What confounds me (and others, I'd wager) is that seemingly intelligent people, having succeeded politically with a conservative record, "go wobbly" and move to the left.
Gotta be something in the water?
My friend, George Allen has been faking it all along.
He managed to fool some very smart people for a very long time.
That time is no more.
But let me tell you: powerful folks in the party are lining up to support him.
If they succeed because conservatives didn't field the real deal, look forward to at least one term of BushLite.
If he can win the general, which I seriously doubt.
On abortion:
Larry Sabato (moderator): The next question goes to Mr. Allen from NBC. Julie.
Julie Carey (reporter): Mr. Allen at a previous debate when asked a question about abortion you gave an answer that confused many. You said if Roe v. Wade were no longer the law of the land you would support protecting an unborn state of development when you have a beating heart measurable brain waves sensitive to a touch inutero thumb sucking. Virginia women in particular are left wondering at what point you believe they should be permitted to have a legal oh abortion during the 1st month of pregnancy, two months, three months or beyond.
George Allen: Julie, I thank you for asking this question because I’ve always had a position of reasonable moderation on this very difficult issue. There are those that are for abortion for no reason whatsoever. And there are others that would stop abortion from the point of conception on. I think those are good medical ways of looking or scientific ways of looking when has the unborn child or fetus developed to such a stage where there's a quality of life or development or where there is a compelling interest on the part of the government, the state government to protect that unborn child or fetus.
Reason I look at it that way is that I looked legally in my own heart and also emotionally in my own heart and mind of what makes sense. We look at the end of life when people don't have a beating heart. They're brain dead. They’re not sensitive to shock and touch.
It seemed to me it would be a good criteria when there would be a compelling end. Now when 24 would occur there are those that will say it is eight weeks and a few days and maybe ten weeks and a few days. That's not the point. It is not a time. It is a quality of development of life that I think that if the state so desired they could protect that unborn child. But the real issues that are going to come up around parental notification which I'm for and a taxpayer funding of abortion which I'm against. And prohibiting partial birth abortion which is late term gruesome procedure. And on those issues I do disagree with my opponent as well.
http://www.centerforpolitics.org/programs/debates/00_transcript.htm
SHIELDS: OK, and do you hope, as a United States senator next year, that a reconstituted Supreme Court, under President George W. Bush, would finally repeal Roe v. Wade?
ALLEN: I would like to see us in the Senate do several things, and in the House and also have George W. Bush as president. No. 1, get parents involved. Allow parents to be notified if their unwed minor daughter is going through the trauma of abortion.
I also would like to see us get rid of this infanticide, which is -- which is what the American Medical Association calls late-term, partial-birth abortion. I will vote to eliminate partial-birth abortion. George W. Bush would vote -- would sign the bill, as opposed to what we have with my opponent voting wrongly and, of course, siding with Clinton, who vetoes it.
Those are the sort of abortion-type issues I think that'll be clearly before the Senate and the House and the president next year.
SHIELDS: Roe v. Wade?
ALLEN: Roe v. Wade, I don't know what the Supreme Court will do. In the event that the Supreme Court allows the states greater latitude on this issue, I think that at the stage or point of development that you have a beating heart, measurable brain waves, sensitivity to touch in-utero thumb sucking, I think that people in the states could find a compelling interest to protect the unborn child at that point.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0010/07/en.00.html
When asked about abortion, [Allen] stated, "That should be decided by the states." He seemed to think the South Dakota ban is too strict and added, "I personally would add an exemption for rape and incest."
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/EliotPeace/2006/03/28/191475.html
(Regarding abortion) "Sen. Allen has consistently supported the rights of the people in their states to pass laws which reflect their views and values."
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/02/allen_romney_an.html
Abortion Issues
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.
a) Abortions should always be illegal.
X b) Abortions should be illegal when the fetus is viable, with or without life support.
c) Abortions should always be legally available.
d) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X f) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
X g) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
X h) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial birth" abortion.
X i) Prohibit public funding of abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
j) Support "buffer-zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least five feet from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
k) Provide funding for family planning programs as a means to decrease the number of abortions.
X l) Other
Abortion should be legal for gross fetal abnormality. Also, please ... contact www.Allen2000.com
http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=CNIP9093
(An "x" indicates his position.)
GEORGE ALLEN ON CROSSFIRE (CNN), JANUARY 6, 2003
ALLEN: Now, the issue of using stem cells from embryos, I'm very much in favor of research on stem cells from embryos for Parkinson's, for juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's and so forth. ... Human cloning should be banned. But it should not stop research on embryos -- stem cells from embryos that can be possibly helpful.
http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/tyleran/CNN%20Crossfire%20corpus.txt