John Kerry: I’m the Most Consistent Pro-Abortion Presidential Candidate
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 26, 2004
Concord, NH (LifeNews.com) — On Monday, presidential candidate John Kerry said he has been the most consistent supporter of abortion as compared with others seeking the Democratic nomination.
Kerry said the other Democrats seeking the party’s nomination have "played games" on the issue of abortion.
"I’m the only candidate running for president who hasn’t played games, fudged around,” Kerry said of his pro-abortion position.
Like a previous claim that his first speech as a member of the U.S. Senate advocated abortion, this one also may be hard to substantiate. (Kerry later retracted the claim when information came to light that his first speech was in opposition to a missile defense program proposed by President Ronald Reagan.)
Each of the Democratic presidential candidates supports abortion and the abortion advocacy group NARAL has indicated it would be happy with any of the candidates as the party’s nominee.
Wesley Clark was recently criticized for saying he supported abortion up to the day of birth with no limitations. Later, he refused to answer reporters’ questions about his stance — though he clarified his position saying he supports the Supreme Court’s 1992 decision in Casey vs. Planned Parenthood that allows some pro-life legislation.
Howard Dean has also drawn the ire of pro-life advocates. He and his wife both did unrequired stints at Planned Parenthood during their medical school days and he served on the board of Planned Parenthood of New England prior to becoming Vermont’s governor.
Once elected governor, Dean include a proposal for $5 abortions in his taxpayer-funded state health care plan.
Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, voted twice against the federal ban on partial-birth abortions signed by President Bush. But, presidential candidate and Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman also voted against it twice.
On Monday, Kerry also repeated his pledge that, as president, he would appoint only pro-abortion nominees to key federal court positions, including the Supreme Court.
"If you believe that choice is a constitutional right, and I do, and if you believe that Roe v. Wade is the embodiment of that right … I will not appoint a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States who will undo that right.”
