Monday, February 19, 2007

Flippity Flop!

Washington Post August 24, 1999:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) appeared to soften his position on making abortion illegal in separate interviews in recent days, drawing criticism from social conservatives and some of his opponents for the Republican presidential nomination.
"I'd love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary," McCain told the Chronicle in an article published Friday.
Okay, well if that's how you feel...
"But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations."
Wait, -what? What does that even mean?
On "Meet the Press" Sunday, McCain said he would support a constitutional amendment to ban abortion - an issue most of us are sick of debating. Yet here it is, again, election 2000, 27 years after Roe v. Wade.

Tim Russert: (You want) a constitutional amendment to ban all abortions?
McCain: Yes, sir.
Russert: You're for that?
McCain: Yes, sir.
I see, I see... again, Senator, you are entitled to your opinion...
A reporter aboard McCain's rolling political salon hit him with a tough "hypothetical": What would he do if his 15-year-old daughter were pregnant and wanted to get an abortion? He made the mistake of answering it, then flubbing it, saying first that his daughter would have the "final decision"--a suspiciously pro-choice position for a pro-life candidate--and then, in a clarification issued soon after, that it would be a "family decision." For pro-life activists, McCain's purity on the issue has been suspect since last summer, when he told the San Francisco Chronicle that he would not work to overturn Roe v. Wade. (He later rescinded the comment, or tried to.)
But wait, didn't you? I mean you just- didn't... you... the other day...
"I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned," the Arizona senator told about 800 people in South Carolina, one of the early voting states.
Arrggh! I'm so confused!!!

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