Political positions of Rudy Giuliani

Main article: Rudy Giuliani

Here are some of Rudy Giuliani's remarks and positions on various issues.

Economic policy

Global warming

On February 12, 2007, Giuliani said "I do believe there's global warming, yes. The big question has always been how much of it is happening because of natural climate changes and how much of it is happening because of human intervention. The overwhelming number of scientists now believe that there is significant human cause." He said the debate on the existence of global warming "is almost unnecessary ... because we should be dealing with pollution anyway."

Health care

On February 26, 2007, Giuliani said that he was against any notion of universal health care in America, which would mean a "socialization" of American medicine. "That would be a terrible, terrible mistake. [Solutions] have to be free market solutions. They have to be a competitive system." Giuliani did say that it is appropriate role for the government to "find ways" to expand access to health insurance.

Mixed economy

Regarding the balance of the American mixed economy, Giuliani commented in February 2007 that Republicans believe America has "essentially a private economy," while Democrats "really believe, honest, that it is essentially a government economy."

Taxation

In 1996, Giuliani criticized then-presidential candidate Steve Forbes' proposal for a national flat tax, saying its elimination of deductions for state and local income taxes would unfairly punish high-tax states such as New York and added that the flat tax "would really be a disaster."

By 2007, Giuliani was more amenable to a flat tax, but still realized the difficulties in adopting one. In an interview, he said: "If we were doing income tax for the first time. In other words, if we were starting off new back at the beginning of the last century, then probably we should go with a--we probably should've gone with a flat tax, maybe two levels of tax, but really simple. Our economy has kind of grown up now on depreciation and deductions and industries have grown up around that and so I don't know exactly how much you can simplify it, but you sure have to make a stab at it." Later that week, in accepting Forbes's endorsement, Giuliani said that "a flat tax would make a lot of sense".

Foreign policy

United Nations

In an October 1, 2001 speech before the United Nations in New York, Mayor Giuliani said that New York City truly reflected the United Nations: "Just go outside for a walk in the streets and the parks of New York City. You can't walk a block or two blocks in New York City without seeing somebody that looks different than you, acts different than you, talks different than you, believes different than you." Then he said that in order for the United Nations to remain relevant, it had to unequivocally oppose terrorism, and now: "The United Nations must hold accountable any country that supports or condones terrorism. Otherwise, you will fail in your primary mission as peacekeeper. It must ostracize any nation that supports terrorism. It must isolate any nation that remains neutral in the fight against terrorism."

Social policy

Abortion

As mayor, Guliani stated that he is against banning partial-birth abortions and that he didn't see his position on that changing. Giuliani also told The Albany Times Union that he would not support a ban on late-term abortions. More recently, he has shifted his position on partial-birth abortion slightly to agree with the new ban, but only as long as there is a provision for the life of the mother. Giuliani also supports parental notification in the case of child abortions so long as there is a judicial bypass option.

In a February 2007 interview with Sean Hannity, Giuliani said, "I hate [abortion] ... However, I believe in a woman's right to choose." Regarding Roe v. Wade, Giuliani recognizes that the case has been on the books for some time and has precedence, but as to whether to overrule it or limit it: "That's up to the court to decide." He believes that Roe will be limited but not completely overturned, and ultimately, regulation of the issue should be left for the state to decide.

Death penalty

Giuliani favors capital punishment in certain circumstances, and in particular has advocated the death penalty for terrorists and traitors following September 11.

Evolution

Regarding the scientific theory of evolution, in a July 2006 public appearance in Arkansas, Giuliani said that "Darwin’s theories are a very accepted part of science ... I am a Christian, and I can accommodate that to my beliefs."

Gay rights

Michael Long, chairman of the New York state Conservative Party states, "The gay marriage issue draws a line down the middle of the street, and Rudy Giuliani is something of a champion of gay rights."

During his mayorality, gays and lesbians in New York asked for domestic-partnership rights. Giuliani in turn pushed the city's Democratic-controlled City Council, which had avoided the issue for years, to then pass legislation providing broad protection for same-sex partners. In 1998, he codified local law by granting all city employees equal benefits for their domestic partners. Giuliani also allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in his administration. When Guliani divorced from his wife in 2000, he moved temporarily into the apartment of a wealthy gay couple. "You can't get much more to the left than Giuliani was on gay issues," says Joseph Mercurio, a bipartisan political consultant. Giuliani doesnt usually try to hide his sympathies, but during his aborted run for office in the U.S. Senate in 2000, Guliniani did declare: "The institution of marriage should remain defined as a man and a woman". However, he is an open supporter for more gay and lesbian rights.

