The Candidates on Abortion
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John McCain |
McCain supports overturning Roe v. Wade and banning abortion except in cases of rape, incest or threat to the life of the mother. During his 2000 primary campaign, McCain opposed a repeal of Roe v. Wade because it would "force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations." He has an anti-abortion voting record and during his campaign he promised, if elected, to appoint Supreme Court justices in the mold of John Roberts Jr. and Samuel Alito who "strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States and do not legislate from the bench." In 2003, he voted to ban partial-birth abortions, keeping in line with his anti-abortion voting record. McCain supports abstinence-based initiatives and has said that he hopes there might be "a point where [Roe v. Wade] is irrelevant … because abortion is no longer necessary." |
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Barack Obama |
Obama supports abortion rights. On Jan. 23, during his first week as president, Obama signed an executive order restoring federal funding for international organizations that perform or promote abortions in foreign countries. During the October 15, 2008 presidential debate, Obama expressed a willingness to support a ban on late-term abortions "as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life." During an April 2007 Democratic debate, Obama said, "I trust women to make these decisions in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy." At an April 2008 candidates' forum on faith and compassion, Obama said that "there is a moral dimension to abortion, which I think that all too often those of us who are pro-choice have not talked about or tried to tamp down." To reduce abortions, Obama advocates a comprehensive sex-education program in which both abstinence and contraception are priorities. He also says, "we should make sure that adoption is an option." |
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