WASHINGTON, January 25, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has become the latest in a growing parade of Democratic Party abortion militants attempting to mollify the American voting public on moral issues. In a January 4th speech to about a thousand abortion supporters Clinton said, “I for one respect those who believe with all their heart and conscience that there are no circumstances under which abortion should be available.” Her comments, however, are failing to impress pro-lifers. Dusting off a slogan of former president and husband Bill Clinton, that abortion ought to be ‘safe, legal and rare,’ Hillary told the crowd that she considers abortion a “tragic choice for many.” She praised faith and ‘organized religion’ for promoting teen celibacy. “The fact is, the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the first place,” Mrs. Clinton said.
In a further attempt to distance herself from her reputation as a feminist extremist, Clinton called for abstinence education to be included in sex-ed programmes. Her suggestion will ring hollow however, since she also suggested that the solution to abortion is wider availability of abortifacient contraceptives such as the morning after pill. Until the latest election, Democratic rhetoric on abortion was guided by the extreme end of militant feminism while ignoring polls showing most Americans favored at least some restrictions on abortion. With the resounding defeat of their abortion and gay ‘marriage’ platform, the Democrats have realized that they need to tone down their abortion militancy.
Pro-lifers are treating the new conciliatory language with disdain however. Jeff Miller, on his weblog, “The Curt Jester,” commented that Clinton’s remarks were clearly motivated by the Democrats’ panic over the post-election exit polls. “If she considers the argument for more sex-education, emergency contraception, family planning as less incendiary then she is greatly mistaken,” Miller wrote. “We can expect much more of these phony conciliatory tones from presidential candidates as we approach 2008.” Miller wrote. He summarized the Democrats’ message to pro-life Americans, “‘We are totally for abortion in every circumstance and will fight to prevent any encroachment on abortion, buy hey, if you’re pro-life we respect your deeply held opinion, so vote for us!’”
Coverage of Clinton’s talk from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/24/politics/25cnd-clinton.html?oref=login Commentary from the Curt Jester: http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/archives/005418.php hw