New Obama Radio Ad Says McCain Would Make Abortions Illegal

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 04 Sep 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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The campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) recently released a radio advertisement in at least seven swing states saying that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) would make abortions illegal, The Politico reports.

The ad plays a clip from NBC's "Meet the Press" during which McCain says that he favors a "constitutional amendment to ban all abortions." The ad says, "We can't let John McCain take away our right to choose," adding, "We can't let him take us back." The ad also features a nurse-practitioner who says, "If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the lives and health of women will be put at risk. That's why this election is so important." The nurse-practitioner adds, "John McCain is out of touch with women today. McCain wants to take away our right to choose. That's what women need to understand. That's how high the stakes are."

According to The Politico, the Obama campaign did not release where it is running the ad, but people have reported hearing it in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. The Obama campaign has sought to appeal to women largely through economic messages, but some women's rights groups have pointed out that polling has shown many women who support McCain think he supports abortion rights even though he has long advocated for a ban on abortions except in cases of rape, incest and when women's lives are in jeopardy.

McCain campaign aides did not respond to questions about the ad, but Republican Party communications director Danny Diaz said Obama "has offered misleading statements on the issue and is now trying to confuse voters by attacking Senator McCain." Obama spokesperson Bill Burton said that the ad, which was sent to radio stations Thursday, is a "straightforward ad about the very well-documented fact that [McCain] wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and supports a constitutional ban on abortions" (Smith, The Politico, 9/2).

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