Text: Obama's response to CNN question on Notre Dame, FOCA and abortion

American Papist ^ | April 30, 2009 | Thomas Peters

[NYer]

Last night during Obama's press conference Ed Henry of CNN asked an excellent question.

Here is the text of the question and Barack Obama's response:

CNN's Ed Henry: Thank you, Mr. President. In a couple of weeks, you're going to be giving the commencement at Notre Dame. And, as you know, this has caused a lot of controversy among Catholics who are opposed to your position on abortion.

As a candidate, you vowed that one of the very things you wanted to do was sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as you know, would eliminate federal, state and local restrictions on abortion. And at one point in the campaign when asked about abortion and life, you said that it was above — quote, above my pay grade.

Now that you've been president for 100 days, obviously, your pay grade is a little higher than when you were a senator.

Do you still hope that Congress quickly sends you the Freedom of Choice Act so you can sign it?

OBAMA: You know, the — my view on — on abortion, I think, has been very consistent. I think abortion is a moral issue and an ethical issue.

I think that those who are pro-choice make a mistake when they — if they suggest — and I don't want to create straw men here, but I think there are some who suggest that this is simply an issue about women's freedom and that there's no other considerations. I think, look, this is an issue that people have to wrestle with and families and individual women have to wrestle with.

The reason I'm pro-choice is because I don't think women take that — that position casually. I think that they struggle with these decisions each and every day. And I think they are in a better position to make these decisions ultimately than members of Congress or a president of the United States, in consultation with their families, with their doctors, with their clergy.

So — so that has been my consistent position. The other thing that I said consistently during the campaign is I would like to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that result in women feeling compelled to get an abortion, or at least considering getting an abortion, particularly if we can reduce the number of teen pregnancies, which has started to spike up again.

And so I've got a task force within the Domestic Policy Council in the West Wing of the White House that is working with groups both in the pro-choice camp and in the pro-life camp, to see if we can arrive at some consensus on that.

Now, the Freedom of Choice Act is not highest legislative priority. I believe that women should have the right to choose. But I think that the most important thing we can do to tamp down some of the anger surrounding this issue is to focus on those areas that we can agree on. And that's — that's where I'm going to focus.

I will refrain from commenting at this point. Do note, however, that Obama makes no comment about the Notre Dame scandal. I'm not quite sure immediately what significance there may be to that omission.

And props to Ed Henry for playing hardball. I wouldn't be surprised if he's taking hits for it.

[photo credit: CNN]

update - video of this question (via the SuzyB blog):

[vrwc1]

Obama: I think abortion is a moral issue and an ethical issue.

Doesn't that imply that there is both a "moral" side and an "immoral" side to the abortion issue? Doesn't it also imply that there is an "ethical" side and an "unethical" side to the abortion issue?

Isn't it government's job to make laws that prohibit immoral and unethical behavior to protect those that might be adversely affected by said behavior?

Obama: The reason I'm pro-choice is because I don't think women take that — that position casually. I think that they struggle with these decisions each and every day. And I think they are in a better position to make these decisions ultimately than members of Congress or a president of the United States, in consultation with their families, with their doctors, with their clergy.

So what he's saying is that what's "immoral" for some people is "moral" for other people, and what's "unethical" for some people is "ethical" for other people. He thinks there is no right or wrong...everyone should just do what they feel is right for them.

He is too much of a coward to take a stand one way or the other, so he passes the buck and lets someone else decide, without any consideration whatsoever of the life of the child in the womb.

Harry Truman used to say "the buck stops here." B. Hussein Obama says "the buck is passed here."

[Lumper20]

Keep your fly zipped cause women’s lib has you by the you know what.

[Appleby]

That is a very strange reply — you ought to keep your fly zipped because impregnating women and abandoning them or pressuring them to abort your baby because all you wanted was free sex is unethical and immoral.

Or is your position that once you impregnate a woman, you notch your bedpost, holler out your WOO HOO! and move on to the next one with no responsibility?

[Northern Yankee]

Great observations.

It's funny how obambi twists words and phrases to make it look that he's taking the high road, when he's never taking any road. He continues to languish in the gutter.

[onedoug]

Disgusting

[Lumper20]

There is nothing strange about keeping fly zipped if a woman told you she wanted a child and you both wanted one. Then she changes her mind.

[timestax]