The NYTimes looks at abortion-rights GOP pols and their bishops

Both Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Pataki have traditionally embraced pluralism, a wise approach in polyglot New York. The former mayor, who has indicated he may run for office again, just reiterated his church-state views on MSNBC, defining what he called the “accepted wisdom” about dealing with religion in American politics.

“You have your own personal religion, perfectly acceptable to talk about it,” he said Tuesday. “But it’s a mistake to try to overemphasize that or make that too important because we have so many different religions and so many different views and people that aren’t religious.”

A day later, though, when asked to address the issue that is again roiling the Catholic Church and politics – a Catholic candidate’s stand on abortion rights – he would not be interviewed or even make a comment through his spokeswoman, Sunny Mindel.

And Mr. Pataki, who holds an annual prayer breakfast where guests paid as much as $1,000 a table this year? “He believes it is a personal issue between every individual and their church,” said a spokesman, Joseph Conway.