Virginia Governor's Race

[OrangeOwl]

I'm wondering what to make of this. Tim Kaine is our candidate in Virginia this year, running against the ultra-conservative Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.

Check this out from today's Washington Post Op-Ed Page:

"The Harvard-trained lawyer's quick mind, fluent oratory and unscripted command of policy have excited his party's faithful. But as a Democrat running in Virginia, he starts out in a four- to six-point hole. He is a devout Catholic whose adherence to church doctrine on the sanctity of life has informed a long record of active opposition to capital punishment, including having once backed a moratorium on executions. (He's also against abortion, except to safeguard the mother's health.)"

What is with that abortion stance?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43143-2005Jan27.html

[mattclearing]

1. Candidate can't have a mind of his own? n/t

[Cuban_Liberal]

2. His position is consistent with the Church's position.

The Roman Catholic Church believes that all life is sacred; hence it opposes abortion, capital punishment and euthanasia.

[WI_DEM]

3. At least he is consistent unlike a lot of freepers who oppose abortion

but favor the death penalty.

[Zynx]

6. I admire consistency.

Many people have entirely conflicting positions on these issues.

[Charon]

4. Virginia Governor's Race

I live in the Tidewater area of Virginia. I think Kilgore is much more well known in the State than is Tim Kaine. We have not heard much of him in the last three years.

[OrangeOwl]

5. That's true

More of a function of Kilgore's job. Kaine, as Lt. Gov., really doesn't have anything to do to keep him in the news.

What he has to do is appeal to his base. I say trumpet the anti-death penalty thing and say what is true: he is pro-choice.

[John_H]

7. He also supports abortion for freepers since

he says its OK to have an abortion is you are impregnated by your first cousin, the process by which many Freepers concieve.

[Va Lefty]

8. I understand he is a devout Catholic

Against abortion except where health of the mother is involved. Not my position, but much better than we could expect under Kilgore. Kilgore thinks he can win by playing up Kaine's ACLU cases (when he was private lawyer) and his reluctance to embrace the death penalty. I hope Kaine is ready, because Falwell, Robertson, et al. will not hesitate to fling mud with both hands.

[DemDogs]

9. All abortion?

Or is this a late term abortion stance re: mother's health? Because if it is his later term abortion stand, it is the same as Durbin's position on late term. It always depends on what you mean by "health". The sticking point comes when health is left out and it is only the threat to the mother's life that is exception.

[OrangeOwl]

10. Health Exception

No -- the health exception is code for allowing abortions for any reason. "Health" can be interpreted to mean mental health, financial health ... anything.

When someone says he is against abortion, but throws in the health exception, he knows that his pro-life stance is meaningless. Kaine is winking at the pro-choice folks, and they know it. He is one of us. He is pro-choice, but needing to sound like a pro-lifer because he is in Virginia.

Kaine: Anti-death penalty, pro-choice. Good candidate for us.