on abortion: his policies as governor are definitely anti-abortion
to me that sounds pretty conservative. with a pres. bid in mind he won't come out and say he's pro-choice like he did in late-2006.
Favors abortion rights
Pataki faces major hurdles in Iowa and elsewhere. He is leaving office with less-than-stellar poll numbers and his successor is almost certain to be a Democrat -- not exactly the ideal springboard for a national campaign. Pataki also favors abortion rights, a major strike against him with the social conservatives who traditionally play an outsized role in the Iowa caucuses. Still, The Fix believes that hard work in politics often pays off. And Pataki is working Iowa as hard as anyone at the moment. Source: Chris Cillizza opinion in Washington Post , Jun 15, 2006
Claims he can overcome GOP objection to pro-abortion stance
He’s out of step with most Republicans on the issue of abortion but pro-abortion New York Gov. George Pataki said on Monday he would make a decision about whether he will run for president in 2008 “in the next few weeks.” In comments on the CNN television program “Situation Room,” Pataki claimed he could overcome objection to his pro-abortion stance that prevent previous GOP presidential candidates like Arlen Specter and Pete Wilson from gaining any traction. Source: Steven Ertelt in LifeNews.com , Dec 5, 2006
Reflections
Abortion, Immigrant Amnesty, and Gay Rights Endorsed by George Pataki, 2008 GOP Presidential Hopeful
Posted by Jackie Schenone on Jun 21, 2007 | 4 Comments
George Pataki, 2008 GOP presidential hopeful, has been the governor of New York for the last 12 years. He describes himself as pro-choice and has made no effort to restrict abortion rights even going so far as to sign a bill granting Medicaid coverage of RU-486, the abortion pill, however, he recently vetoed a bill allowing minors to purchase emergency contraception without a prescription.
Pataki has also taken the high road in signing an antidiscrimination bill and new hate crimes legislation protecting bisexuals, lesbians, and gay men. He has also signed a bill granting crime victim compensation funds to the surviving partners of 9/11 victims and opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment in the belief that this matter should be decided by individual states.
As governor of New York, Pataki took the Republican stance on immigration by establishing a toll-free Citizenship Unit hotline to help undocumented immigrants get legal and even signed a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at New York’s public colleges and universities. In addition he allocated $2.5 million to immigration nonprofits and established a program to protect undocumented immigrants from con artists.
His conservative views, however, surfaced regarding the issue of the death penalty when he attempted to get it reinstated in 1995, even though the New York Supreme Court later struck it his measure down. However, he has taken a more mainstream Democratic stand on issues regarding gun control
He is absolutely not Conservative in the minds of the Republican Primary Voter. He would be hit on Gun Control, on Abortion, on support for Illegal Immigrants, etc. He would alienate many by default. And there is now way, for these same reasons, that Bush would endorse his candidacy.