Obama Now Backtracks On Abortion Despite A Long And Unequivocal Pro-Choice Record

WASHINGTON, July 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In A Recent Interview With Relevant Magazine, Obama Said That He Did Not Believe 'Mental Distress' Should Qualify Under The Health Of The Mother Exception In Late-Term Abortion Bans:

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Obama: '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.' (Sen. Barack Obama Interview, Relevant Magazine, 7/1/08)

-- Obama Appears To Have Backed Away 'From His Long-Stated Positions On Abortion.' 'In a recent interview, Obama appears to back away from his long-stated positions on abortion (and a proposed federal abortion rights law he had co-sponsored), repudiate 35 years of accepted Supreme Court rulings on the issue and embrace a view on abortion restrictions that has been expressed on the Court only by Justices Thomas and Scalia.' (Jan Crawford Greenburg, 'Obama: Sounding Like Thomas And Scalia?' http://blogs.abcnews.com, 7/4/08)

-- 'There's No Mistaking That Obama Says He No Longer Will Support What's Long Been A Cornerstone Of The Abortion Rights Debate.' '[T]here's no mistaking that Obama says he no longer will support what's long been a cornerstone of the abortion rights debate: The Court's insistence that laws banning abortions after the fetus is viable (now about 22 weeks) contain an exception to allow doctors to perform them if necessary to protect a pregnant woman's mental health.' (Jan Crawford Greenburg, 'Obama: Sounding Like Thomas And Scalia?' http://blogs.abcnews.com, 7/4/08)

Obama Has Strongly Supported Exceptions For The Health Of The Mother Which Pro-Choice Groups Believe To Include Mental Health:

Obama Said He 'Strongly' Disagreed With Last Year's Supreme Court Ruling On Partial-Birth Abortion, Citing Concerns Over The Health Of The Mother. Obama: 'I strongly disagree with today's Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women.' (Sen.