Obama On Abortion At Saddleback Forum: Misstep?

Barack Obama's answer to Rick Warren's abortion continues to generate conversation, and is generally viewed as a "misstep."

That's true in a political sense, since the Obama campaign's effort is to deflect attention from his extreme pro-choice record. Obama's response to Warren did terrific damage to that effort.

Personally, I see it as more clarifying.. clarifying for those faithful Catholics who have taken leave of their sense and endorsed Obama, despite what ought to be their better judgment. I have Doug Kmiec specifically in mind.

On that note, I thought readers would be interested in this item from today's Political Diary newsletter:

Obama's Abortion Position? It's a One-liner

Barack Obama had made real strides in defusing the abortion issue with pro-life voters as late as last week. The Democratic platform had been modified to include language signaling the party's commitment to reducing the number of abortions and supporting women who decide to have a child. In a significant symbolic move, pro-life Senator Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania has been invited to address the Democratic National Convention on its second night. Back in 1992, Democrats did enormous damage to themselves with pro-life voters when they blocked Mr. Casey's father, the late Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey, from speaking.

But Mr. Obama eroded many of those gains last Saturday when he told Pastor Rick Warren during a nationally televised forum that deciding when the rights of personhood should be extended to the unborn was "above my pay grade." Even Doug Kmiec, a conservative Pepperdine University lawyer who has become one of Mr. Obama's most prominent pro-life backers, was unsettled. He called the candidate's answer "much too glib for something this serious."

Mr. Obama compounded his problems after the forum when in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, he accused pro-life groups of "lying" about his record in the Illinois State Senate on legislation that would have protected viable babies born after botched abortions. Mr. Obama acknowledged voting against the bill but said he would have voted "yes" if the bill had contained language similar to a federal bill's language making clear that the intention wasn't to diminish overall abortion rights. But, as recently revealed, the Illinois bill had indeed included such language and Mr. Obama still voted against it.

"Senator Obama got caught in the twisting of the truth," says Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council. "His campaign was later forced to put out a clarifying statement that it was the Senator himself who was actually wrong on the facts. He did indeed vote against a bill in the Illinois State Senate that was identical to the federal legislation that sought to protect babies who survive abortions."

Mr. Obama's stand on the issue is significant. The federal "Born Alive Infant Protection Act" sailed through the Senate in 2001 on a vote of 98 to 0. The bill was supported by Senator Barbara Boxer, the body's leading pro-choice spokeswoman, and was not opposed by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. By getting his facts wrong, Mr. Obama is now in the difficult position of trying to explain why he voted against a bill that the legislative record shows addressed infanticide rather than abortion.

The Associated Press reported on Sunday that a group calling itself The Real Truth About Obama is working to establish a Web site and air radio ads to publicize its view of Mr. Obama's voting record. MSNBC commentator Pat Buchanan says he's been told other outside groups are planning their own ad campaigns on Mr. Obama's abortion votes.

I think Kmiec's remark should go down as a contender for understatement of the year. Wake up, man! Obama's dishonesty regarding his abortion record should have snapped Kmiec out of spell. Wat he ought to do is disavow his Oabam endorsement and urge his fellow Catholics to vote for John McCain.

Comments

[Jeffrey]

This is a good article, although I think voting for John McCain is a mistake as well. It's time to vote our conscience...not for the Republican party, which has failed over and over again in protecting the unborn.

By vote our conscience, let me clarify, I mean either a non vote or a vote for a third party, pro-life candidate. Obama is pro-choice and pro-war, so even those who think he'll end our global dominance aspirations are sadly mistaken.

[Sam]

Jeff,

I question your logic here. I think I could make the argument that wasting your vote on a third party or a non-vote is immoral. To do so and allow Obama (a huge pro-abortion guy) to be elected is indefensible. The GOP, although imperfect on pro-life issues, has at least given us pro-life judges like Roberts, Scalia, Alito and Thomas.

[Catholic News]

Hello,

Thanks for the interesting read. However, let's not forget that McCain stated in the forum that he supports stem cell research. Unfortunately, no follow up questions were allowed. It left me wanting McCain to define what 'Pro-Life' means to him.

[Jeffrey]

Sam,
We'll likely just have to agree to disagree here. I don't think the Republican party is pro-life. Take a look at the loads of people throughout the world that have been displaced or killed through our collateral damage in unnecessary wars.
The Democrats are no different. Both parties are pro-war.
Republicans, by professing to be pro-life and pro-family, may be marginally better than Democrats, but that fine a line continues to blur.
If we continue to vote for the lesser of two evils, we'll always get exactly the government we deserve. Only the Catholic Church, through Jesus Christ, has the power to end abortion.
Pray.

[Dr Frank]

Is there a national support group for Catholics with Cancer? I would like to know because I am doing a breast cancer project and I am trying to get resources together for people with cancer of all faiths but have not been able to find a resource for my own faith.

[Jeanne]

With all the discussion of pro-life, pro-choice candidates...Did not Obama state that "the choice for abortion is always the wrong one?" Can it be that those who say they are pro/choice really mean that they do not want to see the era of septic, coat hanger saline abortions come back to haunt us? The choice really does lie with the woman and not the federal government. It seems to me that she will do what she will do be it the right choice or the murder of the innocent. It is mainly on her conscience and no one can persuade me that she does not experience that.

[Peter]

Jeanne
The problem with this argument is that you are justifying the cause. Coat hanger, saline and all, legal or not, your saying a woman is going to do what a woman is going to do, or at least should have the right to do. To have government sanctioned abortions vs not is justifying the crime of murder. I don't understand how so many can be against the war in Iraq and turn a blind eye to this issue. Open your eyes. 1.2 million babies are aborted a year in the United States alone (2% related to rape and incest, 1% related to potential threats to the mother) and we are worried about the death toll in Iraq. Seriously, that means for every one person who has died in Iraq, 4-5 babies are aborted in the United States alone simply because they are not wanted (this is assuming that the death toll of 1.2 million in Iraq is correct, Only about 91,000 are actually verified).

[Soft Cialis]

Nice post because when the people said that the abortion is a good idea it bother me because the life need to be protected in all the cases.

[conjunctivitis]

they must ban abortion on all states