McCain and Obama Statements on Abortion (from Baptist Press)

Michael Foust, assistant editor of Baptist Press, has compiled statements from Senators McCain and Obama relating to various issues including abortion here.

BARACK OBAMA

-- What Obama thinks about Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion (taken from his website): "Barack Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case" (BarackObama.com).

-- What Obama thought about the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the federal ban on partial-birth abortion: "I strongly disagree with today's Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women. As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman's medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient. I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman's right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women" (Obama campaign statement, April 18, 2007).

-- Obama answering at what point “does a baby get human rights?”: "I think that whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is above my pay grade. But let me just speak more generally about the issue of abortion, because this is something obviously the country wrestles with. One thing that I'm absolutely convinced of is that there is a moral and ethical element to this issue. And so I think anybody who tries to deny the moral difficulties and gravity of the abortion issue, I think, is not paying attention" (Saddleback presidential forum, Aug. 16, 2008).

-- What Obama says about how his administration would approach the abortion issue: "I've made it ... clear that I will never back down from making sure that women have their reproductive rights here in this country. That's what's at stake in this election" (New York fundraiser, July 10, 2008). "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act (a bill that would overturn abortion restrictions and guarantee that abortion remains legal, even if Roe is overturned)" (Speech to Planned Parenthood, July 17, 2007).

-- What Obama thinks about John McCain's views on abortion: "Sen. McCain has made it abundantly clear that he wants to appoint justices like [Supreme Court Justices John] Roberts and [Samuel] Alito and that he hopes to see Roe overturned. I was proud to get Planned Parenthood's endorsement [this summer], but I have to say that when you look who's got a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood, and you've got another candidate [McCain] with a zero percent rating from Planned Parenthood, then it's not really a nail-biter [in deciding whom to support]. I stand by my votes against confirming Justices [John] Roberts and [Samuel] Alito" (Speech, July 10, 2008).

JOHN MCCAIN

-- What McCain thinks about Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion (taken from his website): "John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench. Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat" (JohnMcCain.com).

-- What McCain thought about the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a federal ban on partial-birth abortion: "Today's Supreme Court ruling is a victory for those who cherish the sanctity of life and integrity of the judiciary. The ruling ensures that an unacceptable and unjustifiable practice will not be carried out on our innocent children. It also clearly speaks to the importance of nominating and confirming strict constructionist judges who interpret the law as it is written, and do not usurp the authority of Congress and state legislatures. As we move forward, it is critically important that our party continues to stand on the side of life" (McCain campaign statement, April 18, 2008).

-- McCain answering at what point “does a baby get human rights?”: "At the moment of conception." (Saddleback presidential forum, Aug. 16, 2008).

-- What McCain says about how his administration would approach the abortion issue: "I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress [and] in the Senate. And as president of the United States, I will be a pro-life president. And this presidency will have pro-life policies.... That's my commitment to you" (Saddleback presidential forum, Aug. 16, 2008).

-- What McCain thinks about Barack Obama's views on abortion: "In 2002, Congress unanimously passed a federal law to require medical care for babies who survive abortions -- living, breathing babies whom Sen. Obama described as, quote, 'previable.' This merciful law was called the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. Illinois had a version of the same law, and Barack Obama voted against it. At Saddleback, he assured a reporter that he'd have voted 'yes' on that bill if it had contained language similar to the federal version of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. Even though the language of both the state and federal bills was identical, Senator Obama said people were, quote, 'lying' about his record. When that record was later produced, he dropped the subject but didn't withdraw the slander. And now even Senator Obama's campaign has conceded that his claims and accusations were false.... His extreme advocacy in favor of partial birth abortion and his refusal to provide medical care for babies surviving abortion should be of grave concern to reasonable people of goodwill on both sides of this issue" (John McCain weekly radio address, Aug. 23, 2008).

Presidential Candidates and the Human Life Amendment

The American Family Association (AFA) has released it's Voter Guide for the 2008 Presidential Primary. The outcry must have been mighty, because the AFA rewrote it and released it again. The specific issues are designed to highlight differences in the positions of the GOP candidates.

The first edition, which only included the top 6 Republican candidates, gave the candidates' positions on the Human Life Amendment (HLA) as an indication of whether they were pro-life. Only Mike Huckabee supports the HLA.

