Rudy Giuliani To GOP: Stay Out Of People’s Bedrooms
While he continues to flirt with the idea of running for President again, Rudy Giuliani has a message for his party that probably won’t go over very well among the base:
Rudy Giuliani, always a critic of his party’s social agenda, urged Republicans to “move on” from social issues after New York State’s recent approval of gay marriage.
“I think that marriage should be between a man and woman, but I think that the Republican Party would be well advised to get the heck out of people’s bedrooms and let these things get decided by states,” said the former New York mayor, who’s considering another bid for the Republican presidential nomination, in an interview aired Sunday.
(…)
The libertarian streak of the Republican party, he added, should want to avoid “getting involved in people’s sexual lives.”
“Stay out of it,” Giuliani said. “And I think we’d be a much more successful political party if we stuck to our economic, conservative roots and our idea of a strong, assertive America that is not embarrassed to be the leader of the world.”
Here’s the video.
I pretty much agree with Giuliani here, of course, which should come as no surprise. The one point of disagreement is the idea that recognition, or non-recognition, of same-sex marriage should be “left to the states.” Would he have taken that position in 1967 on the issue of interracial marriage?
It’s impossible to just leave the issue of gay rights up to the states. Immigration and tax policy have some pretty dramatic effects on people’s lives.
Dear Rudy,
Republicans exist at the state level too, so you can’t say Republicans should just leave it to the states.
Love,
Simon
Sexual matters are either private and personal or they’re not. If they are, then why is it any less intrusive and wrong for a state to interfere in them than it is for the Feds?
@lunaticllama: What do immigration and tax policy have to do with gay rights?
I hate neocons like Rudy and he needs to get a club. Theocons and Social Cons like economic liberals love the government jack boot when its used against those they don’t like. These so-called “truces” that conservatives call for with Libertarians are nothing but bunk for the so fact that conservatives cant just call us Libertarians communists in order to end an argument.
@A Voice from another Precinct: Marriage instantly grants over 1000 state and federal rights and benefits, including the right not to be separated by Immigration and the ability to file taxes as “Married”.
Anyone who believes the GOP wants small gov’t need only look at their positions on things like gay marriage and drug laws – they’re as much for a large gov’t interfering in people’s day to day lives as the Democrats, they just want it interfering on different issues.