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SoCar, I agree with your essay on good tactics in general. Good points. I especially like making Dem's take a position on slavery reparations.

But good tactics on the less fundamental issues doesn't mean that people who thoroughly respect that we are endowed by our Creator with the right to Life are narrow minded, of course. We're just mindful of the right without which the others don't exactly mean much. (Which is why it's listed first, in our nation's most foundational document.)

Abortion will never be safe, legal, and rare. That is a Clintonesque ruse. (But what does "rare" mean for you, anyway, if it's your life?)

No flame, just fact and reason.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Rare for me means to recognize that some women who unexpectantly or accidently become pregnant are in extremely precarious positions in their lives. Maybe they have just dumped an abusive husband/boyfriend/lover and are in no way financially able to support themselves through a pregnancy, much less support a new life. Maybe it's a poor young woman who has just recieved a scholarship to a prestigious medical school and she will lose her ticket out of poverty if she needs to take time off for pregnancy and childbirth. Maybe we have to understand that some women in some circumstances do not view a first tri-mester abortion as traumatic as giving up the baby they just gave birth to for adoption and wondering their whole lives what became of that child and feeling guilty that they made the wrong decision.

To make abortion rare maybe we should donate funds to support preganant poor woman and give them the means to keep and raise their babies instead of standing around abortion clinics protesting with posters of aborted fetuses. Maybe we should realize that not everyone in this country shares our religious beliefs, but that does not mean they are not good decent people. Maybe we should set our sites on providing stable homes for the thousands of hard to place difficult needs children in care of the states. Perhaps we should not look at this issue in stark terms of black and white, right and wrong. Maybe we should try to support preganat women more and help them keep and support their children. Perhaps we can join forces with groups like Planned Parenthood when it comes to issues such as preventing unwanted pregnancies. Maybe we can be more helpful and understanding when it comes to the trauma in the life of a young girl alone and pregnant.

Maybe someone who believes all abortion is murder can explain the rape and incest clause almost all pro-life politicians include. If you believe that abortion at any stage is murder of an innocent life then why is there an exception in these cases? It seems that there is a greater compassion for the women here than the unborn child. I feel that the more compassion and help we provide for women with unwanted pregnancies, the less abortions we will have. Compassion, help, and understanding can make abortions rare, not strident preaching or laws that are no where near having the support they need to pass.

I wrote this post earlier. Seems to fit in here. Hindsight's 20-20. I'm only expressing this view in hindsight. The one time I had a bad feeling about this election was when Terrell was asked by Tim Russert if she'd support a constitutional amendment banning abortion. After ducking once or twice( a bad sign right there she said she would. I could see the minds of the pro choice women I know hearing that and saying "I'm pro-choice but I'm busy saturday." to "Who does she think she is.When's the runoff."
Policically and ethically this(editted by someone who could reduce it to a soundbyte)would have been a better answer.

"If I were Governor of Louisiana I would sign a complete ban on abortion. If I were a Louisiana legislator I would vote for a ban on abortion. As a U.S. Senator I would not support a constitutional amendment for the same reason I would oppose Roe v. Wade. The spirit of the Constitution is declared in the Declaration of Independence that government obtains its authority by the consent of the governed. The letter of the Constitution says that powers not specifically given to the Federal Government in the Constitution are given to the States. Roe v. Wade violates both. Abortion was made the virtually irreversible law of the land by people appointed to office. Those opposing it were given recourse to an amendment process hurdled 17 times sinse the bill of rights. One would have to contort into a pretzel to interpret that the Constitution says anything one way or the other aboutalmost any Federal authority over abortion.
The nation remains profoundly divided over abortion. Roe v. Wade disenfranchised opponents of abortion , radicalized debate and eroded civil discourse. An abortion amendment would continue that process
As much as I morally oppose it, I believe I serve both my pro-life stance and my constituents by opposing abortion where the Federal Government has a role(e.g.Federal funding,minors across state lines and working to make abortion an issue which is determined in the State legislatures.

p.s.-Norm Coleman’s handling of the in his debate with Mondale was a model of a reasonable pro-life stance.