Politics
Monday July 7, 2008
Obama's Rightward Drift Sparks Outcry from Democrat Abortion Extremists
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By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sen. Barack Obama has the Democratic Party's pro-abortion political base incensed and up in arms over recent overtures designed to soften the candidate's image as the party's most pro-abortion presidential candidate ever. The presumptive nominee has followed recent calls for continuing faith-based initiatives by voicing a position in favor of abstinence education and prohibiting abortion in certain cases.
Sen. Barack Obama has been trying to enhance his appeal to voters by moving closer to the political center at the same time as pro-family and pro-life groups have been drawing attention to his extreme positions. Obama's PR overtures, however, may be backfiring among Democratic core voters convinced Obama was the one candidate more pro-abortion than his rival Sen. Hillary Clinton.
In an interview in Relevant.com called "Covering God, Life, and Progressive Culture," Obama said that he would support a ban on "late-term abortions" for certain reasons.
"I have repeatedly said that I think it's entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother," said Obama.
"Now, I don't think that 'mental distress' qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term abortions."
Obama has faced intense criticism from pro-family groups such as the Family Research Council and Christian Defense Coalition, which have drawn attention to his radical abortion policies - a consistent 100% NARAL abortion rating - that included repeatedly defeating bills meant to save the lives of babies that survived abortion.
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, has said Obama has "the most extremist policies on abortion of any President in history."
Obama's next statement compounded the injury by seeming to favor a "reductionist" abortion policy through advocating sexual abstinence, without any mention of contraception.
"I think we know that abortions rise when unwanted pregnancies rise. So, if we are continuing what has been a promising trend in the reduction of teen pregnancies, through education and abstinence education giving good information to teenagers," continued Obama. "That is important - emphasizing the sacredness of sexual behavior to our children. I think that's something that we can encourage."
"So there are ways that we can make a difference, and those are going to be things I focus on when I am president."
The rightward move by Obama seems to be an attempt to siphon away Evangelical voters from the GOP, which has traditionally held the bloc due to its stance on life issues.
While Obama stresses he meant by mental distress that women should not have abortions because they "feel blue" Frances Kissling and Kate Michelman have warned Obama that they cannot abide any weakening of his abortion stance.
The extreme pro-abortion pair wrote in a jointly authored article on salon.com, "As two strong feminist Obama supporters, we know women are well aware that Democratic policies, as well as Democratic leaders, are far less sexist and far more likely to empower women than the policies and leaders of the GOP. For those reasons, we believe, even the most frustrated Hillary Clinton supporters will come around. But telling women that the Democrats' commitment to abortion rights is what should drive their vote, while simultaneously suggesting…that given the choice, having a baby is a more moral choice than abortion, will be understood for what it is: condescending and sexist."
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