Posted on 07/24/2005 10:42:32 AM PDT by Graybeard58
WASHINGTON -- Democrats need to reach out to voters who oppose abortion rights and promote candidates who share that view, the head of the party said Friday.
Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told a group of college Democrats that their party has to change its approach in the debate over abortion.
''I think we need to talk about this issue differently,'' Dean said. ''The Republicans have painted us as a pro-abortion party. I don't know anybody in America who is pro-abortion.''
Dean's approach echoed similar arguments advanced in recent months by former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).
''We do have to have a big tent. I do think we need to welcome pro-life Democrats into this party,'' Dean said.
Still, he added, ''I think that we must be absolutely firm in being the party of individual freedom and personal freedom, which means that in the end the government doesn't get to decide, we do.''
The effort to attract such voters comes as Senate Democrats are preparing for confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Roberts' views on abortion are being scrutinized.
Dean did not mention the looming confirmation hearings. He discussed the abortion debate after a student questioned why the party was supporting Bob Casey Jr., a Pennsylvania Democrat challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Santorum.
The chairman tried to draw a distinction between Casey and Santorum, even though both men oppose abortion rights.
''You have to respect people's positions of conscience,'' Dean said. ''I think Bob Casey's position is a position of conscience.''
Dean, a former Planned Parenthood board member, said the difference between his party and Republicans is that ''we believe a woman has a right to make up their own mind and they believe [House Majority Leader] Tom DeLay should make it up and Rick Santorum should make it up for them.''
John Brabender, a consultant to Santorum's re-election campaign, said Dean's distinctions were meaningless.
''It makes absolutely no sense for Howard Dean to attack Rick Santorum unless he's also attacking Bobby Casey,'' he said.
I don't believe a word that comes out of his idiotic mouth. Rats are evil, plain and simple. You roll your dice with a Republocrat but a rat on the National level is evil.
Huh? "We want pro-lifers in our party, as long as they're pro-choice" is what I'm getting out of this farrago.
well....that's better than "kill unwanted children."
It is sad that abortion is so important to these people.
We welcome pro-life votes, just STFU.
Translation : Dean wants pro-life votes, but has no intention of halting (or even slowing down) the lucrative baby murder racket.
Loosely trnslated - Pro-life Dems, come in, sit down, and shut up - Roe stands.
But if you are looking to be on the Supreme Court......... You need NOT apply.
I can't understand WHY they WANT to kill so many innocent children.... but they are so against the death penalty for serial rapists/killers........
These guys (Dems) are TOTALLY clueless.
The fact that they JUST. DON'T. GET. what "pro-life" means shows how totally and completely detached from reality the Dimocrats have become.
ZERO "pro-life" people will join the party that promotes the barbaric act of "Partial Birth" abortion. If it weren't so tragic, it would crack me up that he's gone out and is saying this (yeah..join our party..we're here to welcome you - as long as you agree with our beliefs..ROFLMAO!)
Dean and the rest of the far, far, FAR left (eg: NARAL, MoveOn.org) doesn't get it - and never will.
He's trying to put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.
Yeah, both of 'em.
Your whole party leadership for one you f'in idiot.
It's all about environmental wacko population control. Boths stands reduce the population. True serial killers do not do so in large quantities, but terrorists do, so that is why they appear to support them.
Welcome them?, what a joke Dean is, we all know what he means is Patronize.
"You have to respect people's positions
of conscience"
When did they suddenly take this tact?Maybe they just realized how much damage they have done to themselves.
In the debate between abortion and the death penalty one thing remains constant. Conservatives will at least give a guy a chance
"I don't know anybody in America who is pro-abortion."
--- Sounds like a confession to me that the Democratic party is Anti-American.
"You people" are welcomed...just shut the he__ up!
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