Posted on 02/28/2006 6:36:43 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
US President George W. Bush signalled his opposition to a South Dakota abortion ban that forbids the procedure even in cases of rape or incest, saying he favors such exceptions.
But Bush declined to predict the outcome of any legal challenges to the legislation, which would make it illegal to terminate a pregnancy except in rare cases when it may be necessary to save the life of the mother.
"That, of course, is a state law, but my position has always been three exceptions: Rape, incest, and the life of the mother," the US president told ABC news in an interview.
Asked whether he would include "health" of the mother, Bush replied: "I said life of the mother, and health is a very vague term, but my position has been clear on that ever since I started running for office."
The bill, which recently gained final approval from South Dakota's House of Representatives, directly contradicts the precedent set in 1973 when the US Supreme Court ruled that bans on abortion violate a woman's constitutional right to privacy.
The bill grants no allowances for women who have been raped or are victims of incest. Doctors who perform abortion would be charged with a crime. It also prohibits the sale of emergency contraception and asserts that life begins at fertilization.
The governor of South Dakota has indicated he is likely to sign the bill.
A leading pro-choice advocacy group has already vowed to challenge the ban in federal court. But that seems to be exactly what many promoters of the legislation seek.
Advocates of the ban do not deny they aim much higher than South Dakota, a rural and socially conservative state, which even today has only one abortion clinic.
Instead, they are hoping the bill will offer a full frontal assault on legal abortions now that the balance of power in the Supreme Court appears to have shifted with the confirmation of conservative jurists John Roberts and Samuel Alito, both of whom are seen as pro-life.
it's called cowardice!
such people do not want to seem "unsympathetic"
easier to face the woman and give her a nod.. than it is to facer her pain......the cowards would sing a different tune if the unborn child materialized before their eyes and was able to speak and cry and look them in the eye...
WOOPS. Accidentally called myself a female. I'm a guy, sorry. XD
When I was younger I truly believed that most people were pro-Abortion and I was some sort of wierdo for finding it repulsive.
Then I realized the media was full of it and I now realize that the vast majority of Americans are either totally opposed to abortion, like my friends here, or opposed to abortion except for extreme circumstances, like me.
Which begs the question, "Why are we waiting for a court to tell us how to live? Put it to a vote already..."
If that were to happen in each and every state in the union I suspect all of us on this board would at least get some comfort in the results...
don't think I wanna know....
"The Color Purple"...maybe?
This is the position Bush has had on abortion all along, and hasn't exactly been secret about it, either. Where have you been?
I LOVE Geddes pics! Thank you for posting. :)
Nice misleading headline from our "amis" at the AFP, non?
sorry... I don't think my past comment came out right... I didn't mean to be rude... it was a sad attempt at humor... sorry... forgive me please...
No sweat.
At least you didn't accidentally dress up as a female and go down to the docks during Fleet Week. I'm guessing that would be MUCH worse. ;OD
Read the article - not just the headline.
You even refer to it as a 'baby'. How wrong is it to kill a baby?
Husbands... as in MEN, have no rights, don't you know? But imagine:
How quickly things would change.
Hildy doesn't want to talk to us anymore....
No. it's because Bush is lietening to "advice" from various people in his administration who are telling him to either deny or at best obfuscate his real beliefs.
Buhs is a good man, but he, like his father, is very timid at the moment of expressing his real core beliefs. Until he breaks out and does this, he's never going to make a differece and he will oontinually let down his supporters.
His position on abortion has been very clear since he began campaigning. The Freepers on here acting surprised by what he's saying are either lying or idiots - those are the only options.
Post 728 (cgk): I know. How misleading.
Post 729: (ec): I'm not one to be offended easily. Of course, it'd help if I knew what you meant by 'don't think I wanna know'. :P
Post 730: (Petronski): Or worse, I could've been one of the shemales of Code Pink. :O
WOO HOO!
I'm an idiot!
And those of you in favor of killing the baby, please don't be so dumb as to point out killing the mom kills the baby, it's a rhetorical question.
I winked on by that part. :)
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