Congresswoman Defends Bush Adviser on Abortion March Comments
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 10, 2004
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Last week, a pro-life congresswoman defended Karen Hughes, a top adviser to President Bush. Hughes is coming under fire from leading abortion advocacy groups for responding to a recent pro-abortion march by saying that an overall respect for life has increased following the September 2001 terrorist attacks.
"Several Members of this body issued statements criticizing presidential adviser Karen Hughes demanding an apology for [her] comments ," Rep. JoAnn Davis (R-VA) told members of the House on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, my colleagues have distorted her remarks into a misrepresentation of her actual sentiment, which I fully support."
"[T]his demand for an apology is simply a political ploy designed to damage the pro-life movement and to promote the abortion industry and their pursuit of increased abortions," Davis said. "Abortion is a money-making business, and the pro-abortion movement will take any chance they can to derail those who promote life."
"Although Mrs. Hughes did not insinuate that these groups were terrorists, I find it amazing that these pro-abortion groups, like Planned Parenthood, have the gall to claim that they are "offended” at this accusation," Davis explained.
Davis told members of the House that abortion advocates should be offended by the signs that appeared at their national march for abortion.
Some of the signs had obscene comments and others advocated that former first lady Barbara Bush should have had an abortion.
Davis said abortion advocates are engaging in hypocrisy by calling pro-life groups "terrorists."
"[T]hese groups claim to speak for all women. It is these very same groups that have repeatedly called pro-life groups like Concerned Women for American ‘terrorists.” Yes, Planned Parenthood likes to use the word ‘terrorist” any time they deem it politically useful," Davis explained.
"Recently, I saw on Planned Parenthood Federation’s web site a page entitled ‘Eye on Extremism,”’ and under the heading titled ‘Terrorists and Extremist Organizations’ was a detailed listing of 14 leading pro-life organizations," Davis said.
"Planned Parenthood, are you going to apologize for these groups for, as you put it, ‘cheap and distasteful politics,’" Davis asked.
Hughes said the following on CNN in response to the pro-abortion march: "I think after September 11, the American people are valuing life more and I think those are the kind of policies the American people can support, particularly at a time when we’re facing an enemy, and really, the fundamental difference between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life."
"It’s the founding conviction of our country, that we’re endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, the right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Hughes added. "Unfortunately our enemies in the terror network, as we’re seeing repeatedly in the headlines these days, don’t value any life, not even the innocent and not even their own."
In response, NARAL has run a television commercial blasting Hughes for comparing abortion advocates to terrorists. Planned Parenthood activists have been protesting Hughes at stops on her current book tour.
