Giuliani comes out against civil unions


The political website of the New York Sun will report tomorrow that in a major reversal from an earlier position, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani now opposes civil unions between same sex partners.

An advance copy of an article sent to RAW STORY shows that the New York Republican has backed off his earlier support for civil unions, prompted by the passage of a law in New Hampshire's State Senate.
"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," the Giuliani campaign said in a written response sent to the Sun's Ryan Sager.
The Sun notes that Giuliani had said in 2004 on Fox News, "I'm in favor of...civil unions."
Sager suggests that Giuliani is staking out the position in order to secure himself among charges that he's too liberal to win the Republican vote.
"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," he writes in a post tomorrow on the New York Sun's Politics website. "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."
An additional excerpt from Sager's article is presented below. You can read the full article at the New York Sun Politics website.


So is Rudy Giuliani re-thinking the issue or opting for a political strategy to maintain the lead to win the Republican primary?

OD