Kerry says he alone hasn't 'played games' on abortion

[rodbarnett]

Presidential hopeful John Kerry on Monday called himself the only Democrat in the race who hasn't "played games" on the abortion issue.

Kerry, campaigning for votes in New Hampshire's leadoff primary Tuesday, repeated his pledge to appoint to the Supreme Court only those who would support abortion rights.

Each of the seven major candidates for the Democratic nomination supports the right to abortion. President Bush, however, supports abortion only in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's life is endangered.

<snip>

"I'm the only candidate running for president who hasn't played games, fudged around," said Kerry, a Massachusetts senator. "If you believe that choice is a constitutional right, and I do, and if you believe that Roe v. Wade is the embodiment of that right ... I will not appoint a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States who will undo that right."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/26/politics1351EST0647.DTL

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Kerry or Ambien?

Your choice. Is Ambien habit-forming?

[Jane Roe]

2. Is Roe v Wade the embodiment of that right?

Quote from Roe v Wade:

"On the basis of elements such as these, (some people) argue that the woman's right is absolute and that she is entitled to terminate her pregnancy at whatever time, in whatever way, and for whatever reason she alone chooses. With this we do not agree. (A)rguments that (a state) either has no valid interest at all in regulating the abortion decision, or no interest strong enough to support any limitation upon the woman's sole determination, are unpersuasive."

Does this really reflect Candidate Kerry's position?

[Poseidon]

7. Yes, Jane Roe.

Are you the real Jane Roe who has also played games on the abortion issue? :shrug:

[Jane Roe]

10. Jane Roe is a pseudonym -- everybody knows that.

To answer more directly: no I am not the woman who had a change of mind about pregnancy termination law.

However, I will say that I don't think that sincerely changing one's mind about a difficult issue should generally be regarded as a mark of shame -- not even when it happens to a politician.

Furthermore, I think that when Candidate Kerry reads the portion of Roe v Wade that I quoted above and realizes how antichoice it is, then he himself will come to second guess the unqualified support he now expresses for Roe.

[Poseidon]

18. How is that section anti-choice?

:shrug:

[Jane Roe]

19. Antichoice in two ways:

1. It says that a woman's right to terminate pregnancies is not absolute.

2. It says that state law can be written to restrict women's access to abortion in some circumstances.

This is the part of the Roe majority opinion that I wonder whether Candidate Kerry agrees with.

[Poseidon]

23. Makes sense to me

Roe follows along the path of viability. Fetuses are certainly viable in the 7th month of pregnancy and after, so Roe gives states the power to block abortions in this period, except to save the mother's life. Why would anyone have a problem with this? Planned Parenthood and NARAL don't. :shrug:

[Jane Roe]

24. I think some DUers do have problems with this.

I certainly get my fair share of flack when I argue for fetal rights for viable fetuses here on DU.

If you have the search function (and are interested in such trivia) you will easily be able to find many examples of this.

Anyway I am happy that me and Roe and you and NARAL and PP all stand together on this. I think the democratic Party would do well to play up our unity on this.

[Poseidon]

26. No

hardly any DUers have problems with this. DUers have problems with the partial birth abortion ban act because it includes no health exception. If the PBA ban had a health exception, I imagine that 75% of DUers would support it.

[Jane Roe]

27. LOL

(By the way, I strongly agree that this unconstitutional law should have included an exception exactly as you suggest.)

[Poseidon]

28. What's so funny?

nt

[Jane Roe]

29. The comic-ly large discrepancy between . . .

what you think DUers think and what I think DUers think.

[blm]

3. He made no bones about it months ago.

He said there WOULD be a litmus for judges. They have to support full reproductive rights as SETTLED law.

[killbotfactory]

4. Welp, he lied...

Or maybe it was a slip of the tongue...

or a subtle nuance I can't understand.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. WOW. That's a strong statement

I'm not sure how it stacks up but he seems pretty damned sure.

[MaineDem]

6. Career ratings

Since he's been in the Senate, Kerry has a 95% rating from NARAL, including 100% since 1995 and a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood in the 107th Congress.

