I’ve remarked in the past that as long as Rudy Giuliani keeps quiet about his liberal social views, he’ll remain a viable contender for the Republican nomination. Today may be the beginning of the end.

The video above shows CNN’s Dana Bash questioning Giuliani about where he stands on public funding for abortions — a question of significant importance for a president given the role of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer-funded abortions. Here’s the transcript:

BASH: “So you support taxpayer money or public funding for abortion in some cases.”

GIULIANI: ‚ÄúIf it would deprive someone of a constitutional right, yes, if that’s the status of the law, then yes, I would, yes.‚Äù

Giuliani’s problem isn’t just that he gave the wrong answer. He also opened the door to allow pro-life candidates (McCain, Romney, Brownback, Huckabee, etc.) to make this a centerpiece of their campaign against him.

Former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich, now a Giuliani supporter, told me today that Giuliani’s greatest strengths are his fiscal record and strong national security credentials. Ehrlich cited as his biggest challenge connecting with social conservatives on the issues they care about. Today was a step backward for the campaign. The days to come will tell us how much his opponents seize on the error.

UPDATE — April 5, 11:35 p.m.: Matt Lewis at Townhall spoke to Grover Norquist and the Rev. Lou Sheldon about Giuliani’s abortion stance. Meant to post that last night but never got the chance.

There’s also new video of Giuliani today in South Carolina explaining yesterday’s comments. In response to a question at a press conference, he says he’d keep the Hyde Amendment in place.