By Carol Tobias
NRLC Political Director
On July 6, pro-abortion Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry selected pro-abortion North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate. In choosing Edwards, Kerry has selected someone whose position is as extreme as his own, even to the point of opposing the ban on partial-birth abortions.
The selection was greeted with undisguised glee by the Abortion Establishment. Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF), the political arm of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was jumping for joy.
After describing Edwards as "staunchly pro-choice," PPAF president Gloria Feldt (who is also president of PPFA) stated, "With the selection of John Edwards as his running mate, Sen. Kerry has again shown his complete commitment to reproductive rights and access to reproductive health care."
And "complete" is no exaggeration! In 1999 Edwards, like Kerry, voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. When the bill again came up for a vote in 2003, Edwards did not vote. However, his campaign spokesman said Edwards would have voted against the bill as he had four years earlier. During consideration of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Edwards did vote for the Harkin Amendment which expressed support for Roe v. Wade.
When President Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Edwards not only misrepresented the bill, he accused the President of putting "political ideology" first.
Edwards also opposed another major piece of legislation, "Laci and Conner's Law," which recognizes unborn children as murder victims when they are killed by criminals in violent federal crimes. This bill, also known as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, was enacted this year despite Edwards' votes against it. Edwards has also voted in favor of tax subsidies for abortion on demand for federal employees and voted to allow abortions to be performed on military bases.
Douglas Johnson, NRLC legislative director, observed, "During his nearly six years in the U.S. Senate, John Edwards - - like John Kerry - - has consistently voted according to the dictates of hard-line pro-abortion advocacy groups, and contrary to the policies favored by most Americans."
NARAL Pro-Choice America, which called the Kerry-Edwards ticket the "dream ticket," was equally delighted. Elizabeth Cavendish, interim president, said, "The contrast between Kerry-Edwards and Bush-Cheney could not be clearer," adding, "only Kerry-Edwards can be counted on to protect and defend a woman's right to choose."
During the long presidential primary campaign, Edwards, like Kerry, gave a speech to NARAL in January 2003. He thanked the group for letting him join them in "celebrating" the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Edwards also vowed to "help lead the fight to pass a federal freedom of choice act that will guarantee the right to choose no matter what the [Supreme] Court does."
The next day, a federal "Freedom of Choice Act" was introduced by pro-abortion Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.). This radical bill, if passed, would overturn such commonsense, widely supported laws as those restricting government funding of abortion or requiring notification to, or consent of, a parent or judge before an abortion is performed on a minor.
The bill goes further. It would also overturn laws requiring that girls and women seeking abortion receive certain information on matters such as fetal development and alternatives to abortion, and then wait a specified period before the abortion is actually performed, usually 24 or 48 hours. In her press release, Boxer referred to these as "antichoice propaganda lectures."
Edwards' pro-abortion convictions have also influenced his votes on judicial nominees. Whenever Edwards has been present to vote, he has supported the ongoing filibusters against President Bush's judicial nominees.
He voted six times in favor of the filibuster that blocked the confirmation of the eminently qualified Miguel Estrada, who would have been the first Hispanic ever to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Edwards also has voted in favor of the filibusters of Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen and former Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, who were nominated to federal courts of appeals. This follows a position he had taken while seeking the Democratic nomination for president.
Edwards had stated, "I believe very strongly that the right to choose and the right to privacy are fundamental constitutional rights and I can't imagine supporting a Supreme Court nominee who doesn't share my view of the Constitution."
David N. O'Steen, Ph.D., NRLC executive director, said, "In this case, John Kerry has shown consistency. He chose for his vice president a man who is every bit as radically pro-abortion as he is."
For more specific information on Edwards' voting record on life issues, review the U.S. Senate scorecards at the NRLC website at http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/home/ or visit http://www.nrlc.org.