The revised version includes 7 GOP candidates looks at two criteria: overturning Roe v. Wade and federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. All the candidates except for Giuliani and McCain come down on the side of life on both issues. That's a change from earlier positions for Romney and Thompson.

While the first version of the Voters Guide could be misleading, as Huckabee appeared to be the only pro-life candidate, support for the Human Life Amendment is an important benchmark.

What is the pro-life strategy for ending abortion on demand in the US? In Phase 1, we work to restrict abortion as much as possible at all levels of government and to get judges who care about the original intent of the Constitution into office--especially on the Supreme Court. Then those judges overturn Roe vs. Wade by declaring restrictions that violate Roe to be constitutional. At that point abortion is still legal in nearly all states. The issue of abortion has been returned to the states, and some GOP candidates, such as Fred Thompson and Ron Paul, would stop federal involvement there.

In Phase 2, we work at both state and federal levels to restrict and ban abortion wherever possible, unhindered by Roe. Abortion will be banned with varying exceptions in many states, and still be legal in many others.

In Phase 3, we work to enact the Human Life Amendment to the Constitution to recognize the right to human life from the moment of fertilization.

Through all three phases, we must work to save individuals from the horror of abortion and to create a culture of life that views all human life as intrinsically valuable.

A constitutional amendment is not a federal intrusion into state authority--indeed most states must agree to it. So why is Mike Huckabee the only candidate of the top 6 GOP contenders to embrace the HLA?

If abortion is murder, why should we stop short of victory? On abortion there is no substitute for complete victory. While all Republican presidential candidates pledge to support good judges, I want a president who will lead as far as he can to the ultimate victory of life. I want a president who supports the Human Life Amendment. I realize the HLA won't happen for several more years, but I want a president who knows where we need to go, not one who is content to stop at Phase 1.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Bob Jones and Romney

Dr. Bob Jones, III, chancellor of Bob Jones University, and Dr. Robert Taylor, Dean of the university's College of Arts and Sciences, received much criticism for their recent personal endorsement of Mitt Romney. Political conservatives criticized their endorsement because of Romney's recent (and politically expedient) conversion to conservatism. Some Fundamental Christians criticized their endorsement because of Romney's Mormon faith.

As a conservative Christian, a politically-involved pro-life activist, and a recent graduate of Bob Jones University, I understand their endorsement of Romney, but I think their trust is misplaced.

Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor understand that nominating Rudy Giuliani would compromise the Republican Party's commitment to its core principles—especially its opposition to abortion—and would guarantee the election of Hillary Clinton. Many Republicans would feel compelled to support the Republican candidate, whoever he was, and whatever he believed. It would be the worst kind of defeat for Republicans. It would be a defeat from within, an abandonment of the reason that many of us are Republicans.

Just as some Republicans would vote for anyone to defeat Hillary, Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor appear willing to support anyone remotely conservative who could defeat Giuliani. So these men no doubt looked at the polls, the campaign machinery, and the money of the other candidates, and decided Romney had the best chance to defeat Giuliani. They must think they can trust him, though I don't know why.

I'm sure they considered his Mormon faith. I would prefer to vote for a Christian as would they, but in an increasingly unchristian culture, we don't always have practicing Christians running (this time we do), and I would rather vote for an unbeliever who shares Christian values than an ignorant or incompetent Christian who doesn't understand how Christian values should impact government policy. In short, supporting a Mormon for a particular job, including the Presidency, is not an abandonment of Christianity, as some have claimed.

I am, however, surprised that Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor trust Romney. His recent support of abortion as governor is well-known. His pledged support for the political goals of homosexual radicals, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), during his senate campaign is also well-documented. He now says he has changed his mind. Will he change his mind on these issues when the political winds blow a different way?

Say what you will about President Bush, but he has never backed down on the right to life or the war on terror. I don't always agree with him—especially on illegal immigration and American sovereignty—but when he has a firm conviction on a matter, he doesn't waver. A president must be ready to stand on principle when even his own party opposes him. Romney is not that kind of man.

