100 Days Presser: The FOCA Fade
posted at 11:36 am on April 30, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Can’t say that this expiration date bothers me as much as I assume it bothers Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other pro-abortion forces. Last night at his 100 Days presser, CNN’s Ed Henry asked Barack Obama when he would fulfill his campaign promise to the abortion industry and make signing the Freedom of Choice Act a priority. Obama stammered out a retreat, clearly uncomfortable in front of an audience not entirely comprised of abortion activists:
Q: Thank you, Mr. President. In a couple of weeks, you’re going to be giving the commencement at Notre Dame. And, as you know, this has caused a lot of controversy among Catholics who are opposed to your position on abortion.
As a candidate, you vowed that one of the very things you wanted to do was sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as you know, would eliminate federal, state and local restrictions on abortion. And at one point in the campaign when asked about abortion and life, you said that it was above — quote, above my pay grade. Now that you’ve been president for 100 days, obviously, your pay grade is a little higher than when you were a senator.
Do you still hope that Congress quickly sends you the Freedom of Choice Act so you can sign it?
OBAMA: You know, the — my view on — on abortion, I think, has been very consistent. I think abortion is a moral issue and an ethical issue.
I think that those who are pro-choice make a mistake when they — if they suggest — and I don’t want to create straw men here, but I think there are some who suggest that this is simply an issue about women’s freedom and that there’s no other considerations. I think, look, this is an issue that people have to wrestle with and families and individual women have to wrestle with.
The reason I’m pro-choice is because I don’t think women take that — that position casually. I think that they struggle with these decisions each and every day. And I think they are in a better position to make these decisions ultimately than members of Congress or a president of the United States, in consultation with their families, with their doctors, with their clergy.
So — so that has been my consistent position. The other thing that I said consistently during the campaign is I would like to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that result in women feeling compelled to get an abortion, or at least considering getting an abortion, particularly if we can reduce the number of teen pregnancies, which has started to spike up again.
And so I’ve got a task force within the Domestic Policy Council in the West Wing of the White House that is working with groups both in the pro-choice camp and in the pro-life camp, to see if we can arrive at some consensus on that.
Now, the Freedom of Choice Act is not the highest legislative priority. I believe that women should have the right to choose. But I think that the most important thing we can do to tamp down some of the anger surrounding this issue is to focus on those areas that we can agree on. And that’s — that’s where I’m going to focus.
First, kudos to Ed Henry for asking an actual policy question, and not a “how great is it to be you” softball like the Jeff Zeleny question that followed this. Henry has done a good job for CNN in acting like an actual White House correspondent instead of a bowing acolyte. And this one clearly pushed Obama out of his comfort zone.
When Obama ran as a candidate and wanted cash from Planned Parenthood and its abortion-industry allies, he sounded a lot different than last night:
In 2008, FOCA was his “top priority”. Now it’s not even one of his priorities. Unfortunately, I doubt that this new position will last for long, especially after the Democrats get 60 seats in the Senate. Still, it’s interesting to see Obama flat-out renege on a core commitment to the Left. I wonder just how many of these Mulligans he has remaining.
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OT – Lerner is back in the hot seat.
http://www.c-span.org/
Schadenfreude on May 22, 2013 at 4:03 PM
Good thing Christie doesn’t have to leap or …
/snark
VibrioCocci on May 22, 2013 at 4:06 PM
I hope that Christie trips, falls on his back, flailing his little arms and legs can’t turn over to get up and bakes to a huge ash heap in the sun. As for his dem challenger … I hope she’s under him when he falls.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on May 22, 2013 at 4:06 PM
I hope Christie wins reelection as governor.
And stays in New Jersey.
MikeknaJ on May 22, 2013 at 4:07 PM
He’ll eat her alive. (oops–I mean, he’s sure to win handily..)
SailorMark on May 22, 2013 at 4:10 PM
Tough choice for New Jerseytonianites, elect the communist or elect the unknown Buono.
Bishop on May 22, 2013 at 4:10 PM
The bigger they are, the harder they fall…
Rational Thought on May 22, 2013 at 4:12 PM
Yes, and … well … I might add … uh, um …
Yeah, I got nothing- you about summed it up.
M240H on May 22, 2013 at 4:14 PM
Is she Injun?
Schadenfreude on May 22, 2013 at 4:14 PM
So, New jersey, ya got Bouno running as a Dem, got Christie running as a Dem-Lite…who ya gonna put out there as a Conservative?
coldwarrior on May 22, 2013 at 4:15 PM
I could care less if Christie loses as a matter of fact I hope he does. He is far more damaging to Conservatives as a Republican foil than as a one-term non-sitting governor.
Conan on May 22, 2013 at 4:15 PM
I remember once thinking Christie was on my side politically.
DanMan on May 22, 2013 at 4:17 PM
The only one who could have defeated Christie was Cory Booker, now Christie will have a cake walk.
tbrickert on May 22, 2013 at 4:20 PM
You might be able to name five people in Congress who are.
beatcanvas on May 22, 2013 at 4:21 PM
If only they could both lose.
Doomberg on May 22, 2013 at 4:21 PM
She needs to do something to offset the Governor’s
Truck Tire around his Gut….
..maybe a tattoo on her Azz cheek….
ToddPA on May 22, 2013 at 4:23 PM
Soaring property taxes? Christie’s being attacked from the right. By a Democrat. Guess I’m not really surprised.
