Obama On Late Abortion: Mental Distress Doesn't Justify It

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says "mental distress" should not qualify as a justification for late-term abortions, a key distinction not embraced by many supporters of abortion rights.

In an interview this week with "Relevant," a Christian magazine, Obama said prohibitions on late-term abortions must contain "a strict, well defined exception for the health of the mother."

Obama then added: "Now, I don't think that 'mental distress' qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term."

Last year, after the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on late-term abortions, Obama said he "strongly disagreed" with the ruling because it "dramatically departs form previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women."

The health care exception is crucial to abortion rights advocates and is considered a legal loophole by abortion opponents. By limiting the health exception to a "serious physical issue," Obama set himself apart from other abortion rights proponents.

The official position of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group that endorsed Obama in May, states: "A health exception must also account for the mental health problems that may occur in pregnancy. Severe fetal anomalies, for example, can exact a tremendous emotional toll on a pregnant woman and her family."

The 1973 landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade, established a right to an abortion, and a concurrent case, Doe v. Bolton, established that medical judgments about the need for an abortion could include physical, emotional and psychological health factors.

"Senator Obama has consistently maintained that laws restricting abortions must contain exceptions for the health and life of the mother," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said Thursday. "Obviously, as he stated in the interview, he has consistently believed those exceptions should be clear and limited enough to ensure that they don't undermine the prohibition on late-term abortions."

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Obama's position is similar to that taken by a bipartisan group of senators in 1998 who tried to counter efforts to ban certain late-term abortions with their own legislation. That proposal, which failed, would have banned all late-term abortions except for those that are necessary to protect the physical health of the mother.

In a statement, NARAL Pro-Choice said Obama's magazine interview is consistent with Roe v. Wade.

"Sen. Obama has consistently said he supports the tenets set forth by Roe, and has made strong statements against President Bush's Federal Abortion Ban, which does not have an exception to protect a woman's health," the organization's statement said.

A leading abortion opponent, however, said Obama's rhetoric does not match his voting record and his previously stated views on abortion rights.

David N. O'Steen, the executive director of National Right to Life, said Obama's remarks to the magazine "are either quite disingenuous or they reflect that Obama does not know what he is talking about."

"You cannot believe that abortion should not be allowed for mental health reasons and support Roe v Wade," O'Steen said.

In the interview with Relevant, conducted on Tuesday, Obama also defended his opposition to restrictions on induced abortions where the fetus sometimes survives for short periods. Obama voted against such a bill when he was in the Illinois Senate. He has said he supported a federal version of the law that contained more specific language because he feared the Illinois proposal would have applied to all abortions.

"There was a bill that came up in Illinois that was called the 'Born Alive' bill that purported to require life-saving treatment to such infants. And I did vote against that bill," Obama said Tuesday. "The reason was that there was already a law in place in Illinois that said that you always have to supply life-saving treatment to any infant under any circumstances, and this bill actually was designed to overturn Roe v. Wade, so I didn't think it was going to pass constitutional muster."

Comments

[themiddleway]

By virtue of moral imperative it is everyone's duty to act against immoral things. So, it is not just Senator Obama's opinion he should be voicing, but trying to change an immoral act. To put it another way is it just your opinion that people should not kill other people, or do you maybe feel that we should have laws that would stop someone from shooting someone else. This situation is no different. Pro-choice does not mean the right to chose whether or not to kill a child. It means you have the right to chose whether you want to allow the impregnation to continue on to fetal development. Once you have a child inside of you, you do not have the right to chose whether it lives or dies. No man, nor woman has that right. Just as I do not have the right to shoot someone, even though whether or not I shoot someone has nothing to do with you, I am sure you would try and stop it. The action then must be to scientifically define when you can reasonably call a person a person. I vote for full neural development, but it may be better left to an expert in fetal development.

[AnotherTry]

Are we supposed to believe there are not enough people out there that truly believe in democratic principles to win an election?

I don't buy it at all and I resent that fact that there are those apologists for Obama that want me to believe this malarky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di2RFTrtRTY

[SeanGardner]

This is a non-issue.

Obama has not reversed his position on anything. He is simply taking away potential policy positions that McCain and the RNC can throw at him. Some call it "flip-flopping". I call it brilliant!

