Giuliani: GOP would accept pro-choice Veep

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani predicted Wednesday that Republicans would support a GOP ticket even if it included a vice president who supported abortion rights.

Giuliani, who was seen at the outset of the primaries as one of the Republicans with the best chances of capturing the nomination, was responding to reports that indicated that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) could pick a supporter of abortion rights, such as Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) or former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, as his running mate.

{mosads}“Any choice you make for vice president has pros and cons, and that’s true for both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain,” Giuliani said on a McCain campaign conference call. “It seems to me that the Republican Party is not, as far as I can tell — and I’ve traveled across the country — a one-issue party. That would just be one issue among many that would have to be evaluated.”

Giuliani said he has discussed the impact of McCain’s vice presidential choice with the presumptive nominee, and believes that the Arizona senator will simply choose a running mate who could step in and become president if necessary.

“Our main criteria is knowing we could sleep at night knowing they could be president of the United States,” Giuliani said. “He’ll select the best person who’s able to do that, and if that person happens to be pro-choice, the party will support that.”

Giuliani’s own position of favoring abortion rights was one of several for which he was criticized by conservative leaders during his presidential campaign, which he ended after a disappointing finish in the Jan. 29 Florida contest.