Fred Martinez's Monitor

Obama Would Back Killing Grandchild by Abortion: "Don't Punish Them With a Baby"

Barack Obama Would Back Daughters' Abortion, "Don't Punish Them With a
Baby"

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 31, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Barack Obama is drawing gasps from
pro-life advocates today over comments he made during a campaign stop in
Pennsylvania over the weekend. The leading Democratic presidential
candidate appeared to back a potential decision by his daughters to seek an
abortion saying he wouldn't "punish" them with a baby.

Obama's comments came in the context of off-the-cuff remarks addressing
the issue of AIDS. (see them here)

The candidate indicated he favored teaching both abstinence education
as well as sexual education and he appeared to be hard-pressed to come
up with something else to say when he brought up his daughters.

"When it comes specifically to HIV/AIDS, the most important prevention
is education, which should include -- which should include abstinence
education and teaching the children -- teaching children, you know, that
sex is not something casual," he said.

"But it should also include -- it should also include other, you know,
information about contraception because, look, I've got two daughters.
9 years old and 6 years old," he added.

"I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if
they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby," Obama
said.

David Brody, a correspondent for CBN News, noted the comments and said
he was surprised by Obama's candor.

"I understand Obama was talking off the cuff and these were not
prepared remarks. I also know that when you're on the campaign trail 20 hours
a day you will say something you wish you hadn't," Brody wrote on his
blog.

"But still. 'Punished with a baby?' That just doesn't sound right," he
added.

"Why use the word punished? I would think that word would be alarming
to people and possibly offensive to those who have had babies out of
wedlock," he wrote.

Brody said Obama brought up abortion again later on in the speech and
referred to his daughters as "miracles."

"This is a very difficult issue, and I understand sort of the passions
on both sides of the issue. I have two precious daughters - they are
miracles," Obama said.

Brody contacted the Obama campaign for a response and heard back from
Bill Burton, his national spokesman.

Burton largely ignored the "punishment" remark and merely said Obama
favored reducing teen pregnancies and abortions and restated Obama's
comments about his daughters.

"What Senator Obama said and what he believes is clear -- children are
'miracles,' but we have a problem when so many children are having
children," Burton said.

"As Senator Obama said on Saturday -- and on many other occasions --
parents have a responsibility to teach their children about values and
morals to help make sure they are not treating sex casually," Burton told
CBN News.

Obama's remarks are likely to add another reason to the list pro-life
advocates are developing as to why he won't get their vote this
November.

They appear to align him squarely with abortion advocates who view laws
protecting unborn children as "punishing" pregnant women by forcing
them to give birth to the baby instead of taking the child's life through
abortion.



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posted by Fred Martinez @ 8:53 PM