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 a rival presidential campaign leaked records showing he had 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 personal opposition to abortion with donations totaling $900 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 vs. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion.
“Rudy Giuliani should explain these inconsistencies,” said Stacie Paxton, a Democratic National Committee spokeswoman.
In an interview Tuesday with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, Giuliani said the donations were consistent with his views on abortion because Planned Parenthood provides 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.”
Despite the flap, Giuliani still holds a sizable lead over the rest of the GOP field in major polls. A USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday showed him ahead of Sen. John McCain of Arizona by 34 percent to 20 percent.