According to 365 Gay News, 'America's most-read gay news': "Giuliani said that broad-brush themes, like limited government, ought to define the Republican Party - not hot-button social issues like abortion and gay rights."[6]

Guliani stated to NBCs Meet the Press, that he would oppose the federal ban on gay marriage, and other republican candidates claim that he is even "pro-gay marriage".[7]

Gun rights

During his time in the United States Department of Justice in the early 1980s, Giuliani said that a mandatory waiting period before purchasing a handgun was "sensible and moderate."

As Mayor of New York, Giuliani became a nationally visible figure in favor of gun control measures, beginning with an appearance on Meet the Press in late 1993. He was in favor of the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. In 1997, while the Assault Weapons Ban was in effect, he called for a stricter federal ban on assault weapons and for handgun registration on the federal level. Beginning in 1997, he regularly criticized states in the Southern United States for having permissive laws on gun sales, that fed an illegal movement of guns into New York City; he said that 60 percent of guns found in New York came from Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. He endorsed amendments to city laws requiring gun owners to use trigger locks and prohibiting guns within a thousand feet of schools. On June 20, 2000 the City of New York filed a lawsuit against gun manufacturers and distributors. Giuliani accused gun companies of "deliberately manufacturing many more firearms than can be bought for the legitimate purposes of hunting and law enforcement." Giuliani also said, "This lawsuit is meant to end the free pass that gun industry has enjoyed for a very, very long time.... The more guns you take out of society, the more you are going to reduce murder." . During his abortive run for the New York Senate seat in 2000, he advocated a uniform national standard for all gun owners and supported legislation that gave New York State the most restrictive gun laws in the nation.

By the time of his run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, Giuliani had modified a number of his views. In the February 2007 Sean Hannity interview, he said that "[The right to carry a handgun] is part of the Constitution. People have a right to bear arms," and that while tough gun-control laws were needed in New York City, "in another place, more rural, more suburban ... you have a different set of rules." He applauded the March 2007 Parker v. District of Columbia United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision that struck down D.C.'s highly restrictive Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975. His campaign officials declined to say whether Giuliani would still support the federal assault weapons ban, the imposition of federal rules on the states, or his claims about Southern states feeding weapons into the North.

Immigration

In April 2006, Giuliani went on the record as favoring the US Senate's comprehensive immigration plan which includes a path to citizenship and a guest worker plan. He rejected the US House approach because he does not think House Resolution 4437 could be enforced. In February 2007, in a meeting with California Republicans, Giuliani was quoted as saying "We need a (border) fence, and a highly technological one." Giuliani also reiterated his support for some sort of path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants after a process to be determined, but added that at the end of the process the immigrants should "display the ability to read and write English" and must assimilate into American society. In 2000, Giuliani said, "I wish that we would actually make America more open to immigrants." In 1996, he said, "Indeed, the whole process of immigration is something the Republican Party should embrace."

Judicial philosophy

In a July 2005 appearance on Hannity & Colmes, Giuliani stated that having justices appointed with similar views on abortion to his own was "not the critical factor." He further stated that "what's important . . . is to have a very intelligent, very honest, very good lawyer on the court. And [John Roberts] fits that category, in the same way Justice Ginsburg fit that category. I mean, she was -- she maybe came at it from a very different political background, very qualified lawyer, very smart person. Lots of Republicans supported her."

In a February 2007 interview with Hannity, Giuliani said he would nominate Supreme Court justices who are "very similar, if not exactly the same as," John Roberts and Samuel Alito. In a February 2007 interview with Hugh Hewitt, Giuliani mentioned those two as well as Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas as models, and said that former Solicitor General Ted Olson would be one of his primary advisers in selecting justices.

Education Vouchers

In May 1999, Mayor Giuliani advocated in favor of education vouchers, proposing to allocate several million dollars to allow poor children attending poor-performing public schools to attend private schools. In February 2007 reaffirmed his support for "school choice". However, he said his goal was not to end the American public school system. "I would not destroy it. I would revive it, reform it, and change it."

School prayer

In a celebrated 1998 case of a New York City public schoolteacher who led her class in prayer, Mayor Giuliani condemned her actions and said that "using her position in order to teach her religion" was a dismissible offense. However, in 1999 Giuliani sent out national fundraising letters in which he portrayed himself as in favor of school prayer, the posting in schools of the Ten Commandments, and in general support for a greater role for faith in the public sphere.

Stem cell research

Giuliani supports embryonic stem cell research.

Ideology vs. Pragmatism

“I’ve supported four or five hundred candidates in my time, but I’ve not yet found one with whom I can agree completely. In fact, I don’t even agree with myself on everything.” “There’s not a candidate with a clean skirt out there. Hell, I’ve been married myself three times.” Giuliani quoted by Tom Balkwin

Freedom and Authority

"We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for 30 or 40 or 50 years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We see only the oppressive side of authority. Maybe it comes out of our history and our background. What we don't see is that freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do. You have free speech so I can be heard." Giuliani in a March 1994 speech on crime at a forum in New York City sponsored by the New York Post as quoted by the New York Times