so is this ad by noboma a misrepresentation, dishonest by omission, a scare tactic, or an outright lie.
On Sep 9, 8:09 am, Cold Water <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Question: Does McCain want to ban "all" abortions? > In an Obama radio ad it was stated McCain would favor a Constitutional > amendment banning abortion. Would you clarify this? > > Answer: He has said he favors a Constitutional amendment that would > outlaw abortion. He would allow exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when > the life of the mother is at stake. > > The Obama campaign made no announcement when it released this ad Sept. > 2, and it refuses "for competitive reasons" to say where it is running. Our > readers have heard it in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., > where it reaches Virginia and Maryland as well. > > Obama Radio Ad: > "Choice" > > Obama: I'm Barack Obama, candidate for president. And I approved this > message. > > Val Baron: As a nurse practitioner with Planned Parenthood, I know > abortion is one of most difficult decisions a woman will ever make. I’m Val > Baron. > > Let me tell you – if Roe v. Wade is overturned, the lives and health of > women will be put at risk. > > That’s why this election is so important. John McCain's out of touch > with women today. McCain wants to take away our right to choose. That’s what > women need to understand. That’s how high the stakes are. > > Announcer: As president, John McCain will make abortion illegal. McCain > says quote, “I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned.” > > And listen to McCain’s answer on Meet the Press: > > Tim Russert (Jan. 30 2000): A constitutional amendment to ban all > abortions … You’re for that?” > > McCain: Yes, sir. > > Val Baron: We can’t let John McCain take away our right to choose. We > can’t let him take us back. > > Announcer: Paid for by Obama for America. > It is accurate as far as it goes. It features an eight-year-old audio > clip in which McCain said "yes sir" when asked if he supported a > Constitutional amendment to "ban all abortions." > > Nevertheless, McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers objects to the ad. > His quibble is with a single word – "all." McCain does not in fact oppose all > abortions. He would allow abortions in cases where pregnancies resulted from > rape or incest, or pregnancies that threaten the life of the mother. > > The ad's announcer also quotes McCain as saying that the Supreme Court > 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade should be overturned. That's correct. McCain > holds that position. Overturning that decision would not automatically lead > to outlawing abortions everywhere, much less "all" abortions. The decision > held that the U.S. Constitution guarantees a woman a right to an abortion > during the first several months of pregnancy. Overturning that decision would > allow states to set more restrictive laws, but not all states are likely to > do so. (See another Ask FactCheck item we posted for more on that topic.) > > The ad's claim that McCain would "make abortion illegal" rests on his > support for a Constitutional amendment that would go much farther than > overturning Roe. Such an amendment, if ratified, would be binding everywhere, > not just in states that enact laws against abortion. An amendment would not > only make abortion illegal, abortion would become unconstitutional. > > But which abortions? McCain waffled a bit on that question back in > 2000, when he ran unsuccessfully against George W. Bush for the Republican > nomination. McCain said in January 2000 that he would ban "all" abortions, > but he later strongly supported exceptions for rape, incest and a threat to > the mother's life. > > Ban All Abortions > > McCain's support for banning "all" abortions seemed unequivocal when he > stated it during a Jan. 30, 2000, appearance on "Meet the Press" with the > late Tim Russert. The ad quotes only a few words. Here's more of that > exchange: > > Russert (Jan. 30, 2000): A constitutional amendment to ban all > abortions? > McCain: Yes, sir. > Russert: You're for that? > McCain: Yes, sir. > Russert: If, in fact, all abortions were banned in America ... > McCain: I understand. > Russert: ...under President McCain ... > McCain: Understand. > Russert: ... let's look at our country. What would happen to a woman > who had an abortion? > McCain: Obviously, it would be illegal, but I would not prosecute a > woman who did that. I would think that it would be such a terrible trauma > that -- but I would not make those abortions available or easy as they are > today in America. > > The Three Exceptions > > Two weeks later, on Feb. 15, 2000, during a Republican candidate debate > in South Carolina, McCain spoke strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, > incest and threat to life. He pushed rival Bush hard to support adding those > exceptions to the GOP platform. Bush, though he said he also favored such > exceptions, would not endorse writing them into the platform. Here is some of > that exchange: > > McCain: George, do you believe in the exemption in abortion, case of > abortion, for rape, incest and life of the mother? > Bush: Yes, I do. I do. > McCain: Then, you know, it's interesting, you were talking about > printed material that's mailed out. Here's one that says that George W. Bush > supports the pro-life plank. The pro-life plank. > Bush: I do. > McCain: Yes. So in other words ... > Bush: Yes ... > McCain: ... your position is that you believe there's an exemption > for rape, incest and the life of the mother, but you want the platform that > you're supposed to be leading to have no exemption. > Bush: Yes, but ... > McCain: Help me out there, will you? ... > Bush: The platform talks about – it doesn't talk about what > specifically should be in the Constitutional amendment. ... The platform > speaks about a Constitutional amendment. It doesn't refer to how that > Constitutional amendment ought to be defined. > > For the Record > > For the record, the GOP platform for 2008 still does not specify any > exceptions. It speaks only of support for "a human life amendment" but > doesn't say precisely what it should say: > > 2008 Republican Platform: [W]e assert the inherent dignity and > sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental > individual right to life which cannot be infringed.We support a human life > amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that > the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. > > Also for the record, McCain has said he doubts a Constitutional > amendment is likely. He said on ABC's "This Week" on Nov. 19, 2006: > > Sen. McCain: I don't think a Constitutional amendment is probably > going to take place. But I do believe that it's very likely or possible that > a Supreme Court should – could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return > these decisions to the states, which I support that. > > McCain's Web site states that he supports overturning Roe v. Wade, > calling such a move "one step in the long path toward ending abortion." > > -Brooks Jackson > > Sources > Republican National Committee, "2008 Republican Platform," Sep 2008; 51. > > Transcript, NBC Meet the Press 30 Jan 2000. > > Transcript, CNN's Larry King Live, South Carolina Republican Debate > 15 Feb 2000. > > Transcript, ABC This Week 19 Nov 2006. > > http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/does_mccain_want_to_ban_all_abo... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
