Giuliani tries to reassure skeptical religious conservatives

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rudy Giuliani told religious conservatives Saturday they should neither fear him nor expect he would moderate his positions for political advantage.

The Republican presidential candidate cast himself as an imperfect man who has sought guidance through prayer.

In a 40-minute speech received with polite applause, the former New York mayor tried to reached out to social conservatives. He said they share common ground and he invoked, as he often does, Ronald Reagan's admonition that "my 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy."

The summit was sponsored by the conservative Christian advocacy group, Family Research Council. GOP candidates have been speaking to the socially conservative group to win members over.

"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.

Giuliani supports abortion rights and has moderate views on immigration and gay rights.

If elected president, Giuliani said he would work toward increasing adoptions and reducing abortions. "People of good conscience reach different conclusions about whether abortions should be legal in certain circumstances," he said in his remarks.

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

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, though others have said such a step could guarantee a Democratic victory.

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 invoked his faith. 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 was among 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. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

All About Republican Party • Family Research Council