Dr. Jones and Dr. Taylor have watched politics long enough that they should know to watch a politician's record more than his rhetoric. Dr. Dobson understands that. Perhaps they think it better to be lied to or betrayed than for the GOP to betray its own principles.

It is better still to support a real conservative. 51% of voters who attended the Values Voters' Summit last weekend thought Mike Huckabee was such a candidate. And for those willing to support conservative candidates with lower poll rankings who best fit their views, men like Wayne Wilson and Duncan Hunter are hard to surpass.

In the primary season, the best candidate to defeat a liberal like Giuliani (and eventually Hillary) is one that conservatives can trust, not Mitt Romney.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

My Pro-Life Choice for President

• "I’ll stop the illegal immigrant invasion within a month of taking office by using the overwhelming force of our military to secure the border."
• "Liberals insult American workers saying we won’t do certain jobs. That’s odd. I’ve worked a lot of those jobs, myself, and was happy to have the work."
• "Our rules of engagement make it nearly impossible for our soldiers to fight. ... All that’s going to change. We’re going to completely win this war [on terror] within my first term in office. "
• "Even though our Declaration insures our God-given inalienable right to life, it is obvious we need a Human Life Amendment in the Constitution. I will nominate only pro-life judges and we’ll need to elect a pro-life Senate to ratify those nominees, but political power and Supreme Court
• Justices come and go. The Constitution is much harder to change. Therefore, my long-term commitment is to an amendment. "
• "In the meantime, as soon as I take office I’ll turn loose the full weight of the federal bureaucracies against all those who take innocent life. I’ll direct OSHA, the FBI, the EPA, and any other agency I can think of to inhibit, regulate, and burden the abortion industry."
• "Hard-working Americans need more than tax reform, we need a tax revolt. I will support any initiative that eliminates the IRS and repeals the 16th Amendment."
• "I will direct the EPA to back off their absurd number of gasoline formulation requirements and let us immediately drill for oil and build new refineries and nuclear and coal plants."
• "Anyone who can believe the man-made global warming hoax probably deserves to be so snookered. "
• "There is hope for homosexuals. I don’t believe God made them that way or that they have to stay that way. ... Many have already come out of their darkness and back into the mainstream; you can, too. There is hope for us all in Jesus. "

Does that sound like any Presidential candidate you ever heard? If you heard of a candidate for President who said these things, would you support him?

Now you have. These statements come from the website of emerging Republican Presidential candidate Wayne Wilson.

So, who is Wayne Wilson? No, he's not a governor from a liberal state trying to convince us he was a conservative all along. He's not a mayor from a liberal city trying to convince us he's the only candidate who can beat someone even further left. He's not a multi-term senator displaying
his aptitude for blowing with the winds of politics.

He's never held political office. He's not even a lawyer.

He's a middle-class, middle-America conservative Christian who's worked several different jobs from construction to warehouse management to Christian school principal to truck driver.

You will, I'm sure, judge him by the policies he articulates and the way he handles himself in the upcoming months -- just like any other candidate. But if I had time, I could tell you much more about Wayne Wilson.

I could tell you of the time, over the years, put into pro-life organizations; Of collections of children's clothes taken to help a co-worker who had lost his job; Of jobs quit over principle; Of years of preaching in nursing homes; Of conversations with wayward young people, trying to get them to do right.

I could tell you about a life of Christian consistency that stands up to the scrutiny of those closest to him, because Wayne Wilson is my father.

If one thing about my father stands out, it is his strength. He could always afford to do right, without apparent regard for the consequences. And when the rest of us were not sure what was right, he could usually see it very clearly. I know now that is because he fears the Lord, and as he explained in Sunday School a few weeks ago, a person who truly fears the Lord will be absolutely fearless toward all others.

When choosing a President, we need a man who fears the Lord more than any other qualification. The woman seeking that office clearly does not, and neither do most of the men.

By now you've thought about the political likelihood of electing someone who doesn't already hold high public office. One of my friends already cited the proverbial "snowball's chance". But another of my friends several weeks back, when asked about a choice for 2008 said, "Can we throw the current bunch of clowns out and start over?" We can if we will step away from political calculations of probability and into the closet of prayer.