[tbone99]

For all the millions of comments by Obama supporters holding Clinton aupporters hostage to reproductive rights - guess you didn't really know your man.

[HumeSkeptic]

We did. More importantly, we knew that the most pro-NeoCon Dem candidate had to be stopped. Stopping her was a big accomplishment for all who believe in peace and justice for all.

[Janemas]

We Obama supporters expected him to do exactly what he did on this issue!

I bet you didn't know Hillary loves to claim credit for the "Over the counter ABORTION PILL" known as PLAN B?

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/11/hillary_clinton_gets_plan_b_kickbacks/

"Clinton’s campaign Web site touts that she has “battled the big drug companies.” Yet she has sponsored many bills that would directly subsidize Barr Laboratories, maker of the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B, which also functions as an abortifacient."

[530Rose]

OMG where do you get your info? Plan B has nothing to do with abortions. It stops ovulation. If you are already pregnant, you will still be pregnant the morning after.

Plan B is responsible for preventing many abortions and unwanted pregnancies, especially after contraceptive failure (broken condom) or sexual assault. There is no reason a woman should have to wait for an appointment to see a clinician for Plan B, since it is most effective within the first 24 hours after the event. The longer you wait, the better your chance of ovulating and the higher the risk of pregnancy.

The active ingredient in Plan B, levonorgestrel, is a synthetic form of progesterone, which is the hormone produced first by your ovaries and then by your placenta during a pregnancy. It is also used to prevent miscarriages.

If you are going to spout off, get your facts right. Someone might believe you.

http://www.go2planb.com/ForConsumers/AboutPlanB/WhatisPlanB.aspx

[Janemas]

I am pro-choice and to find Obama is against "late-term" abortions, especially those that are not endagering the welfare of the mother, or a personal choice do to rape or incest, makes me proud of him. Pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion. Obama is on the right track on this issue as he is on mostly all of them. The man's not perfect you know.

[Vurt]

Thankfully I am a man and can not make this decision.
Sometimes I wonder if this issue is more about patriarchal power than safety for children or women.
the country is very patriotic, but not very matriarchic.

[themiddleway]

This is a good decision by Senator Obama. While it is important to safeguard woman's rights, there comes a point when you must eventually consider the rights of the child being born. Early term abortions, before significant development, are clearly different then aborting the fetus when its nervous system is developed and can hear, feel, and respond. That is a seriously egregious mistake in policy to let things like that go on a whim. If in the late term the mother is in danger of losing her life, then it is within her right to end a potentially fatal scenario for herself, but to allow for these late term abortions for something that is connected to mere fortitude rather than physical danger is rather disgusting. I remember undergoing mental distress every time I took a college exam. If the same term that allows for a late term abortion can be used to describe something comparatively much less significant than there is a serious error in the policy.

[GeorgeKaplan]

If I had wanted policies like this I could vote Republican. Between Republican and Republican-lite the voter will always chose the Republican.... every time.

[Noratruth]

what are you even talking about? how are you even saying that obama has republican policies. he only said he is against late term abortions when mental distress is the reason, that's it. he is not even saying that he is against abortion. but please amuse me and try to name other policies which make obama republican or 'republican-lite'

[Janemas]

You need to read the article again. Unless of course you agree to abortions everytime someone forgot to take their contraceptive.

[AlphaDoc]

Though everyone may be entitled to an opinion on the subject of late-term abortion, the bottom line is that being "pro-choice" means the actual decision is left up to the woman who is pregnant. If Senator Obama is voicing his opinion, fine. If he's posting notice on future actions, not so fine. Wasn't it Obama who stressed that mental health is every bit as important as physical health? Or does that only count when it comes to soldiers?

[INDmind]

I thought the same thing. The power of mental stress can be seen by our returning soldiers. It is something that must be addressed. This spin in regard to pregnant women is disappointing. Recently, I've seen O supporters using the case of Roe v. Wade as why Clinton supporters should go for Obama rather than for McCain and then it's possible that they hear Obama make this statement and think...what the heck?

[AlphaDoc]

I doubt Obama would seek to appoint SCOTUS justices who would overturn Roe. McCain surely would.

