing his boyish charm.
It seems that Mitt gave the standout performance of the night ... at times almost channeling Robert Goulet. His hair also performed very well, receiving a standing O at one point.
In a surprise appearance from beyond the grave, Ronnie Reagan, or at least many of his standards, were played over and over by the GOP contestants. Most didn't have the range or presence to pull it off.
Overall the performances were judged so bad that right-wingers all arcoss America began to call MSNBC and demand that Sanjaya be brought back for another week.
For the next debate, the GOP contestants will be taken to an Ice Island in the Arctic where they will have to fight global warming with just a bible, some frozen embrios, and their GOP rhetoric.
As their ice islands melts, each candidate will try to conserve their hot air, a difficult task given last night's performances.
Posted by moxford0 at 12:48 AM : May 04, 2007
I nominate Bush for the same procedure..and his puppet-master Di*ckhead Cheney. Hell if there was a legal why to do it I'd be glad to volunteer to wield the knife! Sure wish I could talk the both of them into going quail hunting with me.....just once....alone....no secret service around....mmmmmmmmmmm heaven.
I used to think such 3rd Parties were irrelevant. That was until Ralph Nader & the Green Party messed things up for the Democrats in 2000. Well, good luck to you. This is my last post for the day.
the beast. But at least they're telling the truth as they see it. The Democrats, however are aware they're lying and actually expect us to believe them. Now, that's Chutzpa!
Picking on people who say Roe v. Wade is illegal and will someday be overturned if pursued is a fact that makes pro-choicers shake in their pants, because they know it to be true. THe fact that Scott Peterson's wife could have legally ended the life of the same fetus that he was convicted of killing is never going to wash, and never should have. Where were the pr-choice people when he was on trial? Why weren't they defending his right to kill a fetus just like his wife had that right? The answer is simple - because they knew it was wrong. I never concerned myself much whether abortion was right or wrong, but that never stopped me from knowing that Roe v Wade is illegal as it is written, or that late term abortion is outright murder. That's just common sense.
Republicans will never actually seek to overturn abortion laws per se. They understand that abortion is a primary tool used by the government for population growth control. Women's rights regarding this issue is incidental to them.
"Glorious day of human liberty and freedom," enthused Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas."
He should have been aborted.
If Republicans really wanted to change the laws governing abortion it would have been done many years ago. They like things just as they are. They can demagogue the issue in order to cajole the vote from religious conservatives while never actually doing anything to change the status quo, (other than an occasional tinkering around the edges in order to placate the religious conservative vote.)
Strange that religious conservatives have not yet figured out that they have been duped by the GOP regarding this issue for 30 years.
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