Democrats Adopt New Platform At National Convention That Reaffirms Abortion Rights

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 27 Aug 2008 - 4:00 PST

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The Democratic Party on Monday at the Democratic National Convention in Denver adopted a new platform that reaffirms the party's support for abortion rights, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The platform states that the Democratic Party "strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right." The party in the platform also pledges to ensure access to adoption services, prenatal and postnatal care and income support for pregnant women. The platform eliminates a phrase in previous platforms that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare," the AP/Inquirer reports (AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/26).

Abortion-Rights Opponent Sen. Casey To Speak at National Convention

In related news, Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa.), who is opposed to abortion rights, is slated to give a speech Tuesday evening at the convention, Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Baer writes. Casey is expected to focus on the economy but also to discuss the "divisive abortion issue," Baer writes.

According to Baer, by selecting Casey to speak at the convention, the party is "reach[ing] out to pro-life Democrats." In addition, Casey represents "exactly the demographic -- Catholic, hard-scrabble, blue-collar" -- that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) needs to attract, Baer writes, adding that selecting Casey to speak at the convention is a "smart move" for the Democratic Party (Baer, Philadelphia Daily News, 8/26).

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