Deroy Murdock asks:
What do Giuliani’s Religious Right detractors really fear he will do about abortion? If he can overcome their suspicions, secure the GOP nomination, and win the White House, do Giuliani’s critics actually believe he would squander that victory and enrage the GOP base by pushing abortion? Do his foes honestly think Giuliani would request federal abortion funding in violation of the Hyde Amendment he says he supports or appoint activist Supreme Court justices, rather than Antonin Scalia- and Clarence Thomas-style constitutionalists, as he says he would?
Having kept or exceeded his mayoral promises on taxes, spending, crime, welfare, and quality of life, why would he break his presidential promises on such a signature GOP issue? What kind of bait and switch do Giuliani’s foes truly worry he will attempt?
No, I don’t think Giuliani would “request” federal funding for abortion. But if the Democratic Congress sent it to him, I doubt he would veto it–and he hasn’t said he would. If the Democratic Congress sent him the Hatch-Feinstein bill to authorize the cloning of embryos for research purposes, he might sign that, too. Romney, Thompson, and probably McCain would all veto it. I am not at all sure that Giuliani would nominate someone with Alito’s record of questioning Roe v. Wade–and if he did, I have a hard time seeing him defend that nominee in a fight that centered on Roe.
Murdock is a friend, and I can understand why he weighs the advantages and disadvantages of a Giuliani nomination differently than I do. But when he pretends that pro-lifers have nothing to worry about from him, he insults our intelligence.