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A rock and a hard place: Democratic leaders try to oppose abortion even as they support it
WORLD ^ | 4/9/05 | Andree Seu

Posted on 04/02/2005 6:29:14 AM PST by rhema

The Democrats, apres le deluge de 2004, are tinkering with a new approach to abortion rhetoric. This is to be distinguished, of course, from a new approach to abortion.

Is it repentance or repackaging when Howard Dean (the Party's new chairman) starts saying things like "I have long believed that we ought to make a home for pro-life Democrats"? Is it substance or semantics when Sen. Hillary Clinton says abortions should occur "only in rare circumstances"? Is it from the heart or pandering to the heartland when a defeated John Kerry tells a pro-choice gathering in D.C. after Thanksgiving that they'd better let Americans know they don't like abortion? Is it love—or loss of 97 of the 100 fastest growing counties in the country—that moves them? Is this all a new wrinkle on the Psalmist's age-old dictum, "With our tongue we will prevail" (Psalm 12:4)?

It isn't funny, but all I could think of were jokes when I first got wind of the development: "What the world wants today is sincerity—if you can fake that, you've got it made." Or this one: (Cruella DeVille to her lackey in 101 Dalmations): "What kind of sycophant are you?" (Lacky to Ms. DeVille): "What kind of sycophant would you like me to be?"

But Susan Blustain, a pro-choice Democrat writing for The American Prospect, seems to wince genuinely at the "defiant" and "sometimes even celebratory" tone that turned off the red states. (These are the voters pro-choicers overlooked in the presidential election when minting such endearing slogans as "Against Abortion? Then Don't Have One" and "Just Say No to Sex with Pro-Lifers.")

I'm puzzled. At one moment Ms. Blustain sounds like the two jokes in paragraph three: "So the question is, how can Democrats soften their rhetoric while maintaining their support for safe, accessible abortion?" (Huh?) At other moments, she sounds like a spokesman for the National Pro-Life Federation: "Have you ever talked to a woman who has had an abortion? Even a married, intentionally pregnant woman who has had a 'D & C' for a dying or dead embryo? . . . I promise you, such a woman does not talk about exercising the 'right to choose'. . . she will tell you how sad she is. . . . She is more likely depressed than defiant."

The cause for this double-mindedness is not difficult to discern. The Dems are stuck between a rock and a hard place: The "rock" is that if they keep their Caligula image, they forfeit the real estate between the two seaboards. The "hard place" is that if they cop the Clintonian phrase that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare," they risk raising an obvious question of conscience: Why should abortion be "rare"? "Rare" suggests something unseemly. No one proclaims that good things be made "rare." Who says traveling should be "safe, legal, and rare"? Or voting privileges? Or college education? Or strawberries?

The Democratic Party as a whole, no less bi-polar, talks inclusion but picks Howard Dean to chair the Democratic National Committee over the pro-life aspirant, Tim Roemer, a former Indiana Congressman—and this despite Mr. Roemer's support by his (pro-choice) colleagues Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

But Republicans, be not proud! The 165-member Republican National Committee has elected Ken Mehlmen as its counterpart to the DNC's Dean—and this despite his selection of pro-choice JoAnn Davidson as co-chair. (She had helped Bush win Ohio. This pay-back time is reminiscent of the 2002 RNC election of a pro-choice New Jersey fundraiser to appease the Party's wealthy donors. Both occurred over vocal pro-life protest.)

The best-kept little secret in the country is that there are high-placed pro-life Democrats (Phil Puckett of Virginia, campaigning for lieutenant governor; Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska; Tony Hall, former Ohio representative). And these, it seems to me, must be lonely and courageous creatures.

And likewise there are Republicans who take strong rhetorical stands on "life" but wink at orthodoxy when push comes to shove. (Remember Pennsylvania's pro-life Toomey twisting in the wind as President Bush held victory hands with pro-choice Arlen Specter? Toomey who, right?)

What shall we say then? Who loves you, pro-lifer? Be wise as a serpent, for the times they are confusing. And you, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. —•


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; democrat; demsrliars; flipflop; liar; liars; life; prolife; sanctity

1 posted on 04/02/2005 6:29:14 AM PST by rhema
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To: rhema
Democratic leaders try to oppose abortion even as they support it

Sounds like something Kerry would say....Voted for it, before...(you know the rest)

2 posted on 04/02/2005 6:32:56 AM PST by ThreePuttinDude (The US needs to pull the feeding tube from the UN)
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To: rhema

The Left lies. Lies lead to death.


3 posted on 04/02/2005 6:34:03 AM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: rhema

Hillary et al will pretend to be more middle-of-the-road to appeal to swing voters who oppose abortion.

Doesn't change who they really are, pro-death moguls, haters of freedom, wolves in sheeps' clothes who are never stopping till they destroy the U.S.

JM


4 posted on 04/02/2005 6:46:50 AM PST by JockoManning (www.biblegateway.com)
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To: rhema
The Party of Death is slowly twisting itself into the ground.

A much deserved fate.

5 posted on 04/02/2005 6:49:56 AM PST by smoothsailing (Qui Nhon)
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To: rhema
Is it repentance or repackaging when Howard Dean (the Party's new chairman) starts saying things like "I have long believed that we ought to make a home for pro-life Democrats"?

Perhaps they'll be allowed a little hut on the outskirts of the plantation, but I'm sure they'll not be allowed anywhere near the sacred judiciary.

6 posted on 04/02/2005 6:50:30 AM PST by Unam Sanctam
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To: rhema

That should be no problem for them since they are already two faced.


7 posted on 04/02/2005 6:56:28 AM PST by Piquaboy (22 year veteran of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Pray for all our military .)
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To: Piquaboy

Actually, the current Democrat Party is the political party of forced death, abortion, treason, secular belief, and a traitor to the USA and our military forces around the world. This current Democrat Party needs, not only to be defeated at the polls, but totally destroyed by the American voters. End of story!!! American voters, you better wake up!!!


8 posted on 04/02/2005 7:10:43 AM PST by JLAGRAYFOX
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To: JLAGRAYFOX

The Democrat party--add to that the ACLU, People For the American Way, Planned Parenthood, etc. etc. etc.


9 posted on 04/02/2005 11:00:45 AM PST by ViLaLuz
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To: smoothsailing

The harder they spin, the faster they descend -- I hope.


10 posted on 04/02/2005 12:34:07 PM PST by expatpat
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To: expatpat

Ditto!


11 posted on 04/02/2005 12:44:17 PM PST by smoothsailing (Qui Nhon)
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To: BibChr; MHGinTN; Caleb1411

Ping


12 posted on 04/10/2005 6:05:34 AM PDT by rhema
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To: rhema

I used to find Andree Seu's writings ranging from baffling to so-so. But now I always read her; she ranges from very good to wow!

This is more towards the wow!

Dan


13 posted on 04/10/2005 6:47:24 AM PDT by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: rhema

The sad truth is, far too many democrat voters will lap up this parsing as their excuse to vote for democrats 'with a cleared conscience' ... it's not their children/grandchildren being slaughtered in the democrats' enlightened social pandering.


14 posted on 04/10/2005 10:22:40 AM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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