Democratic Party Platform Draft Backs Abortion, Tries to Moderate Image
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 7, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A draft copy of the proposed Democratic Party platform shouldn’t surprise anyone involved in the abortion debate. The platform backs unlimited abortions paid for at taxpayer expense but also tries to moderate the party’s image with support for childbirth and birth control.
The party platform is supposed to mirror the principles and policies of the nominee, in this case pro-abortion candidate Barack Obama.
The proposed platform does just that, by promoting unqualified support for abortion and the Roe v. Wade case that ushered in 50 million abortions.
It also includes a short phrase about a woman’s ability to pay for an abortion — meant to tout support for making taxpayers fund abortions.
"The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right," the proposal says on page 50.
The final aspect of the language hearkens to Obama’s pledge to Planned Parenthood in a July 2007 speech saying his first action as president would be signing the so-called Freedom of Choice Act. That’s a Congressional bill that would overturn every abortion limit nationwide from a ban on partial-birth abortions to parental notification laws.
The platform statement on abortion doesn’t end there but includes two more paragraphs that serve as a public relations ploy to moderate that extreme position on abortion.
It talks up birth control and promotion of contraception as supposedly a means to end abortions even though stats seems to show promoting the morning after pill, for example, fails to reduce abortions.
"The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family planning services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which empowers people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions," the platform proposal reads.
It also provides the party and Obama with political cover by saying it supports childbirth and helping pregnant women.
"The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman’s decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs," it concludes on abortion.
A final vote on the platform will be taken in association with the Democratic Party convention in Denver at the end of August.
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