Obama Advisor Admits Abortion Will Play a Role in 2010 Election Contests
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 29, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The mainstream media likes to downplay the issue of abortion in terms of its importance as a voting issue during national elections. But one of pro-abortion President Barack Obama’s top advisors says the debate over abortion "will certainly be an issue" when voters head to the polls in November.
White House House Senior Adviser David Axelrod said abortion would become a top election topic if only because he believes some of the pro-life Republican candidates are too extreme on abortion because they oppose abortions in cases of rape and incest.
"I think [abortion] is certainly an issue in the campaign and there are some people running on their side who have a very, very extreme view of this," Axelrod told The Huffington Post and National Review’s Robert Costa.
The comment referred to pro-life Senate candidates like Rand Paul in Kentucky, Joe Miller in Alaska, Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine O’Donnell in Delaware who hold consistently pro-life positions.
"Obviously they know that that is a problem because they omitted mention of all that from their Pledge [to America] and I think that is telling," Axelrod claimed, according to HuffPo.
However, the Pledge to America document was applauded by pro-life groups because it contains a clear call for a ban on all taxpayer funding of abortions and actions to repeal or de-fund the pro-abortion ObamaCare plan Congress passed.
Axelrod continued to acknowledge the importance of the abortion issue, claiming it would help pro-abortion candidates — though polls show pro-life candidates historically benefit — but he eventually backed away from the issue and focused on the economy.
"I am certain that that issue will be raised in campaigns all across the country. But the focus for Americans right now is the economy and where we go with the economy," he said.
"I’m sure that will be an issue with [suburban female] voters," he added. "But those voters, like all voters, are primarily concerned with where we go in this economy and how the middle class is going to carry on given the pressures they have been placed under in the last decade."
The pro-abortion candidates like Senator Michael Bennet in Colorado have tried to use the issue of abortion to boost their support, but polls show it’s not working.
New polls out today reveal pro-life Colorado Senate candidate Ken Buck, who opposes abortions in cases of rape and incest, has solidified his lead over Bennet despite an onslaught of advertising bashing him for his pro-life views.
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