New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Saying that Rudy Giuliani's position in favor of states forcing taxpayers to fund abortions could be too much for pro-life Republican primary supporters to support, CBS News is coming under fire for calling the position "moderate." That's despite polls showing a large majority of Americans oppose tax-funded abortions.

In an article on Giuliani's position, CBS News used the headline: "Is Rudy Too Moderate?"

Ken Shepherd, the managing editor for NewsBusters and a former analyst at the Media Research Center, says CBS News is wrong to label Giuliani's pro-abortion views as "moderate."

"The belief that abortion is not only a constitutional right but one deserving of subsidy by tax dollars is hardly a moderate position," he said. "It's a policy position grounded in advocacy of the exercise of the right to obtain an abortion."

"It may arguably be 'moderate' for a candidate to favor abortion rights but with some restrictions, such as a ban on partial-birth abortion, parental consent laws, a ban on public financing, etc," Shepherd added.

"But to defend taxpayer funding of abortion and/or to balk at banning partial-birth abortion moves solidly into the 'liberal' edge of the spectrum on the abortion issue," he said.

The news outlet also makes the claim that "Giuliani's approach hasn't seemed to hurt him in the polls or on the fundraising front."

However, an April 2004 Zogby International showed that 74% of Americans disagree with federal funding of abortion.

Meanwhile, in a CBS News Gallup Poll taken last month, 18% of Republican participants said abortion was the most important single issue to them when voting for a candidate. Among Republicans who cite abortion as a primary motivator in voting, the vast majority are pro-life.