I ask you then:

1. Begin praying that God will give us a President who fears Him.
2. Read Wayne's positions on the issues and see whether this is a man you could support.
3. Go back to prayer and ask God what He would have do coming up to the primaries next year.
4. Sign up for Wayne's newsletter and, if God lays it on your heart, help out financially .
5. On your own website or blog, add a link back to the website.
   
6. Keep praying for a President who fears God. Coming into this election, this is the most important thing we can do.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

New Pro-Life Presidential Candidate Wayne Wilson

As a pro-life American, the first issue I look at when deciding on a candidate to support is the issue of life. Then I look at many other issues to decide between pro-life candidates. Right now, I'm very concerned about illegal immigration, the war on terror, free speech, and gun rights, to name a few. After those, I'm concerned about taxes, social security reform, and other fiscal issues.

In my last post, I listed the announced Republican presidential candidates that I believe hold a strong, consistent position on protecting life from conception to natural death. I need to add Republican candidate for President Wayne Wilson, who has just joined the race, to that list. From his issues page under the Abortion heading:

Even though our Declaration insures our God-given inalienable right to life, it is obvious we need a Human Life Amendment in the Constitution. I will nominate only pro-life judges and we’ll need to elect a pro-life Senate to ratify those nominees, but political power and Supreme Court Justices come and go. The Constitution is much harder to change. Therefore, my long-term commitment is to an amendment.

In the meantime, as soon as I take office I’ll turn loose the full weight of the federal bureaucracies against all those who take innocent life. I’ll direct OSHA, the FBI, the EPA, and any other agency I can think of to inhibit, regulate, and burden the abortion industry. If the bureaucrats there refuse, I’ll fire them and replace them with those who will. They are to serve at the pleasure of the administration.

I will sign any restriction of abortion that crosses my desk.

Wilson is not a career politician. In fact, he's never held public office, but in our climate of entrenched corruption in Washington, perhaps we are ready for an outsider with conservative Christian values that represent American values, not Washington values. Wilson isn't the only candidate counting on that.

It is easy for us to complain about many of our elected officials, and we have that right. It is harder to pick a good candidate, donate to his campaign, and support him all the way. That requires some personal sacrifice. Perhaps that's the reason many of our favorite candidates don't win--we'd rather complain about the bad ones than put good ones in their place.

No matter which of the solidly pro-life candidates you support, let me challenge you to give the largest donation you can afford before the end of the month. On October 15 we will find out how much money the candidates have raised through September 30, and that will be a measure of which candidates are viable. As pro-life people, let's make our voice heard financially.


Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Ron Paul Views License as Liberty. Life Loses.

Although I've never agreed with Ron Paul's isolationist foreign policy, some of his answers at the Values Voter Debate on Monday evening should cause great alarm among pro-life and pro-family supporters. He showed a lack of understanding of true liberty, which explained his "No" answer on these two questions:

Bobby Schindler: My beloved sister Terri Schiavo was starved and dehydrated to death in the land of abundance while the world watched – because she was disabled and unable to speak for herself. Would you pursue or support legislation that would protect the cognitively disabled and vulnerable people from being dehydrated to death by having their food and water taken away?

Dr. Rick Scarborough: Will you agree to prosecute the broad range of illegal adult pornography rather that just the most extreme material, and prosecute all violators of federal obscenity law, including the new, so-called "white collar pornographers"?

(For a transcript of questions, see http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57685)

How could Ron Paul--widely hailed as a pro-life candidate--refuse to support legislation to protect innocent life? He explained his reasoning (libertarian more than conservative) in his closing statement:

We cannot go to Washington to dictate to us how we improve our personal behavior. You don't dictate--you don't legislate virtue.... You do that from your family, your friends, and your neighbors, but not from the federal government.

We come back to a fundamental question: What is the role of government? I agree with Rep. Paul that our federal government has greatly exceeded its proper role. But the Bible teaches that God established government to restrain and punish evil. (See Genesis 9, Romans 13, and I Peter 2:13-14.)

Moreover, the liberty that Rep. Paul prizes was given to man by God at creation. God gave us the ability to decide our own actions. But God placed limits on those actions. True liberty exists only within the boundaries of morality. No porn addict can legitimately claim he is exercising freedom. He is a slave to his own sinful desires. Although governments cannot break that slavery--only the blood of Jesus does that--governments have the responsibility to curtail it as much as possible to restrain evil, promote good, and protect the innocent victims of pornography.

