Nixon approved of abortion in cases of rape and to prevent bi-racial babies.

[sufrommich]

WASHINGTON — On Jan. 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court struck down laws criminalizing abortion in Roe v. Wade, President Richard M. Nixon made no public statement. But the next day, newly released tapes reveal, he privately expressed ambivalence.


Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.” But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases — like interracial pregnancies, he said.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding, “Or a rape.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/us/politics/24nixon.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=richard_milhous_nixon&adxnnlx=1277331435-UnbgXSIY740YaKDT85UKbg

[CBR]

1. Ahh.... there is that liberal Nixon I keep hearing about!

:eyes:

[depakid]

4. That's precisely why so many people find it disturbing

that Nixon was in fact more liberal than many of the people in the Democratic leadership on various issues.

I'm thinking you probably already knew that, though.

[CBR]

5. IMO... his opinion on aborting biracial babies trumps. nt

[sufrommich]

9. On what issues was Nixon more liberal than the Democrats?

[depakid]

11. Dems just passed what was essentially his health care plan (his was actually somewhat better)

and many of America's most environmental laws date from his administration.

He also signed expansions of social security and medicare.

To name a few.

Sad to see the state of affairs among many Democrats- that they can be compared with Nixon, isn't it?

[sufrommich]

12. Misunderstood. I thought you were talking about democrats

in the Nixon era.

[treestar]

13. Since the 1970s were 40 years ago now

And predated the Reagan era, that is not necessarily such a bad thing.

It is unfair to compare societies that different.

[depakid]

15. I suppose the same could be said of his opinion on interracial marraige, etc.

After all, Loving v. Virginia only outlawed the prohibition in 1967.

I wouldn't say that myself- though I can see how it could be said.

[treestar]

17. Loving v. Va. was never overruled

Not a good comparison either.

Yet the Reagan era occurred and we are supposed to be able to treat today's voters as if they were a liberal as those of 1972.

[depakid]

19. You must have misread re: Loving

and you must not have read (or accepted this):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8311732&mesg_id=8312675

So yes- according to the credible data on the issues, today's voters are more liberal -but the party's controlling faction (and corporate patrons) are another story entirely).

[aquart]

2. Ah, tricky Dicky. My favorite racist anti-Semite. What a guy.

I will never forgive Gerald Ford for that pardon, never. I hope Ford is burning at a hotter temperature than Dicky.

[Gaedel]

20. You wonder what would have been a counter-factual history

1. If Watergate had been laughed off as normal election year fun and games.

2. Nixon had continued to govern without controversy given his big election mandate and solid Democratic control of the House and Senate.


Would aid have been cut off to Vietnam in 1974?

Would Carter have happened or would a senatorial Democrat been elected in 1976?

Would Reagan have happened or would the GOP stayed closer to the center?

Would 1994 have occurred?

[trotsky]

3. Republican family values. n/t

[EstimatedProphet]

6. Well, since bi-racial babies are exactly the same as rape...

Good fucking God.

[sufrommich]

10. Yes, Republicans think both are tragedies. nt

[CBGLuthier]

7. The elder Bush and his Nazi daddy Prescott were big supporters

of Planned Parenthood primarily because they were afraid "minorities" would have too many children and overrun them there good white folk.

[Ganja Ninja]

8. And just remember, he's one of the good republicans.

At least compared to todays breed.

[treestar]

14. I've run into right wingnuts who if pressed will admit that

they do not think abortion is so bad if poor women have them - meaning that their respect for human life is not really so important as they claim it is.

[customerserviceguy]

16. Country clubber Republicons think that

Fundie ones don't. Since they have to make common cause with each other to get the Repukes elected, they don't talk about it to each other much.

[Odin2005]

18. This is old news.