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Bush Campaign Lies

Friday, April 09, 2004

Bush Campaign Lie #26: Kerry Flip-Flopped On Leaving Abortion Up To States 

How absurd is this? Can you believe the GOP is trying to make an issue on 'evidence' this weak? This is number 17 on their 'Kerry flip-flops' hit parade.

  1. Kerry Used To Say Abortion Should Be Left Up To States. 'I think the question of abortion is one that should be left for the states to decide,' Kerry said during his failed 1972 Congressional bid. (“John Kerry On The Issues,” The [Lowell, MA] Sun, 10/11/72)
  2. Now Kerry Says Abortion Is Law Of Entire Nation. 'The right to choose is the law of the United States. No person has the right to infringe on that freedom. Those of us who are in government have a special responsibility to see to it that the United States continues to protect this right, as it must protect all rights secured by the constitution.' (Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Congressional Record, 1/22/85)
Never mind that there's more than a 12-year gap between those statements, and never mind that Republicans are trying to make an issue out of statements Kerry made 31 and 19 years ago, respectively. Let's just take one moment to rack our brains and see if we can come up with any major change in the U.S. political landscape pertaining to abortion law between October 1972 and January 1985.

Can't think of anything? How about the fact that the Supreme Court declared abortion to be a constitutional right on January 22, 1973? Oh yeah. So when Kerry said, in 1985, that 'the right to choose is the law of the United States' and that the government has a responsibility to 'protect all rights secured by the constitution', he probably said it because the right to choose is the law of the United States and the government has a responsibility to protect all rights secured by the constitution. And probably the reason he didn't say that in 1972 is because the right to choose wasn't yet the law of the United States. But that's just a guess.

See, unlike Bush, Kerry seems to be able to perceive, accept, and even communicate factual information. This is why, when the facts change, the things Kerry says will change, too. This is a strength, not a weakness. The weak politician is the one who hides from inconvenient facts and hopes they'll go away.

4:18 PM
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