Posted on 05/29/2009 1:27:26 PM PDT by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- During a debate on Thursday between pro-life Princeton University professor Robert George and pro-Obama apologist Douglas Kmiec, Kmiec continued the false notion that abortions increased during the tenure of pro-life President George W. Bush.
During the debate, held at the National Press Club, Kmiec went further than those who suggested abortions rose under Bush. He also claimed that abortions rose under the first President Bush.
However, as University of Alabama professor Michael New explains in a new op-ed on National Review Online, Kmiec's contention is inaccurate.
"Data from both the Center for Disease Control and the Alan Guttmacher Institute indicate that abortions fell during the first Bush presidency," he explained. "And the most recent data from both sources indicates that abortions were falling during the administration of George W. Bush."
"Indeed, between 2000 and 2005, data from Guttmacher indicates that the number of abortions fell by 8.1 percent and data from the CDC indicates that abortions fell by 2.9 percent," New writes.
"Between 1988 and 1992, data from Guttmacher indicate that the number of abortions fell by 3.7 percent and data from the CDC indicates that the number of abortions fell by 0.9 percent," New said about the first President Bush.
New wrote at National Review that so-called pro-life Obama backers have adopted this tactic of claiming abortions rose under both presidents in order to make it appear their pro-life bona fides are not as strong.
However, he explains that presidents can be involved in abortion issues at the federal level but that their actions have relatively little effect on abortion figures.
"More importantly, this whole argument has struck me as a bit silly," he says.
"The incidence of abortion is influenced by economic and demographic trends which presidents cannot do much to influence in the short term. Furthermore, policies enacted at the state level, such as the enactment of pro-life laws, likely have a greater impact on abortion trends," New adds.
He concluded, "Still, this nuance is lost on pro-life Obama supporters. It came as no surprise that Doug Kmiec credited the economy for the 1990s abortion decline, but said nary a word about the substantial increase in the number of states enacting pro-life laws during this time."
Pro-Life Ping
Freepmail wagglebee or DirtyHarryY2K to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Too bad his mother didn’t spare us all and take a coat hanger to him.
I don’t know what has happened to this man. He used to be such a staunch conservative, and in the most conventional way. What a change.
Who listens to this turncoat anymore?
Kmiec is nothing but a Democratic party hack. Being Catholic does NOT mean being Democrat, no matter how much Kmiec, Reese, etc. seem to think so.
Something is seriously wrong with that guy.
Since conservatives dont support abortion and therefore dont use it, and children typically grow up with their parents values, then would it be safe to assume that only Liberals are getting abortions and thus, are decreasing the population of probable Liberals for the future? Hmmmmm, deep thoughts....
i used to think it was demon possession or a brain tumor. now i am convinced he is just a plain ole attention whore.
You’re right, of course. That’s why the far left is so earnest to control education at every level. Their plans are to indoctrinate other people’s children with the value-free beliefs of the far left.
My diagnosis has long been brain tumor or angling for a judgeship.
Whatever explains his behavior, it’s pathetic to watch.
i think he is now addicted to all of the attention. he is DREAMING if he thinks he will get a judgeship, no way the hard left would sign off on someone like him.
Hard to believe a guy would sell his soul for a judgeship or ambassadorship. It just ain't worth it, Dougie.
Even those he works with and who know him well cannot explain it.
Backed Romney first, then Obama. Hardly prolife.
he has revealed himself as an extremely petty and venal man.
I think he is dreaming too. But you never know, after the One has made scores of lower court appointments and as the 2012 election approaches, he might decide to appoint a token nonliberal so he can tout that he has been non-ideological when he hits the campaign trail.
Caleefornia is a lost cause anyway, anything a Judge Kmiec would do would be overturned by the Ninth Circus.
I read he was one of the three that Obams offered up as potential Vatican ambassadors, to which the Vatican gave the kibosh. I SOOOOO wish that had been an on the record offer and turn down.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.