Madfloridian's Journal - How it was easy to get the ban on late term abortions...our party went along.

Here is just some of how we got to where we are today....when a woman can not get an abortion that threatens her health 3rd trimester. She can only supposedly get one if she is danger of dying....and I wonder which of those 5 men will be looking over the doctors' shoulders making them think twice or maybe more?

Harold Ford

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life.
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003: Vote to pass a bill banning a medical procedure, which is commonly known as "partial-birth" abortion. The procedure would be allowed only in cases in which a women's life is in danger, not for cases where a women's health is in danger. Those who performed this procedure, would face fines and up to two years in prison, the women to whom this procedure is performed on are not held criminally liable.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Santorum, R-PA; Bill S.3 ; vote number 2003-530 on Oct 2, 2003
http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Harold_Fo...

Ford is chairman of the DLC now, the think tank that today has the congressional policy up for the Democrats.

And just to pick a few others:

Tom Carper:

Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life.
S. 3 As Amended; Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. Vote to pass a bill banning a medical procedure, which is commonly known as "partial-birth" abortion. Those who performed this procedure would then face fines and up to two years in prison, the women to whom this procedure is performed on are not held criminally liable. This bill would make the exception for cases in which a women's life is in danger, not for cases where a women's health is in danger.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Tom_Carp...

Tom Carper is one of the leaders of the DLC.

Also voting for the so-called "partial birth abortion" ban were other Democrats. The bill did not allow for a woman's health to be considered. Just a life or death situation.

In the Senate:

John Breaux, Harry Byrd, Kent Conrad, Tom Daschle, Byron Dorgan, Fritz Hollings, Tim Johnson, Mary Landrieu, Patrick Leahy, Blanche Lincoln, Miller (GA), Ben Nelson, Pryor AK, Harry Reid.

Not voting.
John Edwards, John Kerry, Joe Biden.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll...

There were 63 Democrats in the House who voted for it. Ford is listed above. I have not looked the others up yet.

They are not going to do anything about changing the law that was just ruled constitutional because too damn many of them voted for it.

And what will always stick in my mind was what Chuck Schumer said at a fundraiser when he chose Bob Casey to run in PA.

"So I called up Governor...our number one target is Rick Santorum...let him go back to wherever he lives, Maryland, you know you heard about it, he is Pennsylvania but he tried to get exempt from the school tax there cause he lives in Maryland even though he is a registered citizen of Pennsylvania. In any case I called up the Governor of Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell, I said who is the best candidate to beat Santorum. He there is only one person who could beat him but he won't run and B you wouldn't want him to. I said why wouldn't we want him to run, he said he's pro-life. He's a deeply religious Catholic man. Bob Casey."

"I said, those days are over Ed. Yes I'm pro-choice, but we need the best candidate. We can't insist that every democrat check off 18 different issues before they get (unintelligible) we could do that, we can't anymore. And so, we persuaded, Harry using his very...Harry has amazing insights into people...and we together persuaded Bob Casey to run. A poll yesterday...national...all the polls they did...Casey 51 Santorum 40. You should see Santorum nervous and walkin on the floor."
http://www.mydd.com:80/story/2005/8/15/121...

Schumer said the days were over when issues like that mattered. I guess that meant women's choice. Maybe they are sending women a message that now has Supreme Court backing....don't get pregnant if you can't stay healthy.

Issues matter. We learned that this week. The right wing is just getting started on issues like this. They were emboldened.