[Janemas]

I think you should worry more about your Vice President who says "SO" when asked if he cares what you think, then to worry about my personal decisions... which you have no say in.

[AlphaDoc]

>I think you should worry more about your Vice President who says "SO"<

Indeed.

[mamacat]

For the record, I am pro-choice, but against late term abortions. It seems like common sense.

[GeorgeKaplan]

But it is not. It's between a woman and HER doctor.

[MuchMadness]

What about the husband/father? Remember when the bride in a Christian marriage ceremony vowed to obey the husband? Ah, those were the good old days!

[lboucher]

Obama is modifying or abandoning nearly every position on the issues he has held throughout the campaign. He isn’t veering to the center, he’s maneuvering to the right of McCain. FISA, NAFTA, gun control, capital punishment for child rape, flag pins, Jerusalem et cetera et cetera,

[kevenseven]

Flag pins?

[exPatPatti]

LOL

[FACINGREALIT]

A group of Veterans gave him one on a campaign stop and asked him to wear it for them. Funny, I've NEVER seen one on John McCain nor Hillary but no one had a problem with that - I guess by default , it was already a presumption they were patriotic.

[sandtats]

On the death penalty, the 2nd amendment, abortion, and Iraq, NO change in positions.

HIS words, "then" and now!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/5/13146/00395/160/546980


Obama on abortion, July 2008: Based on emails we received, another issue of deep importance to our readers is a candidate’s stance on abortion. We largely know your platform, but there seems to be some real confusion about your position on third-trimester and partial-birth abortions. Can you clarify your stance for us?

"I have repeatedly said that I think it's entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don't think that "mental distress" qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term abortions."

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/...

Obama on abortion, April 2008: "On an issue like partial birth abortion, I strongly believe that the state can properly restrict late-term abortions. I have said so repeatedly. All I've said is we should have a provision to protect the health of the mother, and many of the bills that came before me didn't have that."

http://www.ontheissues.org/...

[rzan1]

He has been extremely consistent in his stand on the issues. He has not changed his position at all regarding Roe vs. Wade.

[Youth4Obama]

SMART MOVE OBAMA, VERY WISE DECISION. I AGREE WITH HIM ON THIS ONE.

[BethinIllinois]

"Move" would be the operative word here, wouldn't it? Once again, he moves his decision to pander to another group.

He has no convictions, except for doing what it takes to win, and to look out for himself.
FISA - change. Iraq - change. guns? change. Constitution -- who cares if he taught it, he is in favor of jettisoning it.
And now his position on abortion rights.

Change HE can believe in. We can only believe he'll change his position.

[FACINGREALIT]

If you could read beyond your own writing you would have seen the post with a link that verifies that his position on this issue had NEVER CHANGED. I don't ever remember anyone asking his opinion on late terms but he was kind enough to give it as he addressed his pro-choice stance.

[GeorgeKaplan]

Not Obama's choice. This is a constitutionally protected right. Not smart and not wise and if I had wanted someone to support this garbage I would have voted for a Republican.

Not the role of the state to make these decisions it is between a woman and HER doctor. You have no voice in this personal matter.

[rivrgrrl]

Late term abortions happen so rarely and only to save the life of the mother, that this is a non issue. O was stroking the wingers with some filler-babble for a right wing xtian magazine.

If a woman is going to have an abortion, it is generally in the first trimester; eliminating a blob of cells. Less often, and for more profound reasons (severe retardation or deformity, etc), a pregnancy is terminated in the second trimester. Very, very rarely are late term abortions performed and it's to save the life of the mother. If a woman carries a child to the seventh or eigth month and then finds she can not deliver the baby and it must be aborted for medical reasons, that has to be one of the hardest things in the world. That woman should be able to cope with her tragedy with her family and her doctor and NO ONE ELSE, especially someone from the government.

I do disagree with O on the mental health issue not being a factor. Having seen too many kids raised and ruined by inadequate and addicted parents has cemented that view. Having stable mental health is a prerequisite to being a good parent and no child deserves to be forced into a dysfunctional family who can't even take care of themselves, much less a child.