Fenris on May 22, 2013 at 4:28 PM
She looks like she could be Nancy Pelosi’s sister –
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/02/04/eye-on-politics-why-does-barbara-buono-want-to-be-n-j-governor/
rickv404 on May 22, 2013 at 4:30 PM
It’s not for nothing that they call it ‘morbid’ obesity. Probably her best chance of winning and it’s literally not a bad chance.
Fenris on May 22, 2013 at 4:31 PM
Do you want to bet that she can out Democrat Christie !
savage24 on May 22, 2013 at 4:31 PM
If Buono looks like she has any chance, I’ll contribute to her campaign. The only “Reoublicans” I hate more than the Fat Man are Rubio, McCain, Miss Lucy and Flake.
bw222 on May 22, 2013 at 4:33 PM
She looks like a younger Nancy Pelosi.
BacaDog on May 22, 2013 at 4:35 PM
Was “cake walk” an intended pun?
bw222 on May 22, 2013 at 4:35 PM
A younger cross-eyed version of Pelosi…
PatriotRider on May 22, 2013 at 4:37 PM
I hope Issa has the Sgt. at Arms ready to lock Lerner up at the next hearing…
PatriotRider on May 22, 2013 at 4:39 PM
OT:
KMOV fires Larry Conners for facebook post.
He left the reservation and now he is getting burned.
tom daschle concerned on May 22, 2013 at 4:40 PM
Racist! Made me LMAO!
kirkill on May 22, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Good,let the dems spend their money on a race they can’t win…
right2bright on May 22, 2013 at 4:44 PM
On the surface, Buono looks like a much more appealing option than Christie – seriously, how can anyone bring themselves to vote for Christie again?
Pork-Chop on May 22, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Fat chance.
James on May 22, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Stapuff Marshmellow Man the gun grabbing scheistkoff.
Yea, OrderedPair that’s a great conclusion. (@ 4:06PM)
If he falls over he can’t be used by the Manure Spreading Media and shilled to the R’s as a viable canidate for POTUS in 2016.
Gawd help us if he becomes a distraction/diversion in the primaries.
Missilengr on May 22, 2013 at 4:55 PM
On the other hand, she does have the benefit of being a Democrat.
No small thing in New Jersey.
There Goes the Neighborhood on May 22, 2013 at 5:00 PM
Is she Injun?
Schadenfreude on May 22, 2013 at 4:14 PM
only if it helps her.
aceinstall on May 22, 2013 at 5:20 PM
The only one who could have defeated Christie was Cory Booker, now Christie will have a cake walk.
tbrickert on May 22, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Was “cake walk” an intended pun?
bw222 on May 22, 2013 at 4:35 PM
he doesnt look like he lets cake walk past
aceinstall on May 22, 2013 at 5:22 PM
100% yes.
talking_mouse on May 22, 2013 at 5:24 PM
Exit question: What would be the harm if she won?
faraway on May 22, 2013 at 5:24 PM
What difference, at this point, does it make anyway?
kirkill on May 22, 2013 at 5:27 PM
run a 3rd party, split the vote, can them both.
dmacleo on May 22, 2013 at 5:30 PM
Christie will eat her for lunch (both literally and figuratively). ;-)
tommy71 on May 22, 2013 at 5:59 PM
That race, current polls notwithstanding, will be decided by five points or less. And likely in favor of Bouno
SAMinVA on May 22, 2013 at 6:33 PM
She looks to much like Lois Lerner for low information voters to tell the difference.
meci on May 22, 2013 at 6:51 PM
I can’t believe I’m going to stick up for christie but he’s taken on the unions and for that he has my gratitude.
As for his stance on gun control, the muslim outreach situation, the higher property taxes (which is a total joke because the tax is proportional to the price of the house so that means prices of homes in NJ are high meaning people want to live there – supply/demand/bernanke pumping up miney supply and driving down interest rates for flippers to come and sell old homes for higher prices BLAME THE REALTORS not christie), his other soft marginal republican attributes which I wish someone would list but most importantly, he needs to be in there for the 2020 census to redistrict and make more red districts (if possible). Does Jersey have term limits? If so then he’s out before 202o anyways but if not, keep him in just for redistricting alone.
athenadelphi on May 22, 2013 at 7:05 PM
I’m not particularly interested in Chris Christie’s political fortunes at this point. He’ll get no support from me. Maybe Barry will throw him an endorsement.
Kensington on May 22, 2013 at 7:09 PM
Maybe I’ll give her a nice obama embrace in the form of a campaign contribution.
voiceofreason on May 22, 2013 at 7:55 PM
Is she claiming she’s pro-life? Give every child a chance at life (the same chance she got)?
Bet no one in Joisey notices the dichotomy.
Squiggy on May 22, 2013 at 8:08 PM
She’s probably more Conservative than the Fatboi.
HondaV65 on May 22, 2013 at 8:14 PM
I’m not particularly interested in Chris Christie. Maybe Barry BAMSTAHHHHHHH!!!!! YOU DA MANNNNNNNNNNN BAMMMMMMMY BABYYYY!!! LOVE YA BARRY OL BUDDY OL PALLLLLLL!!!!!! YAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kon on May 7:09 PM
cableguy615 on May 22, 2013 at 8:15 PM