Democrats are ready to “soften” their image on abortion, according to the Boston Globe:
Leading Democrats, stung by election losses, are signaling they want the party to embrace antiabortion voters and candidates, softening the image of the party from one fiercely defensive of abortion rights to one that acknowledges the moral and religious qualms some Americans have about the issue.House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat who is one of the most ardent supporters of abortion rights in Congress, has encouraged Tim Roemer, a former representative with a strong voting record against abortion, to run for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. The Democrats’ new Senate minority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, opposes abortion rights.
No prominent Democrat has suggested that the party change its long-held stance that a woman should have the right to an abortion if she chooses. But as Democrats assess what went wrong for them in November, some are urging a “big tent” approach that is more welcoming to those who oppose abortion. Democrats say that attitude might be especially useful with Hispanics, a critical constituency that tends to be Roman Catholic and whose majority support for Democrats has slipped in recent elections.
That the “Hispanic vote” didn’t particularly help them this time around is quite a shock, I’m sure. Equally shocking is the fact that some people actually vote for what’s right instead of what’s politically expedient or beneficial to them in terms of government handouts or other perks for having brown skin. Good character is a great quality.
But Democrats are a little fearful of coming out in favor of unborn life unequivocally:
Abortion rights activists are alarmed at the potential shift in the party’s approach to the issue as they look warily ahead to Supreme Court nomination fights and efforts in Congress to restrict abortion. But Democratic leaders say they can reach out to voters in the “red states,” which voted Republican in November, without compromising their party platform on abortion.“All Democrats are united around the idea that we should make abortion safe, legal, and rare,” but “we also have to be open to people who are pro-life,” said Simon Rosenberg, the president of the New Democratic Network who is mulling a run for the DNC chairmanship.
Safe, legal and rare? To regress back to my Valley Girl days, Gag me with a spoon!
Ever wonder what the real motive is for rabid infanticide supporters? I used to send links of my column to a group of friends, mostly liberals. Somewhat politically apathetic, they usually responded with a “How are you doing?,” rarely commenting on the column. One day I got a scathing message from one of them. One of my anti-abortion pieces sent her through the roof. She told me off, giving me a history lesson on women’s rights and the run-down on the right to choose, etc.
I was taken aback by the fervor of her response. I’d sent anti-skin color preference articles, anti-NAACP articles, articles comparing white Democrats to slave masters and by implication, black liberals to slaves (I thought I’d catch it with that one.), but nothing so moved her as my plea for the protection of unborn children.
Isn’t it curious that the right to kill babies provokes such passion?
