Giuliani: ‘The Republican Party Would Be Well Advised To Get The Heck Out Of People’s Bedrooms’

When New York legalized marriage equality, conservatives decried the law, with Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York calling it a form of government tyranny. But former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has some advice for his party: He suggested Republicans should stop worrying about what happens in people’s bedrooms and instead focus on the party’s economic roots. In an interview this morning with CNN’s Candy Crowley, Giuliani said the issue of marriage equality should be left up to the states.

Giuliani, who has supported civil unions, said he still believes marriage should be between one man and one woman, but can “live with” the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York. Watch it:

I think it’s wrong, but there are other things that I think are wrong that get decided by democratic vote. … I see more harm, however, by dwelling so much on this subject of gays and lesbians and whether it’s right or wrong in politics.

After New York approved the measure, Giuliani said he was glad the “burden of discrimination” had been lifted for gays, but he reportedly dodged calls from a gay couple he had once promised to marry. At the same time, polls show that more and more Americans support marriage equality.

But when Giuliani ran for president in 2008, he even backed away from his strong support for civil unions to appeal to conservative GOP voters. So as long as even support for civil unions is a deal breaker for most Iowa Republican caucus-goers, it is unlikely many GOP presidential candidates will take Giuliani’s advice.