The Associated Press has an article by Nedra Pickler entitled “Moderates slated to speak to GOP.” These supposed champions of moderation are Joe Lieberman and Rudy Giuliani.

Reading the article, you find that the sole criterion for being a “moderate” is not opposing laws prohibiting a woman’s ability to have an abortion. To me, that’s a little bit crazy. I respect the fact that abortion can be a life or death decision for some women, but to me, the issue is a bit of a backwater in terms of the effect on my day-to-day life. Not to say it’s unimportant, but being pro-choice doesn’t convert an otherwise right-winger into a “moderate.” If, for example, you were pro-choice, but also anti-labor, pro-war in Iraq, and indifferent to civil liberties; I don’t think you’d properly be located in the “middle” of the spectrum.

A lot of this points to deficiencies in talking about politics in terms of “left” and “right.” But, even with the limitations of that convention, there is a certain amount of laziness reflected in applying the term “moderate” to Rudy Giuliani and Joe Lieberman simply by virtue of their stance on reproductive rights.