As if you needed one…

I’ve always said that very few politicians hold any value strongly enough to allow it to stand in the face of not getting a party nomination or winning an election. Rudy Giuliani, the principled superhero of 9/11 fame is no exception. Apparently, his former socially liberal position on gay marriage wasn’t flying with the right wing of the Republican Party….

In a startling departure from his previously stated position on civil unions, Mayor Giuliani came out to The New York Sun yesterday evening in opposition to the civil union law just passed by the New Hampshire state Senate.

“Mayor Giuliani believes marriage is between one man and one woman. Domestic partnerships are the appropriate way to ensure that people are treated fairly,” the Giuliani campaign said in a written response to a question from the Sun. “In this specific case the law states same sex civil unions are the equivalent of marriage and recognizes same sex unions from outside states. This goes too far and Mayor Giuliani does not support it.”

Too far!? That certainly doesn’t fly with me, nor with Ryan Sager at the New York Sun (note to self: start buying the New York Sun):

In 1998, as mayor of New York City, Mr. Giuliani signed into law a domestic partnership bill that a gay rights group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, hailed as setting “a new national benchmark for domestic partner recognition.”

Despite Mr. Giuliani’s long history of supporting gay rights — or rather, because of it — yesterday’s statement is likely to lead many observers to question whether the former mayor is concerned that his socially liberal record and positions aren’t flying in the Republican primary. While he still holds a commanding lead in the national polls, he has taken a hit over the last month or so after reiterating his support for the public funding of abortion.

I really don’t get it. Is he that worried about his image with the right wing that he’ll go back on what was a cornerstone of his time as Mayor of New York City? And does he really think that the red-staters who didn’t support his social liberalism before will suddenly be swayed by his last-minute change of heart?

One more pull quote:

“Why would you want to take a position where you are splitting hairs, when you have been so consistently on the record as for civil unions?” a Republican pollster reached for comment yesterday evening by the Sun, Tony Fabrizio, asked. “You can’t turn around at the eleventh hour and say this comes a little too close to marriage and then not support it.”

When you combine this with his absolutely asinine comments he made last week about a Democrat President immediately putting America on the defense, you have to wonder if he really wants to be President or if his advisors have any damn clue what they’re doing.

Not that I was voting for him anyway.

NY Sun via HotAir

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