Hillary Clinton and "common ground" on abortion

Hillary Clinton has never voted or taken a specific position to demonstrate she seeks the "common ground" on abortion she promoted during the CNN Democrat presidential debate June 3:

The mildest move Clinton might have made to fulfill her hope for "common ground" would have been to support the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, which she opposed due to the "slippery slope of the legislative language that you [Sen. Rick Santorum] have carefully and cleverly crafted in this bill," although the Supreme Court determined that assertion false. If Clinton could not support the PBA Ban, there is no pro-life legislation she will support.

Nevertheless, do you, as either a pro-lifer or pro-choicer, think there is any common ground?

One last thing. It's interesting that Clinton implied at least twice during the clip above that abortion is immoral. It's this sort of rhetoric, like her "safe, legal, and rare" line, that alienates pro-abortion constituents and actually damages the movement.


Comments:

There is common ground, but it deals much more with support than with abortion legality. I believe that both pro-life and pro-choice individuals can work together to lower the rate of abortion.

However, Hillary is about the worst example of a "middle ground" politician I can imagine.

Posted by: Lauren Author Profile Page at June 11, 2007 9:07 AM


Maybe the Clinton house hold is so prochoice because they have a reputation. http://registeredoffenderslist.org/blog/uncategorized/clinton-sex-offender/
just thought this was funny.

Posted by: Swanny at June 11, 2007 9:49 AM


I'm trying to keep an open mind about Hillary, but she's such a panderer (Flag Burning Amendment???)

Anyway, coming to this site makes me wonder about "common ground." Other than reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies (and only by certain methods), I don't see any common ground between the pro-life and pro-choice camps.

Posted by: Hal at June 11, 2007 9:56 AM


I agree with Lauren on this one. I believe that PL's and PC's can come together and work to lower the rate (which I would love to see) of abortions.

As for Hillary, if hse some how manages to get into office, I am fleeing the United States (yes and I am pro-choice), I shall go to Canada, Mexico or Belize. I really really dont like that women (almost hate, but not quite).

Posted by: midnite678 at June 11, 2007 10:04 AM


Thats what I said when bush got (somehow) re elected. But I have all kinds of ties here (plus I go to school here). Its hard to cut them over a stupid politician.

Posted by: JK at June 11, 2007 10:19 AM


A Hillary presidency would be annoying, but not as much a disaster as the current one.

Posted by: Hal at June 11, 2007 10:25 AM


Swanny,hahaha love that sign!!!

Posted by: Heather4life at June 11, 2007 10:26 AM


Agreed Hal

Anything worse than this one and we might as well just all pile into the Handbasket.

Posted by: JK at June 11, 2007 10:30 AM


I'm prolife, and I can't see that there would ever be any common ground that would include any kind of provision for abortion. I mean, either you kill the baby, or you don't... it's pretty black and white, IMO.

The common ground would be, to not kill a baby before it was born, which would be a prolife position and not common ground with the prochoice position at all.

Posted by: Milehimama at June 11, 2007 12:19 PM


I don't see any room for common ground coming from either side.

Rightfully so, the pro-life side will and should always stand for life.

There is plenty of room for the pro-choice side to move more to the center but they refuse.

For example:
In my state simple basic legislation was initated to mandate proper medical information be given to a woman considering abortion. It also required her to wait 24 hours before making a decision that would affect her the rest of her life. Sounds reasonable.

The pro-choice movement dug in their heels because this common sense law would somehow "chip away at a woman's right to abortion."

Since they "care so much about women" You'd think they would already be given women proper medical information for them to review. Why should this have to be legislated???

I called the group heading up the protests against this bill to find out why they would be so adamately against something that is required for any other medical procedure. All I got was the same old clap trap "it will chip away at a woman's right to abortion."

No one I spoke to at this office could give me an intelligent reason why this was not necessary.
They were like drones who responded with the same statement. I even asked one woman if she would consider entering into any other medical procedure without knowing all of the risks associated with it. Guess what her response was..."but it will chip away at a woman's right to abortion."

How many of these same women would enter into any medical procedure and not want good solid medical information.

*OK now I am ranting*
Patients looking for boob jobs get a thorough pre-op and are told of all the risks associated with their procedures. They could never walk into an office and ask for and get a boob job same appointment.

The pro-choicers have the MSM on their side which continually corrupts the minds of the young by indoctrinating them into a pro-choice society making it very difficult to counter the lies they continue to spew.
They are getting even craftier with their marketing efforts ie. the mother's day celebration at PP. What a joke.

