As you know, Bill Donohue has been busy this week.

Generally, though, he's not too busy to have a rapid response to Catholic politicians who take political stances contrary to the teachings of the Church.

So it seems odd that he hasn't had anything to say about this

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told CNN Wednesday he supports public funding for some abortions, a position he advocated as mayor and one that will likely put the GOP presidential candidate at odds with social conservatives in his party.

"Ultimately, it's a constitutional right, and therefore if it's a constitutional right, ultimately, even if you do it on a state by state basis, you have to make sure people are protected," Giuliani said in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash in Florida's capital city.

A video clip of the then-mayoral candidate issuing a similar declaration in 1989 in a speech to the "Women's Coalition" appeared recently on the Internet.

"There must be public funding for abortions for poor women," Giuliani says in the speech that is posted on the video sharing site YouTube. "We cannot deny any woman the right to make her own decisions about abortion."

When asked directly Wednesday if he still supported the use of public funding for abortions, Giuliani said "Yes."

"If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right," he explained, "If that's the status of the law, yes."

But the presidential candidate reiterated his personal opposition to the practice.

"I'm in the same position now that I was 12 years ago when I ran for mayor -- which is, personally opposed to abortion, don't like it, hate it, would advise that woman to have an adoption rather than abortion, hope to find the money for it," he said. "But it is your choice, an individual right. You get to make that choice, and I don't think society should be putting you in jail."

or in other words, the same position Senator Kerry holds. This is what Mr. Donohue had to say about that

Last September, the U.S. bishops released a statement, 'Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility.' In it, they said that abortion 'is never morally acceptable.' On November 21, 2002, Pope John Paul II approved a doctrinal note on 'The Participation of Catholics in Political Life' that was written by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. It said that 'lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life' (emphasis in the original). Regarding conscience, it stressed that 'it must be noted that a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals.'

It's not as if Donohue hasn't had time to work on this. It seems as if seventeen years ought to have been enough to crystallize his thinking about it.

Nope. It appears as if the only thing Mr. Giuliani's done that's offended Mr. Dononue enough to write about it is appear in a Saturday Night Live sketch where catholic schoolgirls talk about necking. Odd, that, when Mr. Giuliani as mayor instituted government-paid partnership benefits for gay couples, and Mr. Donohue feels pretty strongly about that.

Not all Catholic organizations are as reticent as Mr. Donohue

"A Republican Party led by Rudy Giuliani would be a party of contempt for the pro-life position," the editors of the National Catholic Register said recently about the Roman Catholic candidate. "The bottom line: Republicans have made inroads into the Catholic vote for years because of the pro-life issue. If they put a pro-abortion politician up for president, the gains they've built for decades will vanish overnight."

Now, in fairness, Mr. Donohue doesn't have the option of threatening Mr. Giuliani with the loss of communion for his views, because Mr. Giuliani is barred from receiving communion by his remarriage, something Mr. Donohue generally finds disturbing.

Of course, Mrs. Clinton can't receive communion either, not being a Catholic and all, but that hasn't kept Mr. Donohue from commenting on important religious issues arising from her campaign

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on Senator Hillary Clinton’s decision not to march in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday:

“Senator Clinton marched in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2000 when she was first running for the U.S. Senate. Because she was criticized by gays for doing so, she took a pass in 2001. [Note: gays have never been banned from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York—they just can’t march under their own banner, anymore than pro-life Catholics can.] She marched in 2002 but did not march again until last year. Now that she’s running for president, and wants to court the vote of homosexuals from across the nation, she’s decided against marching in 2007.

“Kiera McCaffrey, the Catholic League’s director of communications, called her office today and spoke to Alex in the scheduling department who said that she will not be marching in the parade because ‘she will be traveling this weekend.’ This sounded so Clintonian to me that I asked Kiera to call back asking for the details. Alex transferred her to a man named Sam in the press office who said that Senator Clinton’s weekend plans had not yet been made. When asked specifically if she was going to march, he said he did not think so.

“It would be so refreshing if Senator Clinton would just tell the truth and say she doesn’t mind offending Irish Catholics, but does mind offending gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, et al. She marched last June in the Salute to Israel Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and the Gay Pride Parade, and she marched in September in the West Indian Day Parade. But she’ll be traveling this weekend, though no one knows where’s she going.”

Um, yeah, they sort of did know. She had plans to be in Houston that day attending a conference of black churches.

You'd be amazed to hear that there was another prominent New York politician - a pro-gay pro-choice presidential candidate who brought his mistress to the parade that one time - who was also planning to miss the parade this year. He changed his mind on the sixteenth, the day after Mr. Donohue's press release about Senator Clinton.

Of course, there was no question that Mr. Giuliani was blowing off the parade in support of gay rights. He was avoiding the firefighters. No idea why Mrs. Giuliani decided to stay home.

Funny - Mr. Donohue usually likes writing about Mr. Giuliani.

Not a lot there about his views on abortion and gay rights.

Maybe he had the same researcher on the job who couldn't find Hillary's schedule.

I'm sure he'll get to it any time now. Fellows of the Heritage Foundation are responsible, non-partisan people.

Pastor Dan has more thoughts on this.