I'd be terrified if I didn't have faith in the intelligence of the estimable Atrios. Today he discussed Rudy Giuliani's comments in South Carolina about abortion under the heading "Almost have to respect Rudy."
T.P.M. discussed how Rudy is divided - on the one hand supporting "strict constructionists" as Judges, while at the same time supporting public financing of abortions.
Guys: please get a grip - Rudy is still Rudy, utterly unworthy of respect. And he is not divided.
Personally, Rudy could care less about abortion. (He finds wife's Judi's tales of stapling dogs far more amusing over cocktails and a cigar, than pondering abortion.)
He does realize that he has a problem with abortion in the primaries. In his three runs for New York's mayor, he's left an extensive record of his support for it. To those who are not avidly attuned to the issue, he hopes that a promise to appoint strict constructionists will suffice. These code words have worked for many others in the past. But they will not work with voters who really pay attention to abortion. His record is undeniable. The only option he has is to admit it, and hope that the voters will admire and respect his "integrity." It's not integrity - Rudy has none. What he has is an intelligence and a sense of reality that allows him to accurately assess what he can get away. It's part of what make him so dangerous.
After tiring of his first wife, Rudy paid for an annulment. (We Catholics stopped selling indulgences years ago, but are still happy to quote you on an annulment.) He knew that a divorce would destroy his political base as a rising young Catholic star. But it's almost impossible to get two annulments, particularly with two kids, and at least two recent, widely recognized, mistresses. So Rudy announces his desire for a divorce in a really blatant way, while announcing his cancer, with his new love(a nurse who cared for him) at his side - hoping for as much sympathy, and respect, as he could get.
It's not honesty - he figures it's the best way to play the hand he has.
UPDATE: Captains Quarters validates the above - his interest is in how Rudy handles the issue - not his real beliefs, or even what he would do in office. Not Poker, but the good Captain want to wait a few days to see how it "plays" out, just as Rudy will bob and weave to play his hand as well as he can.
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