Planned Parenthood giving haunts Giuliani
WASHINGTON – Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s credibility was called into question Tuesday by both Democrats and Republicans over his stance on abortion after records surfaced showing that he’d donated money to Planned Parenthood, a leading abortion provider.
On the stump, Giuliani has said that he personally opposes abortion but thinks that the law should preserve a woman’s choice. His campaign is testing conventional wisdom that a Republican who supports legal abortion can’t win the presidential nomination.
The test got harder Tuesday, as Giuliani’s opponents and critics demanded that he square his loathing of abortion with donations totaling $900 that he made to Planned Parenthood in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999.
News of the donations came on the heels of a Republican presidential debate last week in which Giuliani said it would be “OK” if the Supreme Court struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion.
“Rudy Giuliani should explain these inconsistencies,” said Stacie Paxton, a Democratic National Committee spokeswoman. “How can Giuliani portray himself as a strong leader if his credibility on an issue important to voters is always under question?”
In an interview Tuesday with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, Giuliani said the donations were consistent with his views on abortion because Planned Parenthood provided information to people about pregnancy choices.
“I disagree with it (abortion). I think it’s wrong,” he said. “I think there should be a choice. If there’s going to be a choice, there are organizations that are going to give people information about that choice.”
Giuliani’s Republican presidential opponents took jabs at the only candidate in their field who supports a right to abortion.
Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado issued a statement opposing any such candidate as suitable for the Republican nomination.
“Emphatically, no,” Tancredo said. “… If a Republican president of the United States won’t vigorously fight to protect the life of the unborn, how long before the trend toward the culture of death becomes irreversible?”
Sen. John McCain of Arizona took a gentler swipe at the ex-mayor, saying in an Associated Press interview Monday that he thought it would be difficult, but not impossible, for a Republican who supported legal abortion to win.