By Dave Andrusko
Not always, but often you can get a pretty accurate feel where a candidate is from what a group that publicly opposes him or her is saying about them. So, I guess it was a slow news day or something, which explains why NARAL got a story on National Public Radio yesterday titled “Abortion-Rights Group Faults Republican Presidential Field.”
Guess what? They hammered the field, saying “that none of the declared Republican candidates for president — nor any of those thought to be waiting in the wings — would pass muster with voters who support a woman’s right to choose.” In the words of Donna Crane, NARAL’s policy director, “They’re all equally unacceptable.”
Of course that’s not literally true. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is pro-abortion. Is he just as “bad” as Congresswoman Michele Bachmann; Businessman Herman Cain; former Speaker Newt Gingrich; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman; Congressman Ron Paul; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former United States Senator Rick Santorum?
What about former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is also pro-abortion? Well, NARAL insists his “record was unclear.” Yeah, right! But you get the point.
However the story by Julie Rovner is helpful for a different reason. NARAL understands that there are lots of ways a President can enhance the “right” to abortion or stymie/reverse that “right.” When it comes to “reproductive health care,” the President’s powers include ”the power to appoint Supreme Court justices and lower court judges, the power to issue executive orders, and the power to appoint executive branch officials who oversee health and judicial agencies.” There’s more, but that a representative sample.
Which brings me to asking you to be sure to take a moment to go to “WHERE DO THE CANDIDATES STAND ON LIFE?” NRLC’S new comparison piece on announced candidates for President.
There are nine candidates listed, all the announced candidates for the office of President of the United States who have scored a minimum of 3% in a national poll.
In addition to President Obama, the candidates include the aforementioned eight pro-life Republican candidates. (Johnson, the pro-abortionist, was not included because he has not secured 3% in a national poll, and Giuliani has not announced his intentions.) The comparison–based on public statements, statements from the campaigns, and/or statements appearing on websites–addresses the positions of the nine candidates on four issues: Taxpayer funding for abortion; Roe v. Wade/abortion; Funding for Abortion Providers; and ObamaCare.
Please read it and forward through your social networks.