Giuliani Tries to Assure Conservatives

WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani tried to find peace with a restless bloc of the Republican Party Saturday, telling religious conservatives not to fear him for his stand on issues such as abortion or expect he would change purely for political advantage.

The GOP presidential candidate sought common ground with his audience by casting himself as an imperfect man who has asked for guidance through prayer.

He offered assurances that despite his support for abortion rights, he would seek to lower the number of abortions. He pledged that if elected, he would appoint conservative judges, support school choice and insist on victory in Iraq - all issues important to the audience at the Value Voters Summit.

In a 40-minute speech received with polite applause, the former New York mayor invoked, as he often does, Ronald Reagan's admonition that "my 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy."

"My belief in God and reliance on his guidance is at the core of who I am, I can assure you of that," Giuliani said. "But isn't it better for me to tell you what I believe rather than change my positions to fit the prevailing wind?"

It was among his better received lines.

But his reception was in stark contrast to the ovations for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a one-time Baptist preacher who is a sentimental favorite of many religious conservatives.

Huckabee mixed humor, biblical references and the rhythms of a man used to the pulpit as he implored the crowd to put values above politics and not make expedient decisions.

He called for a constitutional amendment declaring marriage to be between a man and a woman and decried the "holocaust of liberalized abortion."

"We do not have the right to move the standards of God to meet cultural norms. We need to move the cultural norms to meet God's standards," he said, bringing the crowd to its feet.

For Giuliani, his speech was an important step in his quest for the nomination. Giuliani supports abortion rights and has moderate views on immigration and gay rights.

His front-runner status in the crowded GOP 2008 field has dismayed some social conservative leaders. Some even have contemplated mounting a third-party candidacy if Giuliani is the Republican nominee.

"People of good conscience reach different conclusions about whether abortions should be legal in certain circumstances," he said.

"We may not always agree," he said. "I don't always agree with myself. But I will give you reason to trust me."

Giuliani did not mention the subject of gay marriage in his remarks. Gary Bauer, a Christian activist and former presidential candidate, said Giuliani should have addressed the issue. But, he added, Giuliani helped himself by offering assurances on other fronts.

Bauer has been among a group of religious conservative leaders who have contemplated a third-party candidacy if Giuliani emerges as the nominee. On Saturday, Bauer said such a move would be the equivalent of "political suicide."

Still, some conservatives planned to meet later Saturday to continue their discussion.

Some at the conference said Giuliani had helped himself by giving reason for social conservatives to vote for him in a general election even though they might not support him in the primaries.

Giuliani has courted evangelicals and other religious conservatives by portraying himself as a strong leader who will confront terrorism with the same vigor he showed in tackling crime and decay in New York.

He pledged to appoint federal judges in the mold of conservatives such as the current Supreme Court chief justice, John Roberts, and justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Giuliani rejected the idea of a U.S. pullout from Iraq, said Iran should be denied the chance to become a nuclear power and proclaimed Israel a "faithful ally" of the United States.

While acknowledging differences with his audience, he repeatedly cited his faith, noting he attended Catholic schools and even contemplated entering the seminary. He expressed support for social conservative touchstones such as school choice and made clear his opposition to the removal of religious icons and phrases from public places or public discourse.

He pointed to his mayoral administration's success in driving pornography out of New York's Times Square and his attempt to cut off money to the Brooklyn Museum of Art for displaying a painting of the Virgin Mary on a canvas spattered with elephant dung.

Giuliani and Huckabee were the last of the White House hopefuls making their pitches this weekend to a few thousand "values voters" at a summit sponsored by the Family Research Council, a conservative advocacy group.

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