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WEST ST PAUL — Republicans rebuffed their certain nominee Monday by endorsing a platform that goes further than John McCain in opposition to abortion rights.
Yet in a pair of back-to-back votes on the opening day of their national convention, the 2,400 delegates yielded to McCain's desire to keep New Hampshire's presidential primary first in the nation.
Republican National Chairman Robert "Mike" Duncan used a quick gavel to adopt a platform unconditionally declaring the party's opposition to abortion. His resounding crack of the gavel overshadowed shouts of "no" when Duncan made a perfunctory call for objections.
The GOP document, which is nonbinding, does not provide exceptions allowing abortion in cases of rape, incest or where a mother's life would be in danger — all favored by McCain. The Arizona senator's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, opposes abortion in all cases, consistent with the platform.
The votes came the same day that Palin and her husband, Todd, revealed that their unmarried 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was five months pregnant. The couple said their daughter planned to marry the baby's father and keep the child.
During his 2000 campaign, McCain argued for loosening the convention platform to include abortion exceptions. That triggered a backlash among social conservatives, who reared up again in recent weeks amid word McCain might be considering a running mate favoring abortion rights.
In a May interview being published in the October issue of Glamour magazine, McCain reiterated his support for the exceptions.
"My position has always been: exceptions of rape, incest and the life of the mother," the senator said.
When asked if he would encourage the party to include them in the platform, he replied, "Yes," adding: "And by the way, I think that's the view of most people, that rape, incest, the life of the mother are issues that have to be considered."
In a subsequent July 30 interview with Glamour, McCain said he had "not gotten into the platform discussions."
During their meeting last week in Denver, Democrats dropped Clinton-era language saying abortion should be "safe, legal and rare." Democratic nominee Barack Obama said in his acceptance speech: "We may not agree on abortion but surely we can agree on reducing unwanted pregnancies in this country."
Moments before the platform vote, delegates voted overwhelmingly to ban states other than Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina from holding their 2012 primary or caucus votes before the first Tuesday in March. Those three states traditionally kick off the nominating process, but they were challenged this year by other states that moved up on the calendar.
Under the binding rule adopted Monday, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina cannot hold their own votes before the first Tuesday of February 2012. This year, Iowa held its caucuses on Jan. 3, and New Hampshire and South Carolina held their primaries on Jan. 8 and Jan. 19, respectively.
McCain largely skipped the Iowa caucuses during his 2000 and 2008 campaigns, but he won New Hampshire's primary during both of those campaigns. He cemented a political comeback this year by winning in South Carolina after suffering a bitter defeat to George W. Bush there in the 2000 primary.
The senator argued for preserving Iowa and New Hampshire's grassroots campaigns, a position cheered by their delegates.
"It pushes back the calendar and it slows it down — and that's a big gift for us," said Tom Rath, a New Hampshire delegate and member of the convention's Credentials Committee.
In another part of the platform focuse on immigration, the party calls for a border fence and English as the country's official language. On climate change, it acknowledges a human role in increased carbon emissions but advocates environmental policies that are "global in nature."
The plank on drilling highlights another split between McCain and Palin. While it declares the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge should not be put off-limits to drilling permanently, it did not call for immediate drilling there. McCain opposes drilling in the refuge, while Palin favors it.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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{"commentId":2685345,"authorDomain":"RuthyJObservations"}
I believe in life, not death, for our babies in this great nation...I am a mother of 6, grandmother of 16 and great grandmother of 5, and proud of my growing family. It shows that we have hope in the future of America, hope in our people, government, churches, politics and economy. Abortion ends a life that might have brought many blessings to all who got to know him or her. There is a larger picture to consider in all this, and we all know it... If abortion became so common and so easy that no one wanted to bother raising kids anymore, then what? Without children, we'd soon be a nation of just worn out, useless people without hope. God forbid! I for one pray God's blessing, help and protection on all the Mom's and Dad's, grandparents and great grandparents who love their families and help them manage. There is other help available too, and we all know that, as well. I spent 7 years doing Foster Care for unwanted and unruly, abused teenagers a long time ago. I needed to learn tough love, but a lot of those kids came back to see me after they grew up and left the system and thanked me for helping them get through the tough times. To me, it was not easy, but it sure was well-worth the trouble. Social Services had control of all aspects concerning the kids in their protective custody, so I never felt like I was "going it alone." Surely natural parents could rise to the need of their offspring that they concieved, if they knew help was available. Wouldn't it be a living nightmare to know that the parents killed their own baby, because it was inconvenient, or flawed? GG
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#1 - Mon Sep 1, 2008 7:14 PM EDT{"commentId":2730127,"authorDomain":"gypsywolfspirit"}
Ruthy,
I commend you on taking foster children into your home and doing the best that you could. But I do have to disagree with you on the abortion issue. I do NOT like abortion but I believe that it should be kept legal so that those who became pregnant through rape, incest, or have medical need to end the pregnancy have the ability to do so in a safe environment of a hospital instead of a dirty back alley with a coat hanger.
