Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders Defends Bill Clinton’s Abortion Diatribe 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 20, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders is coming to Bill Clinton’s defense after the former president lashed out at pro-life advocates at a recent Ohio rally. Clinton claimed to have decreased abortions during his presidency and Elders said that was the case because of his promotion of contraception.
"I think he very much supported sexual health and supported the use of contraceptives for women who needed them," Elders told the Cybercast News Service on Wednesday.
"Condoms prevented the spread of HIV and prevented pregnancy, and by preventing teenage and unplanned pregnancy, I think you will reduce the number of abortions," she added.
As LifeNews.com first reported, Clinton lost his temper and lashed out at the pro-life students during the speech in eastern Ohio.
Clinton claimed his policies and those that Hillary Clinton supports are doing more to reduce abortions even though both have steadfastly opposed bills to limit abortions, such as a ban on partial-birth abortions and not spending taxpayer money on abortions.
“Now, the issue is you can’t name me anybody presently in politics that did more to introduce policies that reduce the number of real abortions instead of the hot air putting out to tear people up and make votes by dividing America,” he said.
In fact, most of the decline in abortions during the Clinton administration occurred during his first few years while the pro-life policies of President George Bush were still having effect.
Dr. Randy O’Bannon, director of education at the National Right to Life Committee, previously told LifeNews.com that the rate of decline in national abortion figures slowed during the Clinton years.
"In Clinton’s last year in office, the decline was… just 0.1%," O’Bannon explained.
The abortion number even reversed itself one year during the Clinton presidency, from 1995-1996, and went up slightly.
Kristan Hawkins, the director of Students for Life of America, told LifeNews.com that Clinton will always confront questions about his record on abortion because he did so much to advance it during his presidency.
"It is amazing that these pro-abortion politicians think that they can continuously support the killing of millions of unborn children and no one will express their dissatisfaction," she said.
"They think they don’t ever have to answer questions about their pro-abortion policies or the money they receive from pro-abortion lobbying organizations," she added.
