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Obama Hits Radio Airwaves with Abortion Ad

September 02, 2008 10:44 PM

Last Thursday, before Sen. John McCain's vice presidential pick had been named publicly -- when it was still unclear to all but a few individuals whether McCain would pick a running mate who supported abortion rights -- the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, sent radio stations in battleground states a radio ad that points out McCain's opposition to abortion.

"As a nurse practitioner with Planned Parenthood," says a woman's voice, "I know abortion is one of most difficult decisions a woman will ever make. I'm Val Baron. Let me tell you - if Roe v Wade is overturned, the lives and health of women will be put at risk. That's why this election is so important. John McCain's out of touch with women today. McCain wants to take away our right to choose. That's what women need to understand. That's how high the stakes are."

"As president, John McCain will make abortion illegal," says an announcer. "McCain says quote, 'I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned.' And listen to McCain's answer on Meet the Press."

"A constitutional amendment to ban all abortions," says the late great Tim Russert. "You're for that?"

"Yes, sir," says McCain.

"We can't let John McCain take away our right to choose," says Baron. "We can't let him take us back."

The Obama campaign would not comment on the ad buy, but presumably it is aimed at radio stations that skew towards women and younger voters.

UPDATE: RNC spox Danny Diaz emails to say: "Barack Obama voted against a bill that would have protected infants born alive having survived an abortion attempt.  He has offered misleading statements on the issue and is now trying to confuse voters by attacking Senator McCain.  Obama’s dishonesty and radical position on this issue is further proof that his rhetoric in no way matches his record."

- jpt

September 2, 2008 in 2008: Democrats, 2008: Republicans, John McCain, McCain, John, Obama, Barack | Permalink | Share | User Comments (110)

User Comments

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this ad was played on a Detroit radio station at 9:35 Sunday morning, as we were driving our kids to church. If the Obama campaign was trying to target young people and women, they chose the wrong time, wrong TV station, and wrong ad for that! It was totally offensive to me, and while I'm a christian, I believe that the government has no business in what happens in the doctor's office between a doctor and any person.

Posted by: detroitmom | Sep 8, 2008 10:25:41 AM

I am 100 per cent pro choice. But once you make a choice for actions, you should also make the determination if you can be responsible for the consequences created by that choice.

Its an old liberal wag that its the Dems or demoncrats as I think of them -are the ones who actually care about born children.

Who wants to give parents choice regarding their children's education? Not the Dems.

Who wants to help people keep their money in their own pockets, allowing parents to care for their children? Not the dems who wish to redistribute wealth.

I am staunchly conservative and involved with a food pantry clothing closet in my Wisconsin community. We want to make sure that people have clothes and food. We are also working toward creating a job interview/resume skill mentoring program. We want out clients to move on and up and earn how to say, "I am not a victim". We want our clients to grab the opportunities that are available here in the United States.

McCain/Palin will work toward that end. And I support them. Palin shames the liberal Dems. She has become what they dream about through good old fashioned hard work and not riding on a husband's coat tails.

So sad, too bad. She is someone we can look up to and not feel sorry for. I feel sorry for Hillary every time I see a picture of Bill or see how she looks at him. Now that is so sad, too bad. Hillary needs to stand up on her own two feet and move forward under her own steam. Then she will be truly liberated and not shackled to a two-timing, sneaky philanderer.

Posted by: Gail | Sep 4, 2008 5:21:48 PM

Honestly, it's not about faith. It's about being a decent human being. Women who choose to have abortions show how shallow and weak they really are. To toss aside a potential wonderful little girl or boy because they don't want to be burdened is a lame excuse. We are strengthened by our challenges. It's what shapes us and makes us better people.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger | Sep 4, 2008 4:56:16 PM

Every woman who gets pregnant should have the CHOICE to either continue to be pregnant or not.

Period.

Posted by: RAW | Sep 4, 2008 3:38:36 PM

Divided we fall.

