Pro-Life McCain

"One foot in front of the other, step to the right." - Becoming the Archetype, Into Oblivion

The guttural screaming of one Jason Wisdom were not, I think, meant to apply to the process whereby a Republican presidential attempts to secure the nomination. Nevertheless, McCain is doing precisely that.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, looking to improve his standing with the party's conservative voters, said Sunday the court decision that legalized abortion should be overturned.

"I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned," the Arizona senator told about 800 people in South Carolina, one of the early voting states.

McCain also vowed that if elected, he would appoint judges who "strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States and do not legislate from the bench."

Words are just that, but McCain is surprisingly honest for a politician, and I think there is some sincerity in his statement. Sometimes I think I overstate the importance of the abortion issue in the minds of the electorate. There are certainly those, who, like my dear mother, vote on the abortion issue alone. But the GOP has yet to nominate an openly pro-choice candidate. Should they choose to break precedent, it will be glorious to watch as right-wing pundits try to explain the difference between their man and the much-loathed Hillary Clinton.

The race to the right has begun. McCain for fall-guy in '08?

Update: Drudge links to a 1999 story titled McCain Makes Conflicting Statements on Abortion:

Senator John McCain (R-Az.), a leading contender for the Republican nomination for President, said on August 19, "Certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade," the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand.

After NRLC and others voiced sharp objections, McCain shifted his ground somewhat, saying that if elected President, he would "work toward" the overturning of Roe. But McCain's "clarifying" statements have been murky, and have raised more questions than they answered.

This will probably all be forgotten within the month. After all, it's not as if Guiliani or Romney is going to be able to criticize McCain for his wishy-washy stance on abortion since they also share it. Looks like in 2008 pro-lifers are going to be almost as screwed as the dead babies they're trying to save.