As Alan Keyes has said, "No one has the right to do wrong."

We don't want to take this idea to the extreme of having government dictating our faith, but we must understand that every law is an attempt to dictate someone's idea of virtue. It is wrong for Mexicans to flood our southern border to take advantage of our benefits without putting back into the system, so we made it illegal. It is wrong for other nations (or terrorists) to attack us, so we have a strong national defense. It is wrong to murder, so we have laws against it--unless you are not yet born or are disabled.

Before Monday, I thought Ron Paul was firmly pro-life, but now I know better.

Monday night he made it clear that he doesn't believe the government has any business protecting the disabled from "being dehydrated to death by having their food and water taken away."

So the list of announced presidential candidates with a clear and consistent pro-life record includes: Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, John Cox, Alan Keyes, and Hugh Cort.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Romney and Abortion

Those who trust Mitt Romney's current statements on his abortion position would do well to read Warner Todd Huston's article, Mitt Romney's Abortion Flip-Flop Not Like Ronald Reagan's.

Even if he is telling the truth that he was "personally pro-life" while going along with the pro-abortion agenda, he seems to lack the strength of conviction on this issue. I don't see how pro-life people can support Romney in the primary when candidates with clear pro-life records such as Mike Huckabee are strong contenders in this race.

Disclaimer: Let Her Live does not endorse or oppose any political candidates, and political views expressed on this blog represent only the personal views of their authors.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

McCain, Giuliani Run, Can't Hide from Abortion Record

Senator John McCain recently made headlines by announcing that he believes Roe vs. Wade should be overturned. That's only a story because we didn't know which side of his mouth the Republican presidential candidate was going to speak from. But he was speaking in South Carolina, and he is on the campaign trail, so we can expect him to sound conservative.

McCain's voting record has been mixed on the abortion issue. He usually votes against abortion, but last year he voted to require taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research. And of course he led the "gang of 14" (including Republican Senators DeWine, Snow, Collins, Chafee, Warner, and South Carolina's own "Flimsy" Lindsey Graham) in a compromise with the Democrats to throw a few conservative judicial nominees under the bus in exchange for a chance to vote on other nominees.

Then there was the blatantly unconstitutional McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill that curtailed some forms of political speech close to an election.

The anti-Roe statement contradicted a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1999. "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."

Meanwhile, Rudolph Giuliani equivocates about his long-standing support for abortion.

Both of these men hope we pay more attention to their rhetoric than their records.

Mitt Romney has at least been open about his past support of abortion and his recent conversion to a pro-life viewpoint. He currently takes a very clear position on abortion. But some pro-life people wonder if we can trust him.

Daniel mentioned pro-life candidates Brownback, Tancredo, and Cox in his presidential musings last week. Representative Duncan Hunter and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee are also solid pro-life candidates.

I think we have some good choices. Let's try to unite around the best and never let the rhetoric of McCain and Giuliani obscure their inexcusable records.

Wesley Wilson

Presidential Musings

I'm going to start off my comments here making use of Wesley's disclaimer. These comments do not represent the official views of Let Her Live. They are my personal ideas.

As a committed pro-lifer I am looking for a Presidential candidate who will lead on that issue. Other issues are important to me as well, but this one is non-negotiable.

So, I'm passing over Hillary, Obama, and Guliani without a second thought. McCain has not shone on the issue either.

Few Senators excel Sam Brownback on his record for life. He's disappointed many of us on other issues like illegal immigration. I haven't passed over him completely, but am looking for better options.

Tom Tancredo has lead on illegal immigration. That tells me he's willing to be a leader. Many in Washington aren't. I has a 0% rating from NARAL, which pleases me greatly. I haven't seen leadership on this issue from him yet, but he's one to keep watching.

John Cox speaks convincingly about committment to life, but I know nothing about him besides what he's said. I met him at the Stand Up for Life March in Columbia last month.

We will win this fight within a generation regardless of who wins the Presidency in 2008. But if we can elect a pro-life leader, we will win all the sooner.

Keep fighting! Keep praying!