Posted by: crawdad | Sep 4, 2008 11:09:02 AM

From personal experience--the whole truth isnt out there yet, and here it is. While the pro-choice argument is "its not a baby til its born" there are consequences most regular folks dont know. When most people find out they are pregnant, they are giddy, have baby showers ect....but sadly when babies die in the third trimester, they are still referred to as "fetus's". Let me tell you how offensive and hurtful that is, while your heart is broken, its bad enough your baby died, what is worse is because of the pro-choice movement my daughter is not acknowledged as such! My daughter was 7lbs 6ounces and two weeks from my due date, I held her and kissed her when she was born. There are thousand of still born babies everyday, and the thought that there are prochoice people saying that a baby isnt a baby til she is alive out of the womb is outerly ridiculous!!!!!! To that argument I say--total B.S. cause if that were really true, then why do most people happily call their families & friends most always when they read a positive pregnancy test? And why do people say they are having a baby, instead of a fetus, when asked when they are due? And do you get invitations to Baby Showers or Fetus Showers???????????????????????????????????????????????? And why Abort it if its not gonna be a BABY? Maybe its gonna be a plant or something???????? Stupid people wake up///////they care nothing about women's choice's or women's health/////SMARTEN UP!!! If Roe and Wade ever got turned back, which may or may not happen, it just means these money making baby killing clinics cant get enough money to make profits!!! The states would have to fund it, and maybe they would be held up to more scruntiny than they are now, that is why they fight for abortions!! Wake up!! BABIES ARE BABIES AND THEY ARE ALSO WOMEN BABIES THAT THEY CLAIM THEY CARE ABOUT SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: kathy | Sep 4, 2008 9:59:06 AM

Apple Pie -Shame, shame on you for pretending to even know what a Christian is. It's not Republicans that are trying to force their religious beliefs on everyone else. It's Christians who are trying to stand up for what is morally right, regardless of whether they are Republicans or Democrats. Maybe you have heard of a book called the Bible?? Maybe it hasn't been on your reading list, but it's for Republicans and Democrats and everyone else for that matter. Have you ever heard of the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill"? Obviously not, or you would have more sense about when life begins, and what abortion is. So, according to your logic, if I have a child who I no longer want, or an elderly parent who is just too much work to take care of,
I am justified in killing them, and not facing the consequences, but if someone tries to tell me I'm wrong, I can say they're just pushing their beliefs on me. Hmmm....now there's logic for you

Posted by: Rose | Sep 3, 2008 11:31:55 PM

Right wingers are not "pro life." That is a fifty cent word designed to imply that the other side is not.

More appropriately they are "pro-birth." They care about an unborn fetus and then once it comes into this world they say: "Ok you're alive... and you are ON YOUR OWN!"

That is, unless they need them to serve in one of their many wars of course. Then they still pretend they are "pro life" while sending kids out to die for corporate no bid contracts.

Posted by: Josh
+++++++++++
really ? that's a good one.
then why are MY TAXES SUPPORTING women and their kids ? on their own ?
how ? your tax forms different from mine ? you have a box to check if you personally wish to support WELFARE,WIC,medicaid ? or DON'T ?
and isn't it a fact that conservatives contribute MORE than others to charities ?

give us ALL a break.
P.S.--it's STILL a 100% volunteer armed forces and how many dems/libs are in there ?

Posted by: saoirse | Sep 3, 2008 11:16:24 PM

1.partial birth abortion is infanticide,
it is NOT an emergency procedure as it
takes more than 24 hours to complete.
2.roe v wade is a total lie without ANY constitutional backing and the one suing for her so-called RIGHT,never even had an abortion.
google abortion procedures,
google it all,esp.the constitituional aspect.,which blackmum etc based their decision on.
IF IT IS A RIGHT,why did it take almost 200 years to FIND IT ?

Prior to roe v wade,the medical establishment was totally in agreement that abortion on demand was wrong,not a RIGHT.

Posted by: salome | Sep 3, 2008 11:02:21 PM

The group Obama is targeting with this ad is also the the group that has survived the Roe v. Wade ruling. I'm a 25 year-old woman and I find it very, very offensive. Some women expect a pregnancy and begin decorating a nursery, some are teenagers with little support- who can tell the difference between their ultrasounds? Not me, not Obama. I'm a huge advocate of women's rights, but want to live in a nation where life is not conditional.

Posted by: Les | Sep 3, 2008 8:52:55 PM

God bless Sarah Palin. Since she joined, I fully support McCain's presidency.

I also don't