Posted on 01/12/2004 10:39:28 AM PST by TastyManatees
Clark camp backs off abortion statement
By GIL BLISS
Sunday News Correspondent
MILFORD Pancakes and politics helped warm the frigid air yesterday morning as retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark spoke to an adoring packed house at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
Outside the breakfast, Clark responded to criticism in an editorial last week in The Union Leader about the abortion rights issue that came following a midweek meeting with editorial staff. In that meeting, Clark said he would not appoint a pro-life federal judge and that the government should not impinge on a womans decision to have an abortion, even right up until birth.
Im pro-choice and I believe that if judges are of judicial temperament, thats what they are, because Roe v. Wade is the law of the land and thats what I stand by, Clark said. You can not get between a woman and her doctor thats the way it is.
Press secretary Jamal Simmons said the editorial board tried to get him to go on record as saying that Clark would allow abortions up until the moment of birth.
What he said is Were not going to get into a debate about timing, said Simmons.
A transcript of the session reveals the following exchange between Clark and Joseph W. McQuaid, publisher of The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News.
McQuaid: Lets take an issue. Abortion. Are there any limits on it in your mind?
Clark: I dont think you should get the law involved in abortion
McQuaid: At all?
Clark: Nope.
McQuaid: At all?
Clark: Its between a woman, her doctor, her friends and her family.
McQuaid: Late term abortion? No limits?
Clark: Nope.
McQuaid: Anything up to delivery?
Clark: Nope, nope.
McQuaid: Anything up to the head coming out of the womb?
Clark: I say that its up to the woman and her doctor, her conscience, and law not the law. You dont put the law in there. Yesterday, Simmons said Republicans and conservatives want to pin you down in debates about timing, but this isnt about timing, its about whether we trust a woman and her doctor to make medical decisions that are in the best interest about her and her life.
The issue here is whether or not were going to try to inject politics and government into a medical decision by a woman and her doctor and his answer is No, were not going to do that. [Emphasis added.]
Generating excitement
At the pancake breakfast, Clark seemed to be generating the same level of excitement exhibited at the rallies of Republican Sen. John McCain four years ago. He was followed by a large group of media covering the event and the crowd had the expected Democrats as well as quite a few independents out to hear Clark along with a few Republicans wearing their veterans hats, drawn by Clarks 34-year military record.
Clark was joined by former Navy Secretary John Dalton and was introduced by post commander Carl Silva of Mont Vernon, who served, as did Clark, with the Army 1st Infantry Division.
Shots at President George W. Bush were well-received by the crowd while Clark did not mention any of his fellow Democratic Presidential hopefuls.
I want to bring a higher standard of leadership to this country, Clark said. Im not running to bash George W. Bush Im running to replace him.
He offered leadership that will be good for the next generation not just the next election cycle.
I dont think its patriotic to dress up in a flight suit and prance around on the deck of an aircraft carrier, Clark said. Cloud of fear
George W. Bush didnt do everything he could to protect us before 9/11 and after 9/11 he took us into a war we didnt have to fight in Iraq and today, were still living under a cloud of fear, he said.
Thats a function of bad leadership and we can do better in this country, Clark said. We will protect American, we will go after Osama Bin Laden, well get out of this mess in Iraq the right way and we will rebuild our armed forces after what weve put them through.
Clark said his party wants to help those who are less fortunate and promote family values that will hold families together. That requires attention to new jobs, health care, education, the environment.
Under George W. Bush, college tuitions at public institutions have risen 28 percent in three years, Clark said. Now I dont know anybody whose incomes are going up 28 percent unless theyre associated with Halliburton. Promises made
Clark promised grants for college, income tax reform, health insurance and said his administration would lift two million children out of poverty. He said he would promote affirmative action.
Steve Rougeau of Milford said he had listened to Clark on the news, found that he speaks well and wanted to hear him in person when he was right here in town.
John Butler of Hollis said he had narrowed his choice down to Clark or (Howard) Dean and wanted to hear what he has to say.
Peggy Mithoefer of Hollis said she has become a Clark supporter and likes his clarity and intellect. I think he has the best shot at beating Bush, she said.
A transcript of the session reveals the following exchange between Clark and Joseph W. McQuaid, publisher of The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News.I would say that Clarks words speak for themselves. At the time of this interview, he did indeed support abortion of babies up until the moment of birth. In fact, he even went so far as to support abortion up to the moment the head [is] coming out of the womb. Clarks press secretary has also come out with a non-denial denial, claiming that Republicans are somehow making the debate about timing, without denying that his candidate has announced an extreme position on abortion not shared by any candidate of either party. Amazingly, the newspaper editor even gave Clark several chances to qualify his answer rather than just let him hurt himself accidentally. The questions sound almost incredulous that a major party candidate for national office could really stand behind such an astoundingly ignorant and arrogant position, and Clark was given more than a few opportunities to qualify his remarks.
McQuaid: Lets take an issue. Abortion. Are there any limits on it in your mind?
Clark: I dont think you should get the law involved in abortion
McQuaid: At all?
Clark: Nope.
McQuaid: At all?
Clark: Its between a woman, her doctor, her friends and her family.
McQuaid: Late term abortion? No limits?
Clark: Nope.
McQuaid: Anything up to delivery?
Clark: Nope, nope.
McQuaid: Anything up to the head coming out of the womb?
Clark: I say that its up to the woman and her doctor, her conscience, and law not the law. You dont put the law in there. Yesterday, Simmons [Clarks press secretary] said Republicans and conservatives want to pin you down in debates about timing, but this isnt about timing, its about whether we trust a woman and her doctor to make medical decisions that are in the best interest about her and her life.
The issue here is whether or not were going to try to inject politics and government into a medical decision by a woman and her doctor and his answer is No, were not going to do that.
Im not going to be appointing judges who are pro-life.
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At the pancake breakfast, Clark seemed to be generating the same level of excitement exhibited at the rallies of Republican Sen. John McCain...
Who also went down in flames and failed to win the nomination.
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