Straight from Barack Obama in an exclusive phone call with Relevant Media Group's president and founder, Cameron Strang on July 1. Full text available here.
Strang: 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?
Obama: I absolutely can, so please don’t believe the emails. 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.
The other email rumor that’s been floating around is that somehow I’m
unwilling to see doctors offer life-saving care to children who were
born as a result of an induced abortion. That’s just false. 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. 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.
Ever since that time, emails have been sent out suggesting that,
somehow, I would be in favor of letting an infant die in a hospital
because of this particular vote. That’s not a fair characterization,
and that’s not an honest characterization. It defies common sense to
think that a hospital wouldn't provide life-saving treatment to an
infant that was alive and had a chance of survival.
Strang: You’ve said you’re personally against abortion and would
like to see a reduction in the number of abortions under your
administration. So, as president, how would do you propose
accomplishing that?
Obama: I think we know that abortions rise when unwanted
pregnancies rise. So, if we are continuing what has been a promising
trend in the reduction of teen pregnancies, through education and
abstinence education giving good information to teenagers. That is
important—emphasizing the sacredness of sexual behavior to our
children. I think that’s something that we can encourage. I think
encouraging adoptions in a significant way. I think the proper role of
government. So there are ways that we can make a difference, and those
are going to be things I focus on when I am president.
Strang: 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?
Obama: I absolutely can, so please don’t believe the emails. 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.
The other email rumor that’s been floating around is that somehow I’m
unwilling to see doctors offer life-saving care to children who were
born as a result of an induced abortion. That’s just false. 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. 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.
Ever since that time, emails have been sent out suggesting that,
somehow, I would be in favor of letting an infant die in a hospital
because of this particular vote. That’s not a fair characterization,
and that’s not an honest characterization. It defies common sense to
think that a hospital wouldn't provide life-saving treatment to an
infant that was alive and had a chance of survival.
Strang: You’ve said you’re personally against abortion and would
like to see a reduction in the number of abortions under your
administration. So, as president, how would do you propose
accomplishing that?
Obama: I think we know that abortions rise when unwanted
pregnancies rise. So, if we are continuing what has been a promising
trend in the reduction of teen pregnancies, through education and
abstinence education giving good information to teenagers. That is
important—emphasizing the sacredness of sexual behavior to our
children. I think that’s something that we can encourage. I think
encouraging adoptions in a significant way. I think the proper role of
government. So there are ways that we can make a difference, and those
are going to be things I focus on when I am president.
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