Pro-Life Group Says Durbin Hypocritical on John Roberts, Abortion 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 11, 2005
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A leading pro-life organization has begun a radio ad campaign targeting Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat who says Supreme Court nominee John Roberts should be "disqualified" if he does not say he backs legal abortion during Senate hearings, which begin today.
In a July 24 interview with NBC News’ Tim Russert, Durbin said that Roberts would be "disqualified" if he did not accept the Supreme Court’s doctrine on the "right of privacy," and that "it would trouble me greatly" if he thought Roberts might allow state legislatures to restrict abortion.
With the Senate Judiciary Committee taking up Roberts’ nomination today, the National Right to Life Committee decided to begin airing radio ads in Durbin’s home state to remind his constituents the senator appears to favor an abortion litmus test.
The ad presents a dialogue between two fictional constituents, one of whom points out the comment from Durbin, the number two Democrat in the Senate, about the litmus test.
Meanwhile, a second constituent points to Durbin’s flip-flop on abortion.
In the 1980s, Durbin took a pro-life position on abortion. He gradually changed his views over the years as he sought to ascend the ranks within the Democratic Party.
"Durbin now says that Roberts may be disqualified, because Durbin thinks Roberts might, possibly, agree with part of the position that Durbin himself used to strongly advocate," the ad says.
Discussing his organizations’ ad buy, NRLC legislative director Douglas Johnson commented, "It is terribly unfair, if not brazenly hypocritical, for Durbin to suggest that a Supreme Court nominee might be disqualified for possibly agreeing with the legal position taken by the Congressman Durbin of 1989."
Related web sites:
"The Durbin Abortion Papers" – https://www.nrlc.org/Judicial/Durbin/index.html