Back when Bill ran for office the first time Hillary sat next to him with her ever fashionable head band looking like the dutiful wife and mother.

She blabbed on about how great parents she and Bill are and would never even let their precious daughter Chelsea get her ears peirced without their consent.

How can she support minors getting abortions without parental consent.

PPLLLEEEAASSEEE! She is such a phony loser.

Posted by: Sandy at June 11, 2007 1:20 PM


Well I would think there should be some places for common ground. I believe some Pro-Aborts do agree with Parental Notification, not crossing state lines to get an abortion, supporting Crisis Pregnancy Centers, enforcing Planned Parenthood to report adults having sex with minors and etc. I know this is just a mere start but it's something to build on.

The main divide I see between Pro-Life and Pro-Abortion camps are the ways to prevent pregnancy. Pro-Abortion camps want to educate teens on birth control which can be abortifacient in nature and can still transmit sexually transmitted diseases. The Pro-Life camp for the most part believes in abstinence only/ no sex until marriage education.

The "abstinence only" education is the only way to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. We have tried to prevent abortions using the ideas of the Pro-Abortion camp for over 40 years and its not working. It's time to try the Pro-Life "abstinence only" education.

It's really the Pro-Aborts inability to try a new method which is holding things up on trying to find "common ground".

Mike

Posted by: Mike at June 11, 2007 2:56 PM


Leave it up to CNN (Clinton news network) to let her get off with an easy question like that. The better question would be "why should abortion" be rare, and why is it "immoral".

Posted by: jasper at June 11, 2007 6:32 PM


"Nevertheless, do you, as either a pro-lifer or pro-choicer, think there is any common ground?"

Reducing unwanted pregnancies sounds like a no-brainer. However, absolutist fetus-centric pro-lifers don't seem interested in that, and pretty much oppose anything they feel would facilitate safer sex as it inadvertently and supposedly is a wink and a nod to go ahead.

So, common ground? yes. cooperation between camps to realize this common ground? Definately not coming from prolife.

Posted by: Cameron at June 11, 2007 7:11 PM


Cameron said: Reducing unwanted pregnancies sounds like a no-brainer. However, absolutist fetus-centric pro-lifers don't seem interested in that, and pretty much oppose anything they feel would facilitate safer sex as it inadvertently and supposedly is a wink and a nod to go ahead.


Cameron said: "A recent study in Scottland found that even the availability of PlanB didn't reduce abortions."

Cameron said:
That�s easy. Half of all women seeking abortions were actually using some form of birth control.

Hmm?

Posted by: Bethany at June 11, 2007 7:20 PM


Poor Cam, still spinning....

Posted by: jasper at June 11, 2007 8:43 PM


Cameron,

Here's the best way to get rid of teen pregnancy's. Listen to Jason Evert's live online talk to a Catholic High School...

http://www.pureloveclub.com/seminars/index.php?id=3

If you can't listen to all of it I would highly recommend fast forwarding to 1:00 hour into the talk and listen to the next ten minutes.

Mike

Posted by: Mike at June 11, 2007 8:43 PM


Good job Bethany!

Posted by: Sandy at June 11, 2007 9:12 PM


I am one of Hillary's pro-choice constituants, and I think the "safe, legal, and rare" line is a great line. It describes the goal of the OB/GYN industry (which some mistakenly call the abortion industry) correctly.

I don't know what the author has in mind when she writes: "It's this sort of rhetoric, like her "safe, legal, and rare" line, that alienates pro-abortion constituents and actually damages the movement."

Posted by: SoMG at June 12, 2007 1:04 AM


The author means that the "safe, legal, and rare" line indicates there's something wrong with abortion, which runs counter to the abortion industry's propaganda that abortion is fine, great, even moral.

Posted by: Jill Stanek Author Profile Page at June 12, 2007 7:40 AM


God, Hilary Clinton is such a fascist! If she comes to power, I'm moving to Scotland.

Posted by: Dan at June 13, 2007 3:36 AM


Why should it be rare? No one thinks emercency contraception, or condoms, or other things should be rare...they all have the same end, to prevent a baby from being born.
If you are pro-choice, please explain to me why you think abortion should be rare?

Posted by: Milehimama at June 13, 2007 8:47 AM


I wish someone would actually answer that question, Milehimama....I've been asking, along with many others here, that exact same question for a while now, and so far, no real answers provided from pro-choicers as to why it should be rare. Kind of odd.

Posted by: Bethany at June 13, 2007 11:08 AM


more like safe, legal and rampant.

Posted by: Heather4life at June 13, 2007 8:08 PM