March 11, 2004
PREACHER, MEET CHOIR:
Bush highlights 'compassionate conservative' agenda for evangelical Christians (SCOTT LINDLAW, March 11, 2004, AP)
Bush opened his address via satellite to the National Association of Evangelicals Convention in Colorado by lavishing praise on the group: "You're doing God's work with conviction and kindness," Bush said.Bush placed special emphasis on his efforts to curtail abortion - a goal fervently pursued by conservative Christians.
"We're working to build a culture of life," he said, noting that he had taken "an important step" last November when he signed legislation outlawing certain late-term abortions. [...]
On another abortion issue, the president heralded the legislation he signed last year, which amends the legal definitions of "person," "human being," "child" and "individual" to include any fetus that survives an abortion procedure.
Bush reiterated that he opposed the use of federal funds for the "destruction of human embryos for stem-cell research," and said he would pursue legislation for a "comprehensive and effective ban on human cloning."
He reiterated his intention to get a constitutional ban on gay marriage, and said he would continue pressing to allow religious charities a greater hand in delivering social services.
The president pushed another hot-button issue for conservatives when he said he would continue to nominate to the courts like minded-judges who "will interpret the law, and not legislate from the bench."
Oh yeah, evangelicals are going to stay home in November....not. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 11, 2004 7:47 PM
He's nibbling around the edges on abortion, but is not promising a full fledged assault. There is no guarantee that strict constructionist judges will overturn Roe v Wade.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at March 12, 2004 12:35 AMFind privacy in the Constitution.
Posted by: oj at March 12, 2004 12:41 AMRobert:
Didn't you see the news last week - had Kennedy not waffled, Roe would have been overturned in 1992. And if Bork had made the court in 1987, it certainly would have. While it will surely be convulsive for the left, reversal is more likely as time passes, not less. The "4-D" pictures alone will do it.
Besides, any President who wants to fight the court needs to do so from behind: a frontal assault just doesn't work.
Posted by: jim hamlen at March 12, 2004 8:49 AMThe nature of the system, particularly as conservatives understand it, makes it less likely that Roe will be overturned by the courts as time goes by. It can, however, be overturned by the culture and by forcing the contradictions, at which the President is doing a good job.
Posted by: David Cohen at March 12, 2004 8:54 AMJim, but he did waffle, and he was a Republican nominee. I'm not saying that it isn't possible, I'm saying that there is no guarantee. I agree with David.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at March 12, 2004 11:24 AM