Capitol Journal - Abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion - Hodding Carter introduces press panel of Joe Sobran of the National Review, Barbara Reynolds of USA Today and Linda Wertheimer - guests debate the state of the anti-abortion movement and how politicians are playing the issue
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Hodding Carter: That s the situation on Capitol Hill now, but what s going to determine what Congress is going to be doing next? Public opinion? Election results? Presidential pressure? We are joined again by Linda Wertheimer, political correspondent of National Public Radio, Barbara Reynolds on the editorial board of USA Today and Joe Sobran, columnist and senior editor of the National Review. Is this a wave that has crested Joe or are we still going to see more? Joe Sobran: Well I think the abortion issue has become a permanent asset to the Republican Party. It s driven out a lot of the Democrats old constituency. There was a time when being a Democrat meant kissing babies, not aborting them. So I think the Republicans have capitalized on this very well. That s the Regan revolution in a nutshell. Hodding Carter: Do you agree with that Barbara? Barbara Reynolds: Well there is going more but it s going to have to bounce back toward a middle position. Because I think the Republicans have gone too far especially right now with the cutting down from family planning funds.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Hodding Carter: Do you think that this sort of chipping away up on the Hill reflects the failure of the anti-abortion movement or does it represent a success, Linda, which is sort of cumulative? Linda Wertheimer: I think that the ultimate success of the anti-abortion movement would be for abortion to be illegal. And abortion is legal and it is obtainable if you have the money. And privately funded abortions are available to everybody now. So it seems to me the abortion movement has failed in its major thrust. I don t see much of a change in that unless the President is able to really pack the court with like-minded justices.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Hodding Carter. After the 1980 elections there were an awful lot of people were running around fairly scared in this town about the issue. They at least believed that a number of Senators and some Congressmen had been knocked off by it. Was that belief real? Was that a cutting issue that did things in? Let s start again you suggest it s a good Republican cause. Joe Sobran. Well I think its part of one. Let s not forget there is a big picture here which is this, and I seldom here this remark on, but Roe v Wade was part of a great defeat for self-government in this country. The laws of all 50 states, the most liberal as well as the most restrictive, abortion laws were knocked down at one blow by the court. This was a defeat for checks and balances because states legislatures unlike the Congress have no means of self-defense against a judicial usurpation. So there is going to be, all the energy that went into passing all the abortion laws that were struck down is now going to be on the side of opposition to those. So the liberal party, the Democratic Party roughly speaking, has going to have a permanent problem on its hands with this.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Hodding Carter. But suppose it s a permanent asset. Barbara, isn t it some wave out there for folks that believe the other? Barbara Reynolds. But see I think what they are doing there is organizing their own opposition. First of all, when I talk about extremes, anytime that you just remove the options, family planning is a reasonable option, but when you have Senator Hatch saying we re not going to use federal funds for family planning you are organizing your opposition. People can read the statistics. They can see that 96 out of 1,000 teenage births are becoming a crisis in this country. That s larger than any in any developing country. We know that family planning ought to be in the schools. That the babies that have been born have been born sick and not having the chance that they ought to. And responsible people are understanding that poor women are in control over their own bodies. And I don t see how this issue can go without heating up the opposition. Joe Sobran. But you say we and reasonable people as if it were already sort of unanimous. The point is, this was the most divisive decision in the history of the Supreme Court without a doubt and those divisions remain. Barbara Reynolds: But I think it was clear. I mean it was never a non-emotional battle, everybody, each side was so right. There s no middle ground. There is no room, but it s getting worse because you are losing the people who would agree with you. Hodding Carter. Wait a second. I didn t know that they were trying to outlaw family planning. Barbara Reynolds. They are trying to take the federal funds away from Hodding Carter. from people who include abortion counseling with family planning. Barbara Reynolds. That is correct. Hodding Carter. Though I ve noticed that there are at least some people on the pro-life side who would like to do away with family planning as well and there s some other least suggestions of amendments to that effect.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Hodding Carter. But let me just go to this, it s suggested Linda earlier by you that we have a rough parity of strong emotion pro , strong emotion counter and in between a great mass of, if not apathetic , perhaps unengaged Americans on this subject. First do you agree with that notion Joe? Joe Sobran: Well I m not sure. I do know that just politically speaking, it s natural for people to be militant on behalf of the status quo unless they really feel threatened. Hodding Carter. And of course you have some threats being felt and Barbara I assume you re feeling that Roe v Wade is under serious threat today? Barbara Reynolds: Right and it seems ludicrous because children are coming into the world in a circle trapped in poverty. Where s the funds to help them through that? Through the crime? Through the malnutrition? Who s going to help them out of the web of sexual and child abuse? And who s going to help over here with programs to help mothers have well babies, those are being cut also? Hodding Carter: But would you argue then, that if money were available then you would reconsider your position on abortion? Barbara Reynolds. I m saying that perhaps so. But I m saying that the reason is going out because extremism is becoming so forceful. Linda Wertheimer: I m not sure that that s right or I m not sure it will become a stronger force because it seems to me that as no one has won or lost an election recently based on question of abortion. Abortion is an issue at the margins. Joe Sobran. I ll defer for the moment.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Hodding Carter: Is it going to stay high on the legislative agenda up on the Hill, Pro or Con? Yes or No? Joe Sobran: Yes Linda Wertheimer: Absolutely people feel very strongly about it both ways and if anything that is such a passionate issue has to stay upfront. Hodding Carter. Barbara? Barbara Reynolds. Of course. Hodding Carter. I would like to thank all three of you for being with us, for Capitol Journal, I m Hodding Carter.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
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Capitol Journal - Abortion
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