Abortion 'Fair And Pressing' Topic For Debate In Va. Governor Race, Editorial Says

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 18 Aug 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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Although Robert McDonnell, the GOP candidate for governor in Virginia and former state attorney general, "has an admirably detailed Web site," the site "gives relatively short shrift -- just two or three sentences -- to the topic of abortion, a subject that preoccupied him so much during his career as a lawmaker that he introduced some 35 bills to restrict access to the procedure," a Washington Post editorial says. McDonnell, a Roman Catholic who opposes abortion rights in all cases, "is not trying to hide his absolutist opposition to abortion," the editorial says, adding, "[L]et's just say he's not advertising it too loudly."

State Sen. Creigh Deeds -- McDonnell's Democratic opponent who supports abortion rights -- "has lately decided to make an issue of [McDonnell's] stance," including issuing papers highlighting McDonnell's "repeated votes opposing not only abortion but also access to and information about contraception," the editorial continues. The editorial notes that McDonnell says his views on abortion rights are consistent with his Catholic faith.

While "[a]ll of this is fine and good, and fair fodder for electoral debate," McDonnell's campaign is "complaining that it is unfair of Mr. Deeds to raise social issues" because "the Deeds message dents the moderate, pragmatic image that Mr. McDonnell has nurtured in the past few years," the editorial says. McDonnell needs to win the support of independents and centrist Democrats in Northern Virginia if he is to win in November, the editorial says, adding that "a fair number of his positions -- for instance, allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense contraceptives or banning college health centers from distributing morning-after pills while opposing abortion in all instances -- may not sit well with middle-of-the-road voters in Northern Virginia and elsewhere."

Deeds' "strategy of stressing abortion may work or backfire; time will tell," the editorial continues, adding that to "suggest, as the McDonnell campaign has, that a campaign discussion about abortion 'is engaging in the politics of division' is disingenuous and wrong." The editorial concludes that "[t]housands of Virginians have abortions every year, a decision that touches on families and futures. It's a fair and pressing topic of debate" (Washington Post, 8/17).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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