Posted on 02/03/2008 1:52:10 PM PST by Mr. Brightside
Election 2008
Misperceptions About McCain's Abortion Stance
by Julie Rovner
Weekend Edition Saturday, February 2, 2008 · Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's departure from the presidential race earlier this week means that once again, whoever the Republicans nominate will oppose abortion rights and whoever the Democrats nominate will be pro-choice. Many Republican voters, however, seem to believe, incorrectly, that the current Republican front-runner, Arizona Sen. John McCain, supports abortion rights, too.
The misperception is interesting, considering that McCain has not attempted to keep his pro-life views a secret. Here's how he put it on an appearance last year on NBC's Meet the Press:
"I have stated time after time after time that Roe v Wade was a bad decision, that I support a woman — the rights of the unborn — that I have fought for human rights and human dignity throughout my entire political career," McCain said. "To me, it's an issue of human rights and human dignity."
And while now former candidate Fred Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee, won the coveted endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee, McCain's voting record on the issue is just fine, says David O'Steen, the group's executive director.
"He's been very consistent; he hasn't changed his position," O'Steen says. He says that his group has supported McCain in every one of his senate races. "We've always considered him pro-life," he says.
Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, says her group has always considered McCain pro-life as well. And it's not just abortion, she says.
"He voted against family planning, he voted against the freedom of access to clinic entrances — that was about violence against women in clinics," Keenan says, adding, "He voted against funding for teen pregnancy-prevention programs, and making sure that abstinence only was medically accurate. This is very, very extreme."
Yet in Florida's GOP primary on Jan. 29, McCain won 45 percent of Republican voters who said abortion should be legal. That's nearly twice the total of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who used to be pro-choice, but now says he has changed his mind. And Giuliani, who says he still is pro-choice, received just 19 percent of those pro-choice voters.
NARAL's Keenan thinks it's because voters see McCain splitting with Republicans on so many other issues, they assume he must split with them when it comes to abortion as well.
"I think it comes back to that moderate maverick image that he's tried to portray," Keenan says. "But when you peel the onion back, the record shows that this is a guy who's been very anti-choice since he entered the U.S. House of Representatives back in 1983."
Those pro-choice McCain voters may also remember the very public feud McCain has had with the National Right to Life Committee. But that argument wasn't over abortion, says the NRLC's O'Steen; it was over the campaign finance measure that McCain sponsored with Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, a Democrat.
"The McCain-Feingold Act limited the ability of non-PACS [political action committees] to even mention the name of a candidate within 30 days of a primary, or 60 days of a general election," O'Steen says.
In other words, the dispute was a freedom of speech issue.
McCain's pro-life record isn't totally spotless: He did vote in favor of expanding federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. But both pro-choice and pro-life groups say that if McCain becomes the Republican nominee, they'll work hard to make sure voters know what his abortion position really is.
But with Romney, the picture is even more bleak.
But it also gave us Roberts, Alito, Janice Rogers Brown, etc.
At least Romney will not be limited in spending. The irony here is that McCain will be defeated by McCain-Feingold. LOL!
In Democrat Party discussions, Hillary’s chicks get mad and say that McCain is anti-choice. In Republican Party discussions, Hillary’s chicks say that he’s pro-abortion.
LOL!
That IS funny.
Beginning to wonder just which side of the political aisle most McCainians REALLY belong on.
I see don’t bother with the facts. We are just suppose to join in this Cult of Personality dogma about McCain and not dare question this tin gods actual political record..
We’ll all be aborted if our borders aren’t secured.
Ever heard of John McCain’s Baker Commission plan to surrender Iraq to Syria and Iran? Plan to close Gitmo? Plan to extend US Constitutional protections to Terrorists?
Over Judge Appointments?
Ever heard of John McCain’s Gang for 14?
What has McCain ever done about Fed Spending but talk a good game?
