Posted on 11/15/2005 5:09:08 PM PST by wagglebee
The Democrats are so intent on unseating Republicans in Congress next year that they’re even moderating their strong pro-choice stance on abortion.
Case in point: The party has chosen Robert Casey Jr., who is pro-life, to run against Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, the third-ranking GOP member of the Senate and the Democrats’ chief target in the 2006 election.
Writing in The New Yorker, Peter J. Boyer reveals that New York Sen. Charles Schumer – chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee – told him: "When we sat down and looked at the map we said our No. 1 take-back seat would be Pennsylvania.”
Schumer asked the advice of Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, who Schumer says told him: "There’s only one guy who can beat [Santorum]. But he doesn’t want to run, and you guys wouldn’t want him even if he did. He’s not pro—choice.”
State Treasurer Casey is not only pro-life, he’s linked in many Pennsylvanians’ minds with his father Robert P. Casey, who as governor of the state promoted and signed the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act.
The bill placed significant limitations on abortion. A Planned Parenthood group sued the state, with Casey as the named defendant, and the Supreme Court eventually struck down most of the Act’s provisions.
But Schumer backed Casey Jr. despite his pro-life stance – presumably in large part because in the 2004 election he received the largest number of votes in Pennsylvania’s history.
Turning the Democratic Party away from a staunch pro-choice position has not been an easy task. When Tom Roemer, a former congressman from Indiana, campaigned to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee, his platform included "tolerance of differing views on abortion,” Boyer reports.
Pro-choice activists lined up behind Howard Dean and against Roemer, and Dean won out.
But even a Democrat as liberal as Hillary Clinton may be reading the handwriting on the wall when it comes to her party’s unrelenting support for abortion-on-demand.
Regarding those who oppose abortion, Clinton said at a conference of Family Planning Advocates of New York State earlier this year:
"I, for one, respect those who believe with all their hearts and conscience that there are no circumstances under which any abortion should ever be available.”
As NewsMax reported in October, an analysis by the Third Way, a policy group for centrist Democrats, stated that if the party wants to return to power, Democrats, "could continue to support the core of Roe v. Wade while dropping their intransigence on questions such as parental notification and partial-birth abortion.”
I don't know why it should be difficult, they lie about everything!
Looks like the parties are starting to switch polarity. Democrats are starting to act more like Republicans and vice-versa.
Impossible. See my tagline.
some can see the handwriting on the wall.
Right. Ignore their actions for the last 30 years, if you elect they will change after they win! HONEST they will! They PROMISE you they will.
1) If nominating a Justice that may overturn R v W on Constitutional basis is such a losing issue, why are the Democrats "moderating" their tolerance on the issue of abortion?
2) I'd love to be proven wrong, but my gut instinct is that casey will say what is necessary to get elected then vote almost down the line against the pro-life position. If so, then he made a deal with the Democrats to do so, this is why they support him, and so would mean they have NOT moderated their views. Only once again lied to the people. Salazar claimed one thing, did another. Casey is likely in that mold. I'd love to be wrong, love to have him more like his father, I just sincerely doubt the Democrats have allowed someone with real convictions on pro-Life pro-Faith issues to run.
A couple weeks ago Howard Dean was on Hardball. Matthews asked him about abortion, all Dean would say was, "the Dim party is pro-choice". He wouldn't say pro-abortion. Matthews tried to get him to and he wouldn't; even Matthews was surprised.
Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin. Yes, the Dims have been found wanting - wanting a moral core.
If there are Democrats running with a pro life message, this might indicate that we are winning, and should continue to apply the pressure. But never underestimate the ability of a Democrat to say or do anything to get elected to office.
Casey will be a Pro Life senator just like Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin, Mikulski, Leahey and the rest of the Catholic Senators, i.e., I am personally against abortion but I can not force my views on anybody else. That is just like saying that I am against High taxes but I can't force my views on anybody else therefore I must raise your taxes to redistribute your income.
Let's face Santorum was far from perfect but he is a much better alternative to Casey.
santorum will offset the Likes of Snow, Collins, chaffee, et. al.
No--Rats have discipline, Pubbies don't.
The thing I hate most about this argument is that so many people fall for it.
If you don't vote against abortion, you are for it. It's simple!
Life is so much easier when you don't have any of those pesky core values to worry about.
Robert Casey, Sr. was denied a chance to espouse pro-life values at the 1992 Democrat's National Convention. (Irony: That was the same year that William Weld was allowed to speak in favor of "pro-choice" at the Republican National Convention!)
The Casey family seems honestly pro-life.
http://www.catholicherald.com/eddesk/00ed/ed000824.htm
I am personally against slavery but cannot force my views on others, or I am personally against the holocaust, etc.
Their message will change, never their stance.
Casey family participated in the political campaigns of Al Gore & John Kerry.
Casey is just an opportunist who talks about being pro life but has never taken a principal stance against any of the pro abortion catholic senators.
Will the democrats ever let casey sponsor legislation to over turn Roe v Wade?
Will the democrats ever co sponsor any of casey's pro life agenda?
Will the Harry Reid let Casey oppose fillubusters on federal judges?
Will Casey ever oppose Ted Kennedy's statement's accusing people life Robert Bork?
The only function that casey will ever serve is to provide one more vote to make Harry Reid Majority Leader of Senate.
oF COURSE NOT. 'Rats will say whatever they think they need to say to wrest control back from the GOP. 'Rats invented the phrase, "talk is cheap." But guaranteed, they will show their true colors with the court appointments, where it counts.
It's window dressing, nothing more.
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