Democrats shift position on abortion

Denver Post ^ | 03 February 2005 | Tom Neven

[Lorianne]

Check the weather report: Hell must have just frozen over. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has proposed moderating the Democrats' position on abortion. In a speech last week, the senator called for abortion-rights advocates and foes to seek common ground in an effort to reduce abortion by curbing unwanted pregnancies.

She's a little late to the party. Sensing that there was indeed something to the "values-voter" discussion following November's elections, other Democratic bigwigs have said their party needs to become less dogmatic about abortion. Party strategist Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's campaign in 2000, said, "Even I have trouble explaining to my family that we are not about killing babies." And John Kerry recently told a meeting of Democratic activists that they must demonstrate that they don't like abortion.

No less than Howard Dean, who is running to lead the Democratic National Committee, said the party has to be more considerate of abortion foes, and one of his competitors for DNC chair is Rep. Tim Roemer of Indiana, one Democrat who is an unabashed opponent of abortion. (Yes, they do exist.)

This shift might be about winning elections. I sense it's also in anticipation of changes on the Supreme Court now that President Bush might name as many as four new justices to the high court during his next term. That would mean that Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion, could be overturned.

Abortion opponents would be overjoyed at seeing Roe thrown out. As dissenting justice Byron White wrote in 1973, the decision has "no basis in law, morality or the Constitution" and is simply an exercise of "raw judicial power."

But I wonder how many abortion foes are as prescient as the Democrats in anticipating such a judicial ruling. I wonder how many realize that if Roe were overturned tomorrow, abortion would not instantly become illegal. We would suddenly have a patchwork of 50 different state laws regarding abortion. The legal status of the procedure would be thrown back to where it should have been all along: the democratic process.

Benjamin Wittes, who supports abortion rights, thinks that's a grand idea. In this month's Atlantic Monthly, he writes, "By removing \[abortion\] from the policy arena, the Supreme Court has prevented abortion-rights supporters from winning a debate in which public opinion favors them." He rightly recognizes that "Roe has a deep legitimacy problem, stemming from its weakness as a legal opinion." He also says the decision has energized the cause of abortion foes for a generation out of a sense of grievance that one side was not even allowed in on the debate in 1973.

Wittes is certainly correct in that last assessment, but he's overconfident with regard to public opinion. However, he's ahead of many abortion opponents in recognizing that should Roe be overturned, we must move beyond grievance to politics - the art of convincing enough voters that your position is the right one.

Wittes believes abortion foes will over-reach, turning off moderate voters by demanding a complete and absolute ban on abortion for any reason. There are certainly those who would try. Too many in the anti-abortion community seem to be happy to complain and protest, but are they prepared for the hard work of politics? Here in Colorado Springs, a group drives around in a "dead fetus" truck, a rolling billboard with a vividly bloody image of an aborted fetus. It's impossible to tell if anyone has changed her mind about abortion because of the truck, but based on public reaction, it is certain that it has cemented some views in the opposite direction.

Where is this group's argument for life and not just against abortion? Contrary to Wittes' assessment, abortion opponents have the easier argument. We have simple science and biology on our side, not to mention logic. But we must also be willing to compromise. Politics is, after all, the art of the possible. In some places, the best we can hope for is a ban on late-term abortions. In other places, we'll have to allow exceptions for rape and incest. In some places, it's possible that the procedure will be banned for all reasons except the life of the mother.

We must save what lives we can and continue to work to eventually save all. Feeling aggrieved is easy. Politics is hard. Playing catch-up is even harder. Foes of abortion, take heed.

Tom Neven (frontrangewriter@adelphia.net) ) of Colorado Springs is a former Colorado Voices columnist for The Post.

[Lorianne]

I know there have been many recent article on this topic but this writer makes some different points I've not heard in the others.

[swilhelm73]

The issue though, is that Democrats are all talk and no action.

They will continue to be the party of partial birth abortion, but now they wouldn't call anyone who opposes unrestricted, unlimited abortion misogynists and "The American Taliban"...well, to their faces at least.

[truthluva]

Hilary Clinton is running for president in 2008. Nuff said.

[nmh]

She desperately trying to reinvent herself to run in 2008. She'll start referencing "God" more and trying to be more "moderate". Keep watching her but don't be fooled.

[Enterprise]

When the extinction of tiny lives ensured a continuation of power, the Democrats enthusiastically supported those extinctions. They applauded the termination of the lives of all those millions of helpless tiny people!! But, now that power may require the protection of those lives, the Democrats - surprise - may begin supporting protecting the lives of helpless innocent tiny people. Gee, whoda thunk it????

[moog]

They will continue to be the party of partial birth abortion, but now they wouldn't call anyone who opposes unrestricted, unlimited abortion misogynists and "The American Taliban"...well, to their faces at least.

The simplest way to not have unwanted pregnancies would be for the people who have such to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for their actions. If people had to live with the consequences of their own actions, we definitely wouldn't have so many so-called "unwanted" babies. Note that there are those who do want them, those that can't have kids, but do desire to adopt.

[Aussie Dasher]

Believe Hillary and you'll believe ANYTHING!

[riri]

This is political suicide.

[Unam Sanctam]

It would be more accurate to say that some Dems have adjusted their rhetoric on abortion, not their position.

[Liz]

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has proposed moderating the Democrats' position on abortion. In a speech last week, the senator called for abortion-rights advocates and foes to seek common ground in an effort to reduce abortion by curbing unwanted pregnancies.

OTHER HILLARY REVISIONISMS: "I hate men who cheat on their wives" "Vast right wing conspiracy? What Vast right wing conspiracy" "Baking cookies is my fave after-work activity"

Looks like Hillary's mighty busy with her Campaign 2008 Extreme Makeover. She's got four years to make people believe she's Mother Teresa. The question is ---in light of the resounding 2004 Values Voters Victories---how "conservative" will Hillary get?

Let's see. After she opens a charge at Wal-Mart, enrolls in Divinity School, and gets a lifetime membership in the John Birch Society, she'll need to get a shopper's card at Sam's Club, and schedule daily morning prayer services in her Senate office.

And just to cover all bases, Bill will take an anti-adultery pledge in the vestibule of the National Cathedral, when Hillary takes her minister's vows.

Oh, and Hillary will campaign wearing the official DNC apron, and give cookie-baking demonstrations while on the stump, and pose with an aresenal of firearms while engaged in target practice.

[xp38]

Translation....Abortions will continue but vote for me anyway. Oh and I feel your pain.

[Cicero]

Shifts positions? I don't think so. "Pretends to shift positions" would be more like it.

[sport]

No, they are not shifting their position.

They are only saying what they think people want to hear.

Don't be fooled.

[longtermmemmory]

symbolism over substance.

The democrat ("gay")party is looking for the magic "red state" words to attract votes. They are making a political calculation that once in power they can manipulate the rules to remain in power.

If the democrat party had seriously believed they would be this far out of power, they would have outlawed voting in 1993.

[Lorianne]

lol so, true

[Rocky Mountain Writer]

Everyone is missing the point of the column. It's a warning to pro-lifers, not an apology for Hillary Clinton.

By the way, Larianne, please read the copyright laws. I'm pleased that you posted my column, but you technically need my permission, since the work is protected by copyright.

[Lorianne]

Sorry.