A Cop Out

Deroy Murdock posted an incredible piece at Human Events. He issues a defense of Rudy Giuliani’s indefensible position on abortion. He argues that we should be re-assured despite statements such as these:

“As a Republican who supports a woman’s right to choose, it is particularly an honor to be here,” Giuliani said. He added: “The government shouldn’t dictate that choice by making it a crime or making it illegal.”

“I have a daughter now,” Giuliani told TV’s Phil Donahue during his unsuccessful 1989 mayoral campaign. Giuliani continued: “I would give my personal advice, my religious and moral views…I would help her with taking care of the baby. But if the ultimate choice of the woman — my daughter or any other woman — would be that in this particular circumstance, to have an abortion, I’d support that. I’d give my daughter the money for it.”

He argues we should be comforted by Giuliani’s record in New York:

According to the state Office of Vital Statistics, total abortions performed in New York City between 1993 (just before Giuliani arrived) and 2001 (as he departed) fell from 103,997 to 86,466 — a 16.86 percent decrease. This upended a 10.32 percent increase compared to eight years before Giuliani, when 1985 witnessed 94,270 abortions.

What about Medicaid-financed abortions? Under Giuliani, such taxpayer-funded feticides dropped 22.85 percent, from 45,006 in 1993 to 34,722 in 2001.

The abortion ratio also slid from 890 terminations per 1,000 live births in 1993 to 767 in 2001, a 13.82 percent tail-off. This far outpaced the 2.84 percent reduction from 1985’s ratio of 916 to 1993’s 890. While abortions remained far more common in Gotham than across America (2001’s U.S. abortion ratio was 246), they diminished during Giuliani’s tenure, as they did nationally.

Specious reasoning at best. First of all, US abortion rates were on the decline during Giuliani’s tenure in office nationwide and one thing CNN noted as the reason for the decline comes into play:

Of the 338 fewer facilities noted in the study, a decrease of 20 or more was registered in California (down 62 to 492), New York (down 23 to 266), North Carolina (down 27 to 59) and Pennsylvania (down 20 to 61).

So is Rudy Giuliani to be given credit for New York’s declining abortion rate? Hardly. The argument that Giuliani didn’t initiate policies that would increase abortions is hardly convincing.

As for the decline in Medicaid Abortions, we have to remember the era before Giuliani was also before Welfare Reform.

Murdock also finds comfort in this odd fact:

New York pro-lifers concede that Giuliani never attempted anything like what current Mayor Michael Bloomberg promulgated in July 2002. Eight city-run hospitals added abortion instruction to the training expected of their OB-GYN medical residents. Only those with moral objections may refuse this requirement.

Now we’re to be pleased that Rudy Giuliani is to the right of Michael Bloomberg! Come on. If you’re pro-life and you want to back Giuliani, just admit that you don’t give a rat’s tail about the cause of unborn children and get it over with. These rationalizations are silly and embarrassing.

Trackposted to Rightwing Guy, Wake Up America, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Random Yak, stikNstein… has no mercy, basil’s blog, Pirate’s Cove, Stuck On Stupid, Renaissance Blogger, Dumb Ox Daily News, Conservative Cat, High Desert Wanderer, Pursuing Holiness, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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