For me at age 16 I was raped by a 22 year old man. In a few months from when it happened I was supposed to be going to Japan as an exchange student, the opportunity of a life time for me. My family never had a lot of money, so this was going to be the best year of my life at that time. Then it happened. I was pregnant. I was also going to a boarding school for disadvantaged children and orphans. If they found out I would have been kicked out of school, and no guarantee I would have even finished high school. My parents were already divorced, and I lived with my mother, she could in no way afford to support a baby, hell we were barely getting by as it was. I was raised Catholic and was faced with a life changing decision. I agonized over what to do and nearly missed the legal cut off date for an abortion because of it. I was terrified as I went to the clinic and then there were the protesters outside calling me a whore, a slut, and many other things. I was none of those because I was raped!!!! It was not my fault that I was put into this predicament. Now I am married and have a daughter. Do I regret the decision I made all those years ago? Sometimes because I caused the end to a potential life. BUT looking back at where I was at the time, what kind of life could I have given the baby? If I would have kept it then put it up for adoption I still would have been kicked out of school and probably not have finished high school given my situation. With hindsight being 20/20, my overall belief is that in the end I did the right thing.
So are you going to now tell me that abortion should not be an option at all?? What we need to do is educate the kids about sex and it's consequences. Tell them about birth control and condoms, tell them about sexually transmitted diseases and their affects. We can only grow as a society through education of the facts, not through hiding them just because someone up on a pulpit once a week tells us it is wrong.
{"commentId":2730127,"threadId":"345648","contentId":"1813318","authorDomain":"gypsywolfspirit"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2685363,"authorDomain":"RuthyJObservations"}
The things I just wrote were supposed to be with the thread on abortion.
{"commentId":2685363,"threadId":"345648","contentId":"1813318","authorDomain":"RuthyJObservations"}
#2 - Mon Sep 1, 2008 7:15 PM EDT{"commentId":2689320,"authorDomain":"ButlerGuy"}
{"commentId":2698770,"authorDomain":"Catch22"}
Headline not supported by factual content.
GOP adopts rules, platform on both sides of McCain
What rule is on the other side of McCain? More honest headline:
GOP Platform Adopts hardline anti-abortion plank
The headline trys to create an illusion of balance without substance.
If you see your job as an editor to try to make the GOP look good regardless of the facts, the headline fits the bill. The trouble is that the article does not support the headline.
The facts show the platform is to the right of McCain on abortion and on immigration, not on "both sides".
Looks like another small example of pro-McCain editorial bias from the AP whose Washington DC Bureau Chief is a McCain fan, and often calls his slanted opinions "analysis."
{"commentId":2698770,"threadId":"345648","contentId":"1813318","authorDomain":"Catch22"}
- 1 vote
#4 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 2:15 PM EDT{"commentId":2704056,"authorDomain":"tappymcwidestance"}
Isn't John McCain supposed to be the head of the party? How can the party add planks to the platform the top Republican doesn't agree with? Is McCain really in charge?
{"commentId":2704056,"threadId":"345648","contentId":"1813318","authorDomain":"tappymcwidestance"}
#5 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 6:39 PM EDT{"commentId":2715738,"authorDomain":"Catch22"}
Actually its not clear at all that McCain is opposed to any of these planks given his flip flops on the issues. The headline isnt supported by the substance.
The opening sentence states:
"Republicans rebuffed their certain nominee Monday by endorsing a platform that goes further than John McCain in opposition to abortion rights."
The article fails to explain how the platform goes further than the now running for President McCain vs. the 2000 McCain who ran for President.
{"commentId":2715738,"threadId":"345648","contentId":"1813318","authorDomain":"Catch22"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2980694,"authorDomain":"ollie80"}
They keep adding planks because the ship is sinking.....maybe someone should tell McCain?
{"commentId":2980694,"threadId":"345648","contentId":"1813318","authorDomain":"ollie80"}
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