Rudy Giuliani apparently was feeling the heat of the southern sun today. In South Carolina, home to many abortion opponents, he backed off yesterday's comments to CNN about his support for publicly funded abortions. Yesterday, he said:

"I would have to re-examine all of those issues and exactly what was at stake then -- that was a long time ago," he said. "When I was mayor, adoptions went up, abortions went down. But ultimately, it's a constitutional right, and therefore if it's a constitutional right ... you have to make sure that people are protected."

Pressed if he would support public funding for abortions, Giuliani said, "If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right, yes, if that's the status of the law, then I would, yes."

Rudy today: It should be a state's right issue, with individual states making the call.

"The Legislature of South Carolina should make its decision about that." He also said states should make the decision whether to use public money for abortions.

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