On the party's platform, the Democrats dropped the words "safe, legal and rare," the phrase used most famously by both Bill and Hillary Clinton to signal moderation on the issue. The Democrats also added the modifier "unequivocally" to strengthen their support for abortion rights.Gotta love that moderate search for common ground! Also disturbing: the lack of respect for the individual conscience.
If Democrats had wanted to "make room" for pro-lifers, they could have. One proposal for the platform was a statement of "conscience" -- that is, language noting that people of good conscience can disagree on abortion. This was rejected by the platform writers.And Democrats for Life didn't bother to fight.
I'm not sure what purpose Democrats for Life serves if it's not going to bother to argue in the platform fights.Actually, "shamelessly roll over" doesn't do justice to what happened. Kristen Day told ABC News, "We decided not to offer an amendment because we are working with the party to try to solve this issue." What? That's like saying they'll begin to fight after conceding defeat.
Besides, just what incentive do the overwhelmingly dominant pro-abortion forces in the party have to work with Miss Day when they succeeded, effortlessly, in inserting the following language in the platform?
"The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right."
