Biden, Palin Discuss Views On Roe V. Wade, Judicial Issues In Interviews

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Abortion
Article Date: 03 Oct 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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CBS News on Wednesday aired segments of anchor Katie Couric's interviews with Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) in which the vice presidential nominees were asked about their opinions on the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision and other judicial issues, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/1).

Biden explained why he believes Roe was a good Supreme Court ruling by saying that it is "as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours," adding that he believes the "liberty clause of the 14th Amendment ... offers a right to privacy." Biden said, "Now that's one of the big debates that I have with my conservative scholar friends, that they say, 'you know, unless a right is enumerated, unless it's actually, unless it uses the word privacy in the Constitution, then no such constitutional right exists.' Well, I think people have an inherent right."

Palin said she does believe there is an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution but also said she opposes the Roe decision and believes abortion-rights issues should be decided by states. According to the New York Times, Palin did not say how she could believe in a right to privacy and oppose the Roe decision. "I believe that individual states can best handle what the people with the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see ushered in in an issue like that," Palin said (Seelye, New York Times, 10/2). She also said that "foundationally" it is "no secret" that she is "pro-life" and believes that a "culture of life is very important for this country."

Couric also asked Biden if there are Supreme Court rulings he disagreed with and asked Palin if there are rulings besides Roe she disagrees with. Palin did not name any additional cases. Palin said that she might "take issue with" some of the court's rulings on issues that "could be best dealt with on a more local level" (Interview transcript, 10/1). Biden cited the Supreme Court's decision not to uphold the Violence Against Women's Act, which he sponsored, as a ruling he disagreed with (New York Times, 10/2). Biden, Palin Discuss Views on Roe v. Wade, Judicial Issues in Interviews
[Oct. 2, 2008]

CBS News on Wednesday aired segments of anchor Katie Couric's interviews with Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) in which the vice presidential nominees were asked about their opinions on the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision and other judicial issues, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/1).

Biden explained why he believes Roe was a good Supreme Court ruling by saying that it is "as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours," adding that he believes the "liberty clause of the 14th Amendment ... offers a right to privacy." Biden said, "Now that's one of the big debates that I have with my conservative scholar friends, that they say, 'you know, unless a right is enumerated, unless it's actually, unless it uses the word privacy in the Constitution, then no such constitutional right exists.' Well, I think people have an inherent right."

Palin said she does believe there is an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution but also said she opposes the Roe decision and believes abortion-rights issues should be decided by states. According to the New York Times, Palin did not say how she could believe in a right to privacy and oppose the Roe decision. "I believe that individual states can best handle what the people with the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see ushered in in an issue like that," Palin said (Seelye, New York Times, 10/2). She also said that "foundationally" it is "no secret" that she is "pro-life" and believes that a "culture of life is very important for this country."

Couric also asked Biden if there are Supreme Court rulings he disagreed with and asked Palin if there are rulings besides Roe she disagrees with. Palin did not name any additional cases. Palin said that she might "take issue with" some of the court's rulings on issues that "could be best dealt with on a more local level" (Interview transcript, 10/1). Biden cited the Supreme Court's decision not to uphold the Violence Against Women's Act, which he sponsored, as a ruling he disagreed with (New York Times, 10/2).

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