Rudy at the Pops - the GOP debate of June 5, 2006

Find the full transcript here.

On "don't ask don't tell" and the need of changing to a "hybrid army" while avoiding fundamental changes and performing much needed nation building.

And I think in time of war, in a time where we’re trying to deal with this transition to a new kind of warfare that we have to be fighting — and we haven’t gotten all the way there yet, we need a hybrid army, we need to look at nation-building as part of what we have to teach our military — I don’t think this would be the right time to raise these issues.

MR. BLITZER: Thank you.

MR. GIULIANI: And I think we should rely on the judgment of our commanders in a situation like this. They know what’s disruptive and what’s not. And at a time of war, you don’t make fundamental changes like this.

Rudy's view on abortion are crystal-clear, unequivocal and they make sense because they are rooted in the Constitution, religion and pluralism.

And my view on abortion is that it’s wrong, but that ultimately government should not be enforcing that decision on a woman. That’s — that is my view that I — I consult my religion, I consult my reading of the Constitution, I consult my views of what I think are important in a pluralistic society, and the reality that we have to respect the fact that there are people that are equally as religious, equally as moral that make a different decision about this. And should government put them in jail?

On the terrorist war:

I believe that this terrorist war began way back in the 1970s. They attacked us in 1993 in New York. ... It was one of the greatest military actions in American history overthrowing Saddam Hussein. ...

On how bigger government can bring democracy, freedom and happiness to everyone in Iraq.

We should probably have an Iraq stat program, in which we measure how many people are going to school, how many factories are open, how many people are going to back to work. We had to get into the nitty-gritty of putting an orderly society together in Iraq.

On how to help poor people get health insurance.

We should be giving you a major tax deduction — $15,000 for a family — so you can buy your own health insurance.

On why health insurance should not cover oil changes and slight accidents.

Health insurance should become like homeowners insurance or like car insurance: You don’t cover everything in your homeowners policy. If you have a slight accident in your house, if you need to refill your oil with your car, you don’t cover that with insurance. But that is covered in many of the insurance policies because they’re government dominated and they’re employer dominated.

On our war against Italy, Germany and Japan, back in the 80's

This was a country that was at war with Japan, Italy and Germany a generation ago. They’re some of our best friends today.

On America's duty to channel the words of God.

And watching the strength of America when we believe in the essential ideals that we have, they’re not just American ideals, they come from God. And I think it’s our moral obligation to find the right way to share that with the rest of the world.

On how to deal with the Democrats.

Washington is a mess, and that’s one of the reasons Republicans lost. Republicans became Democrats. I would establish programs like I did in New York City, where I had to deal with a heavily Democratic city — FedStat programs to measure accountability.

On the Abraham Lincoln that only Rudy heard. Can anyone find Rudy's source for this?

Abraham Lincoln, who fought the know-nothing movement, said being an American is not whether you came over on the Mayflower or you came here yesterday. How much do you believe in freedom? How much do you believe in freedom of religion? How much do you believe in freedom for women? How much do you believe in the right to vote? How much do you believe in the rule of law?

The person who believes in that the most is the best American, and the person who doesn’t isn’t an American.

MR. BLITZER: Thank you.

MR. GIULIANI: That’s Abraham Lincoln’s words. We should always be open to legal immigration. It reforms us. It makes us better. It brings us people who want to make a better life for themselves —

MR. BLITZER: Thank you.

MR. GIULIANI: — and their families. If we lose that, we lose the genius that has made America what it is.