Giuliani and abortion and his attempt to have it both ways

In Rudy Giuliani's recent speech before the Values Voter Summit, I commented on the fact that he didn't mention the issue of marriage once. Instead he spent quite a bit time attempting to make pro-lifers at ease with his pro-abortion views.

A closer examination reveals a very convoluted attempt to make pro-lifers like him while at the same time not appearing to flip flop again on the issue of abortion.

In the past he has said he hates abortion and would do everything he could personally to persuade a woman not to have one, but in the end it's a woman's choice. (Sounds reminiscent of Bill Clinton's safe, legal and rare.) Normally at this point the political figure says, but I can't force my morality on other people and he adopts a pro-abortion policy position.

In Giuliani's case he adds a new wrinkle by instead adopting the prevailing pro-life policy positions. He said in his Summit speech, "We can all agree to move in the direction of setting specific goals to decrease as much as we can the number of abortions in America and to increase the number of adoptions in America. And here’s how I would get there. First, I’ll veto any reduction in the impact of the Hyde Amendment or other existing limits on abortions or the public funding of abortions. I will support---

(APPLAUSE)

I will support any reasonable suggestion that promises to reduce the number of abortions. I support parental notification and will continue to and I supported and continue to support the ban on partial-birth abortion."

And finally he says he'll “appoint Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, or Chief Justice Roberts.”

In essence, he would support most of the major pro-life policy positions put in place by pro-life President George Bush and appoint the type of judges who would likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and other pro-abortion decisions.

He starts out by mirroring the privatization of morality we often hear from those who support abortion, when they say, “I’m personally opposed to abortion but I wouldn’t want to impose my views on others.” Yet then he flips again and says he'll support the existing pro-life policies. No wonder people are disillusioned and frustrated with politicians and politics. He's attempting to please all sides instead of adhering to a morally consistent position.