Johnny Got His Mind Straightened

Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode CCCI

An article at the New York Post yesterday (brackets in original).

Flip-flop-flip.

Democrat John Kerry yesterday did a backward somersault and retreated from his suggestion just one day earlier that he might appoint right-to-life justices to the Supreme Court as long as the majority stayed pro-choice.

"I want to make myself clear," said a Kerry statement issued by his campaign. "I believe that a woman's right to choose is a constitutional right. I will not appoint anyone to the Supreme Court who will undo that right."

On Wednesday, Kerry sparked a brouhaha by telling the Associated Press he might appoint an anti-abortion judge to the Supreme Court, but not if it had just a narrow 5-4 pro-choice majority.

"That doesn't mean that if that's not the balance of the court, I wouldn't be prepared ultimately to appoint somebody to some court who has a different point of view. I've already voted for people like that. I voted for [right-to-life] Judge [Antonin] Scalia," Kerry said.

In the Democratic primaries, Kerry vowed to have an absolute abortion litmus test and only back pro-choice justices. He also pledged to filibuster to block any Bush nominees to the high court who weren't pro-choice.

Many pro-choice activists accepted Kerry's clarification. "This is not a time when we're going to pounce on John Kerry," said Elizabeth Cavendish of the abortion-rights group NARAL, which backs Kerry.

But Gloria Feldt, head of the pro-Kerry Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said: "I'd like to hear him use language that is stronger."

Kerry's latest flip-flop played right into what polls show as a key weakness: Voters think he tries to straddle both sides of an issue, a point underscored in Bush campaign attacks on the "Boston Fog" of Kerry's views.

President Bush opposes abortion and signed a ban on "partial-birth" abortions. Kerry voted against that ban, which passed the Senate by 64-34.

The flap comes as new polls show the 2004 race very close — and surprisingly close in New Jersey, where Kerry leads Bush by just 3 points. In 2000, Al Gore romped to a 14-point win in the Garden State.

In New Jersey, Kerry had 46 percent, Bush 43 and independent Ralph Nader 5 in a new Quinnipiac poll. Kerry also led by 3 in a Nader-free race.

Why so close? New Jersey is a very tax-sensitive state with higher-than-average incomes, where voters could suspect Kerry's vow to tax the "rich" targets them, said GOP pollster Jim McLaughlin.

A new Fox News national poll found a dead heat and a growing undecided vote. Bush and Kerry had 40 percent each, Nader 3 percent, and 17 percent were undecided. But the poll gave Bush a 6-point lead in "battleground" states.

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Flip-flop-flip. That's an editorial comment, no? But isn't this supposed to be a news story? It's not labelled "analysis" or "commentary".

Anyway, Gloria Feldt, head of the pro-Kerry Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said: "I'd like to hear him use language that is stronger." I guess that answers the question of who Kerry takes his marching orders from.

Some folks are confused by Kerry's move on Wednesday. Actually, he was being quite consistent. He likes, if possible, to straddle an issue, so he can tell one group that he was for something and another group that he was against it. Like, he'll talk up an issue, then vote against it; or vote for a bill, then bad mouth it. This time, he tried to appease pro-lifers by saying he would consider nominating a pro-lifer, while simulataneously trying to placate pro-abortionists by saying he wouldn't nominate a pro-lifer if it would actually make a difference. Very clumsy.

By the way, what does this sound like to you? "I want to make myself clear," said a Kerry statement issued by his campaign. "I believe that a woman's right to choose is a constitutional right. I will not appoint anyone to the Supreme Court who will undo that right." Does that sound like "I'm personally opposed to abortion, but...."?

That's not what it sounds like to me.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sat. 05/22/04 09:42:01 AM
Categorized as Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode & John Kerry.