Democrats divided over rethink on abortion

[emad]

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Thursday January 27, 2005
The Guardian

The Democratic party, shaken by its loss on "moral values" in last November's elections, has embarked on a rethink of its approach to the core issue of abortion rights.

Two of the leading candidates for the leadership of the Democratic national committee on February 12 have called on the party to embrace opponents of abortion - an idea that would once have been unthinkable in an organisation where the right to choose is sacrosanct.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, with an eye to her potential candidacy in 2008, also joined the debate this week, telling a largely pro-choice crowd she sought "common ground" on America's most divisive issue.

"We can all recognise that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic, choice to many, many women," Senator Clinton told a rally marking the 32nd anniversary of the supreme court decision legalising abortion.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1399439,00.html

[vi5]

1. Ahhh...up is down, down is up...

The majority of americans agree with more of the basic tenets of our platform on the issue than agree with the repubs, AND the procedure in question was performed less under a democratic president than a republican one, but yet somehow WE are the ones who have to rethink our position?

Amazing. Simply f'ng amazing.

[still_one]

2. Hilary Clinton is an opportunist, who DOES NOT care about

what is right. She voted for rice confirmation, 385 billion dollar pork-filled budget which diminishes roe v wade, for the war in iraq, etc. She goes whichever way she thinks the wind is blowing

[KittyWampus]

12. Nothing In Her Latest Statement Made Any Indication She's Abandoning

a woman's right to choose.

Democrats need to start reframing debates and learning how to talk to those who aren't from a more intellectual background.

Unless of course you just want to exterminate those who don't agree with you.

[BlueJazz]

3. For Myself...there's nothing to "Rethink"

You either allow Women to have control over their own bodies or you don't.

Period.

[DELUSIONAL]

13. Well said

For the Senate Democrats to choose Reid as their leader is a slap in the face of women.

Since I don't have to register party affiliation in WA -- "quitting" the democratic party is merely symbolic. Except of course for caucus. BUT -- I have quit the democratic party over their attempt to become GOP light.

If we need an example of the oppressive ownership of women's bodies -- Germany is a good example. German women returning from other countries on the train are sometimes removed from the train to be "examined" to be sure they didn't leave the country in order to have an abortion. Another example of the other extreme -- China -- women are monitored to be sure they don't have more than one child.

Women will lose control of their bodies -- and they were be considered merely reproductive vessels -- walking uteri.

[ElectroPrincess]

4. Here's a time tested Democratic Thought ...

Democrats do NOT legislate morality. Especially something as private as what a woman chooses to do with her OWN body.

There's no conflict here. Even Catholic Democrats can both be true to their faith and remain Pro-Choice for their constituents.

Next move, if abortion is outlawed will be to restrict women's birth control options.

You can take this to the bank. The dirty little "hidden agenda" is to degrade women's place in society (economic as well as social standing) - put THEM (women) back to being married, abused, constantly knocked-up and at the beckon call of their masters (husbands).

[Inland]

5. It isn't a rethink.

It is restating the Clinton Gore position that abortions should be legal, safe and rare. Rare, because it is a decision that a person would rather not make and a procedure that is preventable through contraception.

Pro lifers only care about babies before they are born. Dems can't be seen as caring about women and their choices only at the point of abortion. Women have to be empowered at the point of contraception AND giving up for adoption AND bearing a child AND giving it a decent education and safe upbringing.

[Connie_Corleone]

8. And that's exactly what Hillary said in her speech the other day.

I don't know why it caused such an uproar here.

[MARALE]

15. The uproar is caused by the 'ahamum "liberal" media

Clinton was just saying that we need to explain we want to prevent the need for abortions, but they should be there as a last resort. Abortions have gone up since * has taken office. He does not do anything to help the reason behind abortions. He just wants to legislate it. I wish people caould understand what she was trying to say as well.

[nickinSTL]

6. "We can all recognise that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even

tragic, choice to many, many women,"

Yeah, we can find common ground on the emotional issues.

But where we CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT find common ground, is on the issue of abortion being prohibited by the government.

Regardless of our personal feelings on the issue, abortion should remain legal.

Someone on DU posted recently that the goal on the abortion issue should be 'legal, safe and rare'. Which I agree with.

