It Was Just a Matter of Time Until the Rudy Flip-Flops Began

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I think the Republican strategy in the 2008 election is to flip-flop so many times, the public becomes completely immune to it. It’ll be a massive paradigm shift in which people go from seeing flip-flops as indicative of weakness in character (see Kerry, John) to seeing flip-flops as politics as usual. (I’m only half kidding.)

MoJoBlog has documented McCain and Romney’s flip-flopping and pandering over and over and over. So very many times, I’m starting to doubt I have the stomach for it. Not to be outdone, Rudy Giuliani is getting in on the act.

A top Rudy advisor has told the conservative National Review that Rudy opposes public funding for abortions. That’s very different from Rudy’s position in the 90s, when he ran for office touting his support for public funding.

This isn’t the first time Rudy has pulled a U-turn on abortion. Earlier this month, he told Sean Hannity that he opposes late-term abortions, which is funny because once in 1999 and once in 2000 Rudy said very clearly he supports a woman’s right to a late-term abortion. And when asked about the issue again in 2000, he said, “All of my positions are firm. I have strong viewpoints. I express them. And I–I do not think that it makes sense to be changing your position.”

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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