Free Republic

Democratic Party rethinks take on abortion Democrats studying how to regain votes they lost over 'moral value' issues Sunday, March 6, 2005 By Mary M. Shaffrey JOURNAL WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON When it comes to the issue of abortion, the Democratic Party is at a crossroads. The majority of the party, including its chairman, its previous presidential nominees as far back as one can recall, and most grass-roots activists as well as national leaders are decidedly for abortion rights. They favor minimal restrictions on access to abortion. "We are a very pro-choice country," said Karen M. White, the national political director...

US rethinks tactics after Turkish MPs block troops By Pelin Turgut in Istanbul and Rupert Cornwell in Washington 03 March 2003 American military planners were urgently reshaping tactics for an invasion of Iraq yesterday after the surprise vote of the Turkish parliament to reject the deployment of some 62,000 US troops to Turkish bases. The vote, barring an unlikely reversal this week, would seem to rule out opening a second front in the north. Saturday's vote did produce a majority – of 264 to 250 – in favour of the deployment, but fell four votes short of the required majority...