[CWebster]

7. Be very careful

and critically think about the language used: "sad", "tragic" "rare". Those are themes deliberately formulated to cast a moral judgement and that undermines the issue.

[ElectroPrincess]

9. I disagree slightly ...

You must have caught Randi Rhodes going ballistic, "Abortion IS a TRAGEDY." Yeah, tis true, however, I'd suggest dispensing with the phony hand wringing and deep sighs.

Yes albeit abortion is tragic for humanity and against my personal faith, in my most quiet moments, I REALIZE, one particular family's tragedy is not for me "or the government" to get their nasty two cents into.

It's a PRIVATE matter between a woman and her doctor. It's called pro-choice and has been a hallmark of our Democratic Party Platform.

If any of these so called Democrats start screaming "tragedy" instead of "personal crisis/tragedy" for the individuals involved, I'll no longer consider them on the same team.

[nickinSTL]

17. Ok, I was quoting Clinton, not stating the 'sad, tragic'

myself.

I know the emotion is used as a tool to drive anti-abortion activism.

I find it (the use of emotion in the abortion issue) personally distasteful.

I am 100% pro-choice. I think the government has no place in a woman's decisions about her own health and medical care.

[goddess40]

10. We have to forget about trying to win the fake pro-lifer votes

it is never going to happen. They're pro-life only when it comes to controlling women and there are too many other things the left stands for that these people will never vote for a Dem. Gays, realistic gun control, free speech, pro-birth control, equality...

The pro-lifers that are Dem's already understand that and vote looking at all the issues. Pro-lifers here understand that no one is pro-abortion.

[noamnety]

11. Gee, you think the journalist had an agenda?

More drivel on the "moral values" voters, without any regard to what that actually meant - and deliberately misrepresenting Hillary's comments in a way to subtly suggest she is rethinking her position on abortion. An example in the article is quoting the aide saying Hillary is still committed to reproduction rights, instead of just quoting Hillary directly, who said it directly, herself.

[ElectroPrincess]

14. I dunno, I think Hillary will be hard pressed to reclaim her Senate seat

Personally, I hope she loses it all. Why? So we don't have to continue to see the right wingers spin out and foam at the mouth every time her name is mentioned.

[itzamirakul]

18. Hillary is my Senator and I am very disappointed in her...

I used to be such a big fan of hers but her willingness to vote "Yay" on so many rw issues and nominees is a real problem for me.

I was especially disappointed and disgusted that neither she nor NY Senator Schumer even dared show up at the Condi confirmation and give their votes publicly. Neither one of them was even THERE for the vote. What could have been more important? They are both just cowards hoping to keep warming their senate seats for life.

As far as her statement that abortions be "Legal, Safe, and Rare," I am in agreement with "Legal and Safe" and I must say that among most women who I know that have ever had an abortion, they have only had ONE and are NOT REPEAT "abortionees." I don't know that there are more than a handful of women who get abortion after abortion. So that would make abortions rare already.

Planned Parenthood is a marvelous organization that has for years worked to help women find alternatives to abortion, but who DID, when necessary, support the woman's individual decision to abort when it seemed to be the last resort. Of course, their government support has eroded seriously with the rw in control. I guess Republican women never abort.

[bklyncowgirl]

16. I'n not a big Hillary fan but I don't see anything here ...

That's any different from similar statements by Howard Dean and John Kerry.

Who doesn't want abortions to be safe, legal and rare?

[oneold1-4u]

19. Rethink?!!!

If any woman can think at all it is because a few went to battle to be able to vote, divorce, own property, be employed other than a primary country school teacher for a dollar a day, etc.
The male gender has dominated women with strength and legal powers for too many centuries and still do in every country dominated by Islamics. Some women "LIKE IT"! Those who don't had better take great steps to preserve all the rights gained in just the last century, or just take off their shoes, get pregnant, and run quickly over to the Republican party and help with this creation of a bush-chauvinist, anarchist theocracy regime!

[oneold1-4u]

20. A Clinton Repub?

Hillary would change parties on the next breath for the presidency! Even Jeb's VP would lure her!
The Democrats may well need a house cleaning of the soft right but it would be far better to proceed with all the good progressive agendas to gain more people and select only the best for leadership of the party. Leadership above all else will bring back the strength!