Yet we have seen McCain fight tooth and nail for disastrous Anti Conservative legislation. McCain-Finegold, McCain-Kennedy and McCain-Leiberman
So basically what the so called “Conservative” pundits are telling us is ignore the McCain record, ignore his habit of twisting in the wind with every new political breeze and trust that the John McCain of the early 1990s will suddenly emerge to replace the John McCain of the last 10 years once he wins the WH.
Name for me any politician who moved to the right after wining the WH in the last 70 years?
Conservatives absolutely must stop McCain even if it means enduring a Clinton 2 Administration.
At least with a Leftist Administration the GOP Establishment would finally realize they must actually advance our agenda rather then be Democrat Lite if they want our votes. Right now they hold Conservatives in contempt. They think “We can do anything we want and the sheep will show up and vote for us”.
At some point, Conservative are either going to have to make a stand or quit being Conservatives. The time is now. The way to stop it is to make sure McCain is never elected President.
This is what the Party Uber Alles types have got to learn. At some point Conservatives are going to make a stand. We have to teach the Republican Establishment that there are lines they cannot cross. John McCain is that line.
Politically Hillary and McCain are virtually the same. They may have minor difference on this issue or that but ideologically they have the same authoritarian big Govt mindset.
In 2000 Conservatives were so desperate to control the Congress and the Presidency we grit our teeth and accepted Bush had to move Left. So since we were still getting about 70% of what we wanted we made peace with it.
Now, with McCain, the GOP Establishment are telling us “Hey if we want to win we got to more 35% father Left”. If Conservatives accept that, then in 2010, they will tell us “Hey we got to move 15% father Left to win” and the same in 2012-2014 etc etc etc forever.
The Party Uber Alles types have got to be taught a lesson. The lesson is that we actually want our political agenda advanced. We are not willing to become Democrat Lite just to keep THEM in office. The time for that stand is now. The person who best represents this leftward drift in the GOP is McCain. He must be defeated either in the primary or in the General Election
If we make a priority and abolish it, then the issue need never disrupt another campaign again.
Matthew 18:10
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
His ACTUAL record is 86 percent conservative, lifetime.
And 65 percent (or so) since 2000.
Not good. Not going in the right direction. But nowhere close to Hillary's record.
I have no doubt that Sen. McCain will pick whatever side of the issue that is most politic this week.
“Hopefully, we with McCain we might get one conservative out of the two. Or he might give us two Sandra Day O’Connors.”
It would be be more likely for him to give us two David Souters.
"In 1993, McCain voted to confirm ACLU liberal and pro-abortion Ruth Bader Ginsburg." --John McCain: Hillary Clinton Collaborator, the Post Chronicle, January 28, 2008Fact-based corrections concerning McCain's vote for Ginsburg and / or Ginsburg's Constitution-ignoring agenda are welcome.
You most certainly can not be talking about me, but why don’t you clarify that?
That's extremely ODD coming from you, since you have been one of the biggest railers against the anti-Bush drones here at FR. It reminds me of when an alcoholic hits the wagon and then starts preaching against the evils of demon drink...
NPR getting worried that McVain won’t win the GOP nomination?? Trying to do a little CYA for him??? A little helpful hand from his friends at NPR?? Returning a favor for a GOP senator who keeps protecting the amount the demoncrats want annually to put into Federal budget to keep the Pacifica Radio, NPR and PBS pumping out that anti-GOP ‘news’??
But I don’t believe John McCain would jeopardize his popularity or risk upsetting demoncrat senators by going all pro-life on anything important. For the life of me, I can’t remember McCain ever talking about abortion or him being central to any legislative effort (like the partial birth abortion bans in Congress) or any public discussion. I don’t remember him at all when it comes to ANY social issue beyond his refusal to be involved in any of the DOMA efforts.
I agree, but I’n afraid it’s not realistic.
Screaming a lie louder does not magically change it to fact. Something you McCainiancs ought to learn because that is all you do scream lies.
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