Presidential Candidates Differ Sharply on Abortion
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain at their final presidential debate on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gary Hershorn, Pool)(CNSNews.com) - The topic of abortion finally came up in the third and final presidential debate Wednesday night at Hofstra University, and while Sen. John McCain stood up for life, Sen. Barack Obama stood up for Roe v, Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion on demand in the United States.
A pro-life group later accused Obama of misleading voters about his position on various abortion bills; and the group also indicated that McCain missed an important opportunity to paint Obama as the extremist on abortion that many conservatives believe he is.
No litmus test
Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News asked the candidates if either one of them could ever nominate a Supreme Court justice who disagrees with their position on Roe v. Wade.
"I would never, and have never in all the years I've been there (in the Senate) imposed a litmus test on any nominee to the court. That's not appropriate to do," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said.
Asked if he wants the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling to be overturned, McCain said he thought it was a "bad decision."
"I think that decisions should rest in the hands of the states. I'm a federalist. And I believe strongly that we should have nominees to the United States Supreme Court based on their qualifications rather than any litmus test," he said.
McCain also criticized Obama for voting two Supreme Court nominees "on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards."
"That's not the way we should judge these nominees…They should be judged on their qualifications. And so that's what I will do." McCain said he would nominate people "who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution -- and not legislating from the bench."
Schieffer asked McCain if he would consider a nominee "who had a history of being for abortion rights."
"I would consider anyone in their qualifications," McCain said. "I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade would be part of those qualifications. But I certainly would not impose any litmus test."
Obama agreed that "we shouldn't apply a strict litmus test" to Supreme Court nominees.
"It is very likely that one of us will be making at least one and probably more than one appointments, and Roe versus Wade probably hangs in the balance," Obama said. He also said he agrees with the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.
"I think that abortion is a very difficult issue, and it is a moral issue and one that I think good people on both sides can disagree on. But what ultimately I believe is that women in consultation with their families, their doctors, their religious advisers, are in the best position to make this decision. And I think that the Constitution has a right to privacy in it that shouldn't be subject to state referendum, any more than our First Amendment rights are subject to state referendum, any more than many of the other rights that we have should be subject to popular vote."
In rebuttal, McCain said it's important to "change the culture of America."
"Those of us who are proudly pro-life understand that. And it's got to be courage and compassion that we show to a young woman who's facing this terribly difficult decision.
McCain mentioned that Obama, when he was an Illinois state senator, voted against a bill that would have required life-saving measures for babies born after botched abortions. "He voted against that," McCain said.
Obama also voted against another Illinois bill banning partial-birth abortion – then voted "present" when the bill reached the Illinois Senate floor, McCain noted.
"I don't know how you vote 'present' on some of that," McCain said. "I don't know how you align yourself with the extreme aspect of the pro- abortion movement in America. And that's his record…"
'Mother's health'
In response, Obama said, "If it sounds incredible that I would vote to withhold lifesaving treatment from an infant, that's because it's not true."
Obama said he voted against the bill requiring lifesaving treatment for born-alive babies because it would have undermined Roe v. Wade. "The fact is, that there was already a law on the books in Illinois that required providing lifesaving treatment, which is why not only myself but pro-choice Republicans and Democrats voted against it," he said.
"With respect to partial-birth abortion, I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life, and this (bill) did not contain that exception," Obama said. Obama said he voted "present" because his efforts to include a mother's health exception were rejected. "I'm willing to support a ban on late-term abortions as long as we have that exception," he said.
"The last point I want to make on the issue of abortion: This is an issue that -- look, it divides us. And in some ways, it may be difficult to -- to reconcile the two views," Obama said.
"But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, 'We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.'
"Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation. We should try to reduce these circumstances."
McCain, in rebuttal, said Obama's "health of the mother" argument "has been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything."
McCain then mentioned that he and his wife Cindy are adoptive parents and "know what a treasure and joy it is to have an adopted child in our lives. We'll do everything we can to improve adoption in this country. But that does not mean that we will cease to protect the rights of the unborn."
Missed opportunity
But McCain missed a key opportunity, pro-life advocates say. Obama in July 2007 promised Planned Parenthood that the first thing he would do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act, and McCain failed to mention that.
The Freedom of Choice Act, a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate, "would eliminate every abortion regulation in the country, including popular laws such as parental notification, informed consent, and bans on partial birth abortion," said the legislative arm of Americans United for Life.
"FOCA means abortion on demand, in all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason, nationwide and paid for by your tax dollars. The American people deserve to know the real truth about Barack Obama's record and position on abortion," said AUL-Action President Charmaine Yoest
AUL-Action also accused Obama of "twisting the facts" about his past votes on bills requiring medical treatment for born-alive babies: "Barack Obama is on record voting four times aginst offering protections to such children while (he was serving) in the Illinois Senate," said AUL-Action.
Contact: Susan Jones Source: CNSNews.com Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com Publish Date: October 16, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
October 16, 2008
Presidential Candidates Differ Sharply on Abortion
