Des Moines, Iowa, Apr 18, 2007 / 09:24 am
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani told about 1,000 GOP activists in Des Moines on Saturday that Republicans must get past social issues, like abortion, if they are to win the next federal election.
“Our party is going to grow, and we are going to win in 2008 if we are a party characterized by what we’re for, not if we’re a party that’s known for what we’re against,” the former New York mayor was quoted as saying in the Des Moines Register.
According to the newspaper, Giuliani said Republicans can win the next election if they nominate a candidate committed to the fight against terrorism and high taxes, rather than a pure social conservative.
“Our party has to get beyond issues like that,” Giuliani said, a reference to abortion rights, which he supports.
It was Giuliani’s second trip to Iowa, where he leads in early polls.
West Des Moines Republican Linda Robel, who supports Giuliani, told the newspaper she’s concerned that the abortion issue is “dividing this party so badly that we may not be able to elect a Republican president.”