Posted on 07/06/2004 7:05:53 AM PDT by madprof98
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- John Kerry's pro-choice stance on abortion dogged him during his Fourth of July visit to this heavily Catholic city.
The Democratic presidential candidate on Sunday attended mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Dubuque, sat in the fourth pew, donated a crisp $20 bill to the church during collection, and received Communion.
But several churchgoers separately quizzed Kerry about his legislative support for abortion rights after Mass on Sunday when Kerry was signing autographs and posing for pictures with congregation members.
"It's hard," Kerry told parishioner Frank Ward, a father of five and an abortion opponent. "It's a difficult line to walk."
Kerry told another man in the lobby of the church that "I'm against partial birth abortion," even though he voted against banning the procedure six times in the Senate. Kerry said he would have voted for the ban if it included an exception to allow the procedure if it was necessary to protect the health of the mother.
"They did it for a political reason," Kerry said of Republicans who backed the measure, which passed last fall in the Senate 64-34 with support from several Democrats after years of debate. "They tried to drive home the politics of it."
In an interview with the Telegraph Herald newspaper published Sunday, Kerry said: "I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. But I can't take my Catholic belief, article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist ... We have separation of church and state in the United States of America."
Republicans quickly seized on Kerry's remarks as more evidence that he flip-flops on issues, telling different voters what they want to hear. President Bush's campaign pointed out that Kerry received a 100 percent ranking in 2002 from NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Campaign aides say they believe the interview marked the first time Kerry, the first major presidential candidate who is Catholic since John F. Kennedy, specifically said he believed life begins at conception.
However, he's consistently said his views on abortion are the same as the Roman Catholic Church, which believes life begins at conception.
"He's always said he doesn't believe in abortion, but these are his convictions that he can't enforce on others," said Stephanie Cutter, a Kerry spokeswoman. "He's pro-choice and believes that abortion should be safe, legal and rare."
Later Sunday at a parade in Cascade, several residents donned Bush-Cheney stickers and one woman held a sign which read, "Defend pro-life, public and private."
"I was initially surprised to hear that John Kerry says he hates coming to places like Dubuque," said Iowa state Sen. Julie Hosch, R-Cascade, in a statement released by the Bush campaign. "But it's not hard to figure out why the Senate's most liberal member -- who has voted at least six times against banning partial birth abortion -- would be happier in Nantucket and Georgetown."
As Kerry's motorcade left the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, one woman held a sign reading "No more dead babies."
Here is the link about her 'abortion'. She had apparently scheduled the procedure, but miscarried instead.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/7/5/142853.shtml
Good Lord. It's chilling to think that this person could be our next First Lady.
I don't think I know anything about him. What's his name?
Jerome Hanus, OSB.
Well, that "OSB" means he's guilty until proven innocent, in my view.
LOL, through my tears.
"We have separation of church and state in the United States of America."
But that doesn't mean separation of state and morality! It doesn't mean separation of all thoughts of what is good and right and true, from entering state buildings and legislation!
He said he's against outsourcing too but voted for that too. It's always "Opposite Day" with him.
A whole $20.
JMJ
That's where his true colors show up as well as the voting record.
I'm fairly certain that's what my parents donate every week.
They aren't billionaires either.
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