BOB CASEY - A VOICE REMEMBERED

By Carol Tobias
NRL Political Director

There are many excellent speakers who are strong, eloquent advocates for unborn children. When it comes to politicians, few can match the silver-tongued oratory of Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) or the ardent fervor of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).

As the presidential campaign moves along and Democrats try to decide who the party's presidential nominee should be, pro-life Democrats can understandably remember, and long for, the resolute and spirited vitality of the late Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey.

A staunch Democrat, Gov. Casey addressed abortion many times and in many places. In 1994, for example, he said of abortion, "Twenty-one years ago, it was sold to America as a kind of social cure, a resolution. Instead, it has left us wounded and divided. We were promised it would broaden the circle of freedom; instead, it has narrowed the circle of humanity. We were told the whole matter was settled and would soon pass from our minds; 20 years later it tears at our souls."

He continued, "The fundamental question posed by abortion is this: Once a child has been conceived, what is the proper response of a good society - - of America at her best? If pregnancy presents a challenge, do we, as a society, rise to that challenge, or do we steal away, dispensing with the challenge by dispensing with the child? And when a pregnancy comes at a difficult time, what is the worthier response? Do we surround mother and child with protection and love, or do we hold out to her the cold comfort of a trip to an abortionist? Where is our true character to be seen, in an adoptive home or at the abortion clinic?"

Casey continued. "Since when does America abandon in despair an entire class of people, the most defenseless, innocent, and vulnerable members of the human family? How can we justify writing off the unborn child in a country which prides itself on leaving no one out and no one behind?"

Casey described America as "a people who recognize that no nation, however strong, can ever prosper if it does not protect the powerless - - before and after birth; a progressive society, precisely because we know that no nation can truly progress by leaving behind its most vulnerable members; a caring community that offers women meaningful alternatives to abortion and children and families the help they need to have a real chance to live decent, healthy, and happy lives."

Bob Casey was a proud Democrat who fought with his party over its radical pro-abortion position. He was right then, and right now.

According to a May 2003 Newsweek poll, Casey's views are shared by a substantial number of those who identify themselves as Democrats. The poll found that 42% of Democrats consider themselves to be "pro-life," opposed to abortion in most circumstances, compared to 52% who label themselves "pro-choice," generally supportive of abortion rights.

Unfortunately, none of the nine Democratic candidates seeking the White House represents the voice of the 42% of Democrats who oppose abortion in most circumstances. Indeed, they are miles and miles apart.

All nine of the candidates support Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand. All the leading candidates have said that they would appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would vote to uphold Roe.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has said it is critical that the Supreme Court keep abortion legal. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has said he couldn't imagine any circumstances under which he would appoint a judge who is against Roe v. Wade.

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman said he would try to appoint judges who would uphold Roe. Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt's website states that, as president, he will "continue to protect women's right to choose, work to protect Roe v. Wade as the law of the land, and appoint judges who will uphold women's constitutional rights."

Florida Sen. Bob Graham is the only candidate who has not publicly embraced a pro-abortion "litmus test" on judges. He has said that a person should be able to change his/her mind as they grow older, adding, "I want to appoint judges who have the capacity to grow." However, Graham, along with the other senators running - - Kerry, Lieberman, and John Edwards of North Carolina - - have all voted against a ban on partial-birth abortions.

Bob Casey, a popular two-term governor of Pennsylvania, was a proud pro-life Democrat, but his views will not be represented by any of the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates. Pro-lifers will have to wait at least four more years to see if the party is willing to make room for the voice of a pro-life Democrat running for the highest office in the land.