Rudy Giuliani, abortion, and the GOP smear machine

By Michael J.W. Stickings

So, it seems, Giuliani (and his ex-wife Donna Hanover) gave money to Planned Parenthood back in the '90s. So reports The Politico, which claims to have received copies of Giuliani's old federal tax returns from "aides to a rival campaign". It was all of $900 that Rudy and Donna gave to the pro-choice organization over the course of four years, but, in my view, good for them. As Barbara O'Brien notes, "Planned Parenthood is a great organization on the front lines of the fight for reproductive rights". And that means much more than abortion. It means birth control and, above all, education. Like Giuliani, I "hate" abortion and "wish there never was an abortion," but the reality is that some pregnancies are unwanted, and, given this reality, abortion will continue to be a reality, too, whether we like it or not. And so the question is not whether or not there will be abortion but how abortion will be practised. And it seems to me that the best practise is for abortion to be safe and legal and for women (as well as men) to make educated and empowered choices with respect to sex and reproduction. (And remember, the key to reducing abortion is birth control.)

But that's not what the Republican Party believes, on the whole, and its current presidential frontrunner is leading a mediocre pack of candidates only because he's coasting on memories of 9/11, is appealing to the party's authoritarian inclinations, and, as Steven Taylor puts it, "a lot of voters aren't paying attention yet". But this latest effort indicates that "coordinated efforts" are underway "to end the Giuliani campaign," according to John Cole. Simply put, Giuliani isn't "wingnut enough" on the one issue that really gets Republicans going.

I suspect that Giuliani will fade as more and more Republicans -- specifically, likely primary voters -- start paying attention to the race. He will continue to have a solid constituency of support from those who like their politicians authoritarian and who emphasize 9/11 and the so-called war on terror that President Bush and the Republicans have wielded as a partisan weapon, dividing instead of uniting, repeatedly asserting that they (and only they) can keep America safe, but it does not seem to me that Giuliani will be able to overcome the voting power, particularly in the primaries, of the party's social conservative base, a base that will not excuse Giuliani his liberal leanings, particularly on the one issue that matters most to it. His only real hope, I suppose, is that no social conservative alternative emerges as a viable rival and that the social conservative vote splits among several other candidates. And, thus far, no such social conservative has emerged. Mitt Romney has his own "liberal" leanings, however much he may renounce them, and Sam Brownback has yet to attract much attention. Fred Thompson could unite the right, but only if social conservatives don't pay close attention to his record. Newt Gingrich may be the only other option, but he's not yet officially in the race.

Regardless, it will be interesting to watch how this all plays out.

For more on Giuliani, the Republican Party, and abortion, see our friend and co-blogger Mustang Bobby over at Shakesville.