GORE, HATCH ANNOUNCE PRESIDENTIAL BIDS

By Carol Long Tobias, NRL PAC Director

Pro-abortion Vice President Al Gore has officially declared that he is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed pro-abortion President Bill Clinton. Pro-life Utah Senator Orrin Hatch has said that he will throw his hat into the ring. Hatch's June 22 announcement means there are now 12 Republicans seeking the GOP's 2000 presidential nomination.

Al Gore

Bill Clinton tapped Al Gore to be his running mate in 1992. As vice president, Gore has been a staunch supporter of legalized abortion. Little known to the public is that Gore has aggressively used major United Nations conferences to attempt to overturn protective abortion laws around the world by enshrining abortion as a "fundamental right."

On June 16, the 51-year-old Gore made his candidacy official. While avoiding the use of the actual word "abortion," he vociferously renewed his commitment to legal abortion.

"Responsible men and women must make their own most personal decisions based on their own consciences, not government interference," he said. "Some try to duck the issue of choice. Not me. American women must be able to make that decision for themselves. I will stand up for a woman's right to choose."

According to all major polls, Al Gore is not receiving the same level of support among female voters that Bill Clinton did.

To address that weakness the Gore campaign held a rally in Washington, D.C., June 1 with Hillary Clinton to generate excitement among female voters.

Hillary Clinton endorsed Gore in glowing terms. "No one has fought harder on behalf of America's families and children," she said (emphasis added). Left unmentioned were the approximately seven million children who have died by abortion since Gore and Bill Clinton assumed office six and one-half years ago.

During that rally, Gore again reiterated his 100% support for legalized abortion. "I will always, always defend a woman's right to choose," he said. "Every time Congress has tried to play politics with that fundamental, personal right, imposing gag rules and attaching anti-choice language to any bill they can think of, we have stood up to them and stopped them. If they try it again, we'll stop them again."

If that weren't clear enough, he added, "And if they try it after the year 2000, with your help, I'll stop them. That hard-won right will be safe with me as your President."

Prior to being elected vice president, Gore was a member of the House of Representatives from Tennessee from 1977 to 1984. In 1985, he succeeded former majority leader Howard Baker in the U.S. Senate.

A fact never heard from the vice president's office is that while serving as a member of the U.S. House from 1977 to 1984, Gore had an 84% pro-life voting record. He voted in accord with the pasition of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League only 20% of the time.

In 1984, Gore wrote this to a constituent about abortion: "As you know, I have strongly opposed federal funding of abortions. In my opinion, it is wrong to spend federal funds for what is arguably the taking of a human life."

He continued, "It is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong. Let me assure you that I share your belief that innocent human life must be protected and I have an open mind on how to further this goal."

That same year, Gore voted for the Siljander Amendment, which would have defined the unborn child as a "person" under the Civil Rights Act.

But when Al Gore was elected to the Senate and his ambitions heightened, his voting record on abortion changed rapidly. He led efforts to nullify the Mexico City Policy. He voted to allow abortions to be performed on military bases. He also voted against parental notification legislation.

Gore co-sponsored the so-called "Freedom of Choice Act," which would have gone even beyond Roe v. Wade and overturned almost every pro-life law passed by the states.

By the time he selected Gore, Clinton could be absolutely confident that his running mate had established a solidly pro-abortion voting record.

Knowing how dangerous it can be to be seen as a flip-flopper, Gore insisted his position had not changed. In a 1992 interview with David Frost, he said, "Then and now, I support a woman's right to choose and oppose the overturning of Roe v. Wade."

Gore has stated his unequivocal support of Clinton's vetoes of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. He has been very involved in, and has very aggressively pushed for U.S. and UN funding of programs that attack protective abortion laws in developing countries.

On January 22, 1997, Gore spoke at a NARAL-sponsored Roe v. Wade anniversary celebration.

He proclaimed, "The right to choose is fundamental. And on behalf of President Clinton I vow to you that we will never let anyone take that right away."

In her remarks at the event, NARAL President Kate Michelman expressed her gratitude to the Clinton/Gore team: "We thank Bill Clinton and Al Gore for saving Roe."

Orrin Hatch

First elected in 1976, Orrin Hatch is serving his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. In his almost 24 years of service, Hatch has maintained a 100% pro-life voting record.

Hatch has co-sponsored a human life amendment and also sponsored the Hatch Federalism Amendment, which would have declared that the right to abortion is not guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The Hatch Amendment was voted on in the Senate in 1983. It received 49 of the 67 votes needed to pass it along to the state legislatures for ratification.

In a letter to a constituent, Hatch wrote, "In keeping with my religious and moral beliefs, I have always been strongly opposed to abortion. During congressional debate, I informed my colleagues that 10 times the number of American lives lost in all of our nation's wars have been lost in the continuing tragedy of abortion. I do believe, however, that some exceptions need to be made in cases involving rape, incest, and a threat to the life of the mother."

In 1976 Hatch defeated three-term incumbent Senator Frank DeMoss with 54% of the vote. His margin of victory has steadily grown with each election. Hatch received 69% of the vote in 1994. Hatch's current term is up in 2000, but Utah law allows him to run for re-election to the Senate as well as run for president.

Prior to being elected to the Senate, Hatch was a practicing attorney in Salt Lake City. The 65-year-old Hatch graduated from Brigham Young University and received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Hatch and his wife, Elaine, have six children.

Hatch joins 11 other candidates who are seeking the Republican nomination for president: former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, former Family Research Council president Gary Bauer, columnist Pat Buchanan, Texas Governor George W. Bush, former American Red Cross president Elizabeth Dole, publisher/ businessman Steve Forbes, Congressman John Kasich (Ohio), former Ambassador Alan Keyes, Arizona Senator John McCain, former Vice President Dan Quayle, and New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith.

Joining Al Gore in seeking the Democratic nomination is pro-abortion former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley.