Did you know Dennis was the only candidate to agree to use

[genius]

Poll question: Did you know Dennis was the only candidate to agree to use

Roe v. Wade as a litmus test for justices. He tried to get the other candidates to accept this test but they felt other factors were more important.

[cyclezealot]

1. The likes of Hilary Clinton , Pelosi seems to be backtracking.

Yet, some Dean people dump on Dennis because he was raised Catholic, is a committed Catholic and evolved into what is not the strongest pro abortion position..Dennis never lets us down..
Because he was raised anti choice, but evolved out of that narrow view some don't believe Dennis is real...Well he is and he has the most stringent pro view out there...
Yet, Dennis personally is against choice..his right...Sort of like Jimmy Carter...For this reason, DK thinks it possible he can bridge the gap between pro and anti choice factions..I think he could.

[Toucano]

2. Dennis was a pro-life politician a few years ago. n/t

[genius]

5. No. That's a misconception that keeps getting repeated.

He had issues with funding but not with choice. Some women's groups sat him down and convinced him it was a matter of freedom and equal protection to also provide the funding.

[KittyWampus]

27. Rationalization At It's Best. Funny How Those Women's Groups

only finally managed to "sit him down" just as he ran for POTUS.

[NV Whino]

3. It was yet one more reason why I voted for him in the primary. n/t

[ISUGRADIA]

4. How was Kerry's position different than Kucinich's?

"Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, has said he will appoint only judges who will uphold Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
"

http://www.northeasttimes.com/2004/0902/bits.html

[genius]

7. When asked during the primaries, Kerry wouldn't agree.

I realize that Kerry is pro-choice in essence. But there have been a number of anti-choice justices the Senate Dems have let get on the courts.

[ISUGRADIA]

9. I'd beg to differ as to Kerry's position during the primaries

This is from a June 2003 AP story:

"Kerry also has said if elected president he would only appoint judges who support Roe v. Wade, while his opponents for the nomination say they would not impose a litmus test on nominees. "

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/06/20/national1340EDT0606.DTL

[merh]

11. I don't know if you have noticed it or not

but the dems have had trouble keeping the weed's appointments from winning nominations.


Which anti-choice judges are you referencing so that I can know the time span and what other issues were being debated or nominees considered?

Sometimes they have to settle for the lesser of 2 evils, which btw, is why I believe the repukes are trying to force the bankrupcy legislation down our throats, they hope to use it as a bargaining chip, okay, we kill it now, what will you give us in return, will you stop fighting all of our SS changes, will you back off of gannon?

I am not saying that bargaining in this day and age is correct, I say balls to the wall, fight them at every turn, but, some times you have to pick your battles.

I personally wish DK was more "presidential". How can we change his image to make it more electable? I would be proud to vote from him in 2008 if he had a more electable personality. The said through is a candidate has to have charisma and be sellable to the people.

[Mairead]

18. " How can we change his image to make it more electable?"

By getting information out there, believe it or not. When A thinks well of B generally, it creates a 'halo effect' and makes B seem better in all respects.

So to make Dennis more electable, we only need to bring his history and policies to people.

[merh]

21. I have to disagree with you, that is not enough for the masses.

They want an image, not someone with a good track record.

You didn't answer my other questions.

[Mairead]

34. "You didn't answer my other questions."

What other questions?

(And you can disagree with me if you like about the halo effect, but don't you think you should read up, first? Try http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/halo_effect.htm or something similar to start. It's a well-researched phenomenon.)

[w13rd0]

12. Dennis pulled a few Lazio moves...

...on the other primary candidates, as did Sharpton. I respect their positions, but their tactics sometimes were less than wise.

[JI7]

24. that's not true, Kerry had Roe v Wade as litmus test also

see post # 9

[Dr Ron]

29. Correct

He has also said he would fillibuster any appointments to the Supreme Court who supported overturning Rowe v. Wade.

[Dr Ron]

31. Need to differentiate Supreme Court vs. Lower Courts

You mentioned anti-choice justices Dems have let get on the courts. There is a distinction between Supreme Court justices and lower court judges.

Judges in lower courts are bound by Supreme Court decisions. It is possible for a judge to be personally opposed to Rowe v. Wade, but as long as they are willing to abide by previous Supreme Court rulings, this is irrelevant. There is also the added safeguard that any decision they make which conflicts with this would be overturned in a higher court. While it would be preferable to go with all pro-life judges, it is not necessary for this to be an absolute litmus test.

On the other hand, Supreme Court justices are not bound by previous decisions. Therefore the opinion of such nominiees is far more important than the opinion of a nominee to a lower court.

[NoPasaran]

6. Is there a point to this

Beyond polishing Saint Dennis' halo?

[genius]

8. There seem to be some misconceptions going around.

And I was wondering what percentage were under these misconceptions.

[mattclearing]

10. What is he, your drinking buddy?

Strictly first name basis, eh? You may have a bright future in tabloid television.

:)

[Padraig18]

13. From pro-life to a Roe v. Wade litmus test in just 2 years?

Did he have whiplash?

[genius]

14. Kerry is pro-life too, I guess, and so is Kennedy, right?

Come on. Just because Dennis had an issue at one time with PUBLIC FUNDING of abortions, people are purposely mis characterizing his position. He was convinced long before the primaries that public funding was a good thing.

As for personal opposition to abortion, that would make Kerry, Kennedy, and most Democratic candidates pro-life. Would you talk your daughter into an abortion? If not, perhaps your pro-life too. Hey, maybe we should pay women to get pregnant just so they can have abortions. The extremeness of people labeling pro-choice people pro-life (with the false implication that they are anti-choice) is unbecoming of a Democrat. If you were just parroting back what someone else told you my comments are meant for them.

[Cuban_Liberal]

15. That would be news to them, genius.

They never VOTED that way, unlike Dennis.

[genius]

16. But it's based on the same rationale used to mislabel Dennis.

Be consistent. And no, Dennis never voted to outlaw abortions.

[Cuban_Liberal]

17. I am being consistent.

It's Dennis who is being the expedient hypocrite.

[Albert Einstein]

20. Genius is right.

You need to be consistent or your attacks look just like flames against Dennis.

[Cuban_Liberal]

22. What is inconsistent, Einstein?

Well????

[Cuban_Liberal]

23. *crickets*

:eyes:

[Mairead]

35. "They never VOTED that way, unlike Dennis."

So what? They also never held a House seat, where such votes come up.

The important thing is where people are today. There was a time when Bush hadn't mocked a woman he condemned to death, either, or started an illegal war that has killed thousands of innocents.

Once upon a time Kerry spoke out against a bad war and the deaths of innocent people. Three years ago he voted for a worse war and today he'd still do it.

Once upon a time Dennis voted against Choice. Today he votes for Choice and speaks out strongly for it as a Constitutional right.

Which one moved in the direction progressives should value?

[AndyTiedye]

25. To Vote Against Public Funding for Abortion Isn't Exactly Progressive

[Cuban_Liberal]

26. you're right. n/t

[Albert Einstein]

19. Of course, I knew Dennis was the most pro-choice of the candidates.

It could be because of that learning experience he went through that he was so much stronger than the other candidates on the choice issue.

However, there are a lot of people here who have it in for Dennis and who will lie about him non-stop. Don't let their flames get to you. Whenever, someone posts something about Dennis, the conservatives come in and flame him as if it is their number one mission in life.

[Zorra]

28. Yeah, conservatives flame Dennis over any tiny little thing...because

his agenda is so flawlessly democratic that they have to capitalize on every miniscule non-issue or they would have nothing to trash him with. IMO, Dennis is the best we have.

Right wing media, (particularly AM radio talk shows), has so successfully brainwashed most Americans toward the right that even many Democrats recoil at anything or anyone labeled "liberal".

It's really sad - because Dennis is one Dem that we can always count on to stand up for us and do the right thing even if it is not politically expedient for him.

[arcos]

30. Flawlessly democratic as in supporting the flag burning ammendment? nt

[tjdee]

32. Roe V. Wade is not the only topic in the world.

Roe V. Wade *shouldn't* be the litmus test. Judges' records should be looked at in their entirety... unless I'm misunderstanding the meaning of 'litmus test'.

[Mairead]

36. You seem to be misunderstanding the meaning of 'litmus test', yes

It's the first test performed, not the only one.

[arcos]

33. Not true... Kerry has always said Roe V. Wade would be a litmus test...

KERRY: I will not allow somebody to come in and change Roe v. Wade. The president has never said whether or not he would do that. But we know from the people he's tried to appoint to the court he wants to. I will not.
MODERATOR: Kerry claims that you had never said whether you would like to overturn Roe v. Wade. Would you?

BUSH: What he's asking me is, will I have a litmus test for my judges? And the answer is, no, I will not have a litmus test. I will pick judges who will interpret the Constitution, but I'll have no litmus test.

KERRY: The president didn't answer the question. I'll answer it straight to America. I'm not going to appoint a judge to the Court who's going to undo a constitutional right, whether it's the 1st Amendment, or the 5th Amendment, or some other right that's given under our Constitution. And I believe that the right of choice is a constitutional right. I don't intend to see it undone. Clearly, the president wants to leave in ambivalence or intends to undo it.


http://www.issues2000.org/2004/John_Kerry_Abortion.htm