GORE COMMITS TO PRO-ABORTION COURT BUCHANAN JOINS ABORTION "NEUTRAL" REFORM PARTY

By Carol Tobias, NRL PAC Director

While denying that he has a litmus test on judges, pro-abortion Vice President and potential Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore made his intentions clear regarding Supreme Court appointments: they will support abortion.

Meanwhile, on October 25 Pat Buchanan announced that he was leaving the Republican Party, which has a pro-life position, to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, which has no official position on abortion but whose two major figures are both pro-abortion.

Al Gore
On the October 31 edition of ABC's This Week, Gore was asked about a vote he cast in 1984, supporting an amendment that would have protected unborn children from the moment of conception as persons under the Civil Rights Act.

After claiming falsely that this was a "procedural" vote, Gore went on to say, "If I'm entrusted with the presidency and entrusted with defending a woman's right to choose, I will defend a woman's right to choose, including where the Republican candidates are all saying that they'll probably be able to appoint the next three justices of the Supreme Court, you know, this is very much an issue in this election. I defend a woman's right to choose."

Later in the program, Sam Donaldson asked Gore, "Are you telling us that you will use, as a litmus test, if you are president to appoint justices, your view of Roe v. Wade?" Gore responded, "I'm not comfortable with litmus tests for Supreme Court nominations. But I - - I am confident that without using a single case as a litmus test, that there are - - ways to understand whether or not a potential nominee has an interpretation of the Constitution that is consistent with mine; mainly that each new - - each generation has to search for the deeper meaning of the Constitution, breathe life into it, and - - I believe there is a right of privacy in the Constitution."

Donaldson persisted, "So, you're assuring women, then, that the person or persons you appoint to the court would share your view. You would try to ascertain that." Gore replied, "I would not use a litmus test, but you could rest assured that a Supreme Court majority appointed in a Gore Administration would support a woman's right to choose."

Pat Buchanan
In the past several months, Buchanan has criticized the Republican Party and some of its candidates for, in his opinion, not being strong enough on abortion. However, some pro-lifers have questioned the apparent double standard that Buchanan has set for himself.

It seems ironic that Buchanan would leave a pro-life party for the Reform Party, which has no position on abortion at all but whose most recognizable leaders - - founder and 1992/1996 presidential nominee Ross Perot and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura - - are pro-abortion.

In his speech announcing his party switch and his intention to seek the Reform Party presidential nod, Buchanan barely mentioned abortion, focusing his remarks on the country's trade and immigration policies. In an interview with USA Today on September 17, Buchanan said that if he joined the Reform Party, he would downplay the social issues and focus more on issues such as trade and economic policies.

Buchanan also told USA Today that should he get the party's nomination he would not rule out Pat Choate, the Reform Party's pro-abortion vice chairman and Ross Perot's 1996 running mate, as his (Buchanan's) running mate.

In nationwide polls, pro-life Republican Texas Governor George W. Bush is leading pro-abortion Democrats Vice President Al Gore and former Senator Bill Bradley in the race for the White House. In a three-way race that featured Bush, Gore or Bradley, and Buchanan, most of Buchanan's support would come from Bush. The result could easily be to see Bush's chances of winning election seriously injured by a third-party bid from Buchanan.

Other pro-life Republican presidential candidates - - Gary Bauer, Steve Forbes, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.), and Alan Keyes - - are campaigning hard. However, their support remains mostly in single digits, well behind Gov. Bush, who receives 50-60% in the nationwide polls.

In other Reform Party news, pro-abortion New York real estate developer Donald Trump moved one step closer to his run for the White House by joining the Reform Party and meeting with Ventura to discuss his bid. Donald Trump has taken a strong pro-abortion position, telling Tim Russert on NBC's Meet the Press on October 24 that he supports abortion and would not seek to ban even partial-birth abortions.

Trump stated, "I am pro-choice in every respect."