I trust him with making the right decisions when my reproductive rights are being questioned.

[redqueen]

8. So who is this supposed to be a dig at? n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. Definitely your man for one.

I'm not sure about Howard though.

[redqueen]

11. Yep I knew Kucinich was one

:)

But I was wondering, since the Kooch is no threat, who he's really going after with this.

Anyone know?

[killbotfactory]

14. Kerry is "playing games" with other candidates records...

Dean is solid on his pro-choice position, and was a chairman (or something like that) at planned parenthood.
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/Howard_Dean_Abortion.htm

Edwards is solid
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/John_Edwards_Abortion.htm

Lieberman... not so much
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/Joseph_Lieberman_Abortion.htm

Clark is solid
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/Wesley_Clark_Abortion.htm

I guess Kerry is attacking Lieberman...

Or he's talking out of his behind.

[dolstein]

22. Who are you kidding? Lieberman votes w/NARAL 95% of the time

See my other post.

[janx]

13. A certain physician who interned at Planned Parenthood, perhaps?

Just a guess. ;-)

[BootinUp]

12. Actually I don't like it when

any candidate starts making broad brush statements like "I am the only..."

I bet most voters don't like it either. I cringe whether its Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, John Kerry, etc.

If there is a difference that has to be pointed out then be specific. Otherwise it just smacks of dishonesty.

[redqueen]

15. Yes but if you point out specific differences

then you're 'attacking'.

[blm]

16. Agree...I'm the only does sound uncool, but I think it meant about judges.

Noone else said they'd only appoint judges who are prochoice.

Although, I seem to recall Dennis switched to that position about the judges.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. Yes. How to consider judicial candidates

that's what he's talking about.

[dolstein]

20. Joe Lieberman has voted with NARAL 95% of the time

<<Lieberman Supports A Woman’s Right To Choose. Joe Lieberman received a 100% rating for protecting a woman’s right to choose from NARAL in 2002; throughout his career in the United States Senate he voted in agreement with NARAL views 95% of the time.>>

http://www.politicsus.com/presidential%20press%20releases/Lieberman/102603g.htm

Isn't this the same as Kerry's lifetime score? Seems to me that the only one playing games around here is Kerry.

[LSdemocrat]

21. Dean was ON THE BOARD of Planned Parenthood in Vermont.

I'd like to see the other candidates beat that.

[in_cog_ni_to]

25. What the hell does that mean?

I'm sorry, that shit is going to backfire on Kerry. Does he have ANY idea how many NH voters have been to see ALL of the candidates and if they heard the other candidates say thay are pro-choice...how does that make Kerry look? NOT GOOD! Stupid statement! :grr:

Go Wes!

[arcos]

30. kick n/t

[Lobo_13]

31. Then one has to wonder

why he decided to sit out the vote on partial birth abortions.

If he's as strong on it as he says he is, then maybe he should have shown up for that one.

Oh well, what's one more sacrificed principal when you are obsessed with being President?

[Loren645]

32. Let 'em grow up then send 'em to war!

Breeding a new generation of soldiers.

[Doctor_J]

33. THat's why I won't work for Kerry

WTF is that? "well, they did it too!" Either defend your record or don't, but don't say it's right because other people did it.

Man, that is Bush-league, big time. THis kind of shit makes Rove feel warm inside.

It troubles me that the two candidates who have slung other Dems through the mud - Kerry and Dean - are gaining, while the two who have stayed positive - Edwards and Clark - are falling behind.

[askew]

34. This is an absurd attack.

The only one of our candidates who hasn't been 100% pro-choice is DK and he has publicly changed his position in the past year. Is DK a huge threat to Kerry in NH?

Seriously, when you look at our some of our candidates:

Clark - has been issuing strongly pro-choice statements and positions, since he got in the race.

Dean - served on the Planned Parenthood board, has come out and strongly stated that government has no place in making medical decisions, has clearly stated that there is no such thing a partial-birth abortion it is a term made up by the right wing, and he will eliminate the global and domestic gag rule.

For Pete's Sake, even Lieberman is strongly pro-choice.