By Carol Tobias
NRL Political Director
Ten Democrats, pro-abortion one and all, entered the race to secure their party's presidential nomination. When pro-abortion Sen. John Edwards withdrew March 3, the winner was pro-abortion Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. Kerry will be a formidable opponent.
When Kerry faces pro-life President George W. Bush in November, the position these two candidates have taken on abortion couldn't be more different. Let me list just some.
President Bush supports legal protection for unborn children and opposes abortion on demand. Senator Kerry supports Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion for any reason, even as a method of birth control.
President Bush opposes using tax dollars to pay for abortion. Sen. Kerry supports tax funding of abortion.
One of President Bush's first acts as President was to reinstate the Mexico City Policy so that U.S. tax dollars did not go to organizations that promote abortion overseas. Sen. Kerry has stated that if elected, his first Executive Order would be to overturn the Mexico City Policy.
President Bush signed the ban on partial-birth abortion. Sen. Kerry repeatedly voted to keep partial-birth abortions legal.
President Bush supports a ban on human cloning. Sen. Kerry supports the cloning of human embryos to be used in experiments that will kill them.
George W. Bush believes parents should be notified before their minor daughter gets an abortion. Sen. Kerry believes some other adult should be able to take the place of parents when that decision is being made.
President Bush has stated that he would nominate to the Supreme Court judges who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench. Sen. Kerry has repeatedly stated that he will appoint only judges who will uphold Roe v. Wade.
Kerry's commitment to unlimited abortion on demand is unquestionable. Kate Michelman, president of the pro-abortion NARAL, told the New York Times February 7, "Even on the most difficult issues, we've never had to worry about John Kerry's position."
Kerry himself has laid out the importance of the 2004 election when it comes to abortion. Speaking at a forum last May sponsored by the pro-abortion group EMILY's List, Kerry stated, "The Supreme Court is at stake in this race as never before in modern history."
And on February 23, Kerry described "the future under George Bush" as being "an America where a woman no longer has the right to choose."
That same day, President Bush addressed the Republican Governors in an event that was largely considered to be the "kick-off" of the campaign.
In a major speech, Bush stated, "We stand for the culture of life in which every person counts and every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life as a commodity to be experimented upon or exploited or cloned. We stand for the confirmation of judges who strictly and faithfully interpret the law. We will not stand for judges who undermine democracy by legislating from the bench and try to remake the culture by court order."
When it comes to protecting unborn children, the contrast is clear. The race is on.