Obama Feeling Nervous About the Abortion Vote

First there was the email from Obama's campaign manager, objecting to Republican "extremism" on the abortion debate. By putting a plank in the Republican platform that does not make exceptions for rape and incest, the Republican view on abortion is too extreme for Obama's taste.

Of course, if one assumes that life begins at conception, then having no exceptions in cases of rape and incest is actually consistent with that belief. Anyone who thinks abortion is killing a life would also agree that abortion in cases of rape and incest is also killing a life. It is consistent with the views of preservation of life to say "no abortion ever."

This is not meant to rebuke those pro-lifers who would allow abortions in cases of rape and incest. Because, as I see it, pro-lifers believe that a female does have a right to choose. A right to choose whether or not to have sex. Once you make that choice, you should live with the consequences if the outcome lasts longer than you were hoping for. And that is why abortion in cases of rape and incest make sense in that view - the female didn't get her right to choose.

Both view on the abortion debate make sense and neither seem extreme to me.

In contrast, abortion advocates want abortion in every case imaginable, and in every way, shape or form. They want morning after pills available to teenagers without a prescription. They want late-term abortions. They want partial-birth abortions (the methodology of which is so shocking as to question the sanity of anyone who supports it). They want teenagers to have access to abortions without parental notification. They think abortion clinic workers should not be allowed to inform females of the consequences of their decision, or what an abortion entails, or of any potential effect on the fetus, or the mental well-being of the mother. They certainly don't want to require a waiting period after such counseling is given.

But I digress - this post isn't supposed to be about abortion in general.

Barack Obama supports all of those things above. In addition, he supports killing babies that survive abortion attempts. If he believes, as pro-choicers do, that life begins at birth (does partial life begin at partial birth?), then he is in favor of killing living babies. That is extremism.

And Obama knows it. Which is why Obama has lied about his vote on the issue. And why his campaign manager put out the email. It's why Gloria Steinem, in her piece against Sarah Palin referred not to abortion rights, but to "reproductive rights". And now liberal journalists are taking up the fight, attempting to label the Republican platform as extreme. For example, Jacob Weisberg, writing for slate.com, calls it pro-life absolutism. More surprisingly, he claims that the Republican stance on abortion is directly opposite the Republican stance on the need for strong families. He either believes or at least wants us to that allowing teenage girls to get abortions leads to more stable families. He really said that. Apparently he doesn't realize that when girls get abortions, they offer feel guilt and regret. It might scar them for life. And I don't think anyone would argue that girls that get abortions are magically transformed into responsible women who will wait until marriage to have sex again. It just doesn't happen. Its hard to say what might lower the teen pregnancy rate. But expanding abortion options isn't going to do it.

More importantly, the Republican platform has one consistent message - protect life. Liberals also have one consistent message - end it whenever possible (unless the person in question murdered someone). Which sounds more extreme to you?