John Edwards’ Wife Defends Tax-Funded Abortions After John Kerry Comment 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 13, 2004
Toldeo, OH (LifeNews.com) — Just days after Democratic presidential candidate John Kery defended his position in favor of taxpayer funded abortions in the second presidential debate, John Edwards’ wife did the same at a campaign stop in Ohio.
When asked by an audience member if a Kerry administration would compromise with pro-life advocates by opposing taxpayer funding of abortion, Elizabeth Edwards told the voter, "I don’t think I can help you."
According to a Toledo Blade report, Edwards said not using taxpayer money for abortions would discriminate against poor people.
"It is not enough to say you have the right to choose, if you have a dollar in your pocket," she added, repeating a claim Kerry made in Friday’s debate.
Bush campaign spokesperson Ali Harden responded, "If you ask around the country, women would disagree with Ms. Edwards’ statement."
During Friday night’s debate, despite a question from an audience member asking for his assurance that he would not use her tax money to pay for something she opposes, John Kerry confirmed his position in favor of taxpayer-funded of abortions.
Missouri resident Sarah Degenhart asked Kerry, "[S]uppose you are speaking with a voter who believed abortion is murder and the voter asked for reassurance that his or her tax dollars would not go to support abortion, what would you say to that person?"
Kerry told Degenhart that he respected her pro-life beliefs, but went on to say that he will use her tax money to fund abortions anyway — even in other countries.
Referring to public funding of abortions, Kerry said he would support "making certain that you don’t deny a poor person the right to be able to have whatever the constitution affords them if they can’t afford it otherwise."
President Bush made it clear he would not use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.
"My answer is, we’re not going to spend taxpayers’ money on abortion," said in response.
Bush has reinstated the Mexico City Policy that prohibits taxpayer money from going to groups that perform or promote abortions in other countries. He expanded the policy to include all State Department programs and also denied federal funds four times to the UNFPA, a U.N. agency that supports China’s policy of forced abortions and sterilizations.
Kerry has said he would restore UNFPA funding and revoke the Mexico City Policy on his first day in office.
Related web sites:
WeVoteProLife Voting Guide – https://www.WeVoteProLife.com
