Rudy has been shifting right on the Second Amendment, civil unions, and partial-birth abortion. Generally, a welcome development. But if he’s going to re-position himself, why not just go all the way? Otherwise, he risks being seen as inconsistent, except on the one thing that’s most important–”Vote Giuliani, I’ll change my positions, just not on taking unborn life!”

I know it’s too late to go all the way, but he could go a long step in the right direction by saying 1) In light of the intense scrutiny given to his view on abortion in this campaign, he’s sat down with some of the most respected constitutional experts in the country and now it’s his considered view as a lawyer that Roe is bad law and that that’s an inescapable conclusion whether you are pro-life or pro-choice; 2) Given his well-known “hatred” for abortion, he entirely understands and even has sympathy for people who want to pass restrictions on the practice. He wouldn’t vote that way if he were a voter in a given state, but he can understand people who would and the Supreme Court certainly shouldn’t stand in the way of them doing so.

Again, if Rudy’s going to shift, he should do it in a way that might really help him. And I’m assuming he doesn’t care much about the issue, since he already shifted on it once for political convenience in 1989 and he is already willing to say things about it that are utterly insincere (e.g. that he “hates” abortion).