[rzan]

Perhaps you are right, the whole late term abortion debate may be a non-issue. When you talk about aborting for medical reasons, you are talking about the medical condition of the infant, I am sure - A baby who has so many anomalies that it cannot possibly survive, etc. At 7 or 8 months of pregnancy, if the mother is unable to further carry a perfectly healthy infant, it can be delivered by C-section, and can thus survive and the mother's life can also be preserved. It happens all the time.

[Mattie]

IF you Google late term abortion, NPR has a really good article about it. It says most late term abortions happen in the 4th month, and very very rarely in the third trimester. It does describe the procedures which is horrific, but it also stated that their are some very severe birth defects that do not show up in normal testing until the 2nd trimester. I'm assuming that if you carry your baby to the 2nd trimester, you must want it, and what a horrible decision that must be for the family to have to terminate the pregnancy. These procedures are rare, 2300 a year the article said, and extremely sad. It would be wonderful if were not necessary, but I don't believe women are doing it because they don't want their babies, they are doing it because the choices are just to horrible. Obama should put himself in these women's shoes before he decides what is right for them. He is a panderer of the worst kind.

[530Rose]

I agree that this is a non-issue. I work with pregnant women, and find that most moms will continue their pregnancies even when it puts their lives at risk. Those that choose to abort, often for a very significant life threatening condition of either the mother or the fetus, are heart-broken. It is never an easy decision.

That said, I don't think the government should be part of the equation. I wonder how NARAL feels about its endorsement now?

[rzan]

NARAL agrees with Obama's position on late term abortions, as does Hillary Clinton.

[rzan]

I agreed with you below but have since researched the subject, and they are not only done to save the life of the mother. There are three procedures used, one of which is the "partial bitrth abortion." There are between 2500 and 3000 partial birth abortions done each year, and this is a particularly horrifying act done sometimes on a viable baby over the age of 24 weeks gestational age. People need to know what these procedures entail. They are inhumane, without a doubt.

[gage]

"Having stable mental health is a prerequisite to being a good parent and no child deserves to be forced into a dysfunctional family who can't even take care of themselves, much less a child."

I agree with much of your comment but not that last part. It's sick to think that you're doing the baby a service by not forcing it to be born. That is killing the baby to save it.

[uheardme]

His views reflect the views of most Americans. Most Americans believe an extreme decision like a late term abortion should be made to save the life of the mother.

[eshalom]

So far Sen. Obama has misrepresented himself on every issue, including the fact that he has never been a law professor; he was a non-tenured track lecturer and has finally stopped padding his resume on that particular matter.

When he's confronted about his flip-flopping, he explains it away by claiming the rhetoric in the primary was a little over-heated, blah, blah, blah.

[Sabreen60]

If you can read and comprehend what you read then you would know that he has not misrepresented himself on anything. If you don't agree with his positions, fine. But you are dishonest and disingenuous.

[pinkerman2]

Sabreen60 You are so correct about eshalom. Thank you for your truth blog.

[Mattie]

FISA?????

[juevosrancheros]

eshalom,
I'm in academia, and the title 'professor' is both technical and non-technical. Anyone hired by a university to teach courses for credit who has his or her phd may be called a professor. I am an assistant professor, but when someone asks me what I do, I tell them that I'm a professor, as we all usually do - assistant, associate, full professors, as well as visiting professors, adjunct professors and lecturers.
In fact, the title 'lecturer' is less well-known to the general public and often causes confusion when used as such.

By the way, it's 'tenure track', not 'tenured track', fyi.

As for your other point, any professor (including lecturers) would tell you that it needs content.

[eshalom]

juevosrancheros,

Nice attempt to justify Obama's misrepresentation of himself as a law professor. I, too, am familiar with academia, and I know the title of professor is hard won and not to be tossed about lightly by someone like Barack Obama who is primarily interested in inflating an extremely thin resume.

Obama supporters cleverly distort the truth and twist and turn to defend their candidate's willingness to say and do whatever it takes to win the presidency. Since the late Tim Russert and the Democratic party elite gave Obama the nomination, he has managed to do an about face on every major issue. Even the gullible Frank Rich in this morning's NY Times acknowledges that his favorite in the Democratic primary is a loser in the general election.

[Marlyn]

Population BOMB!!@@!!

This is the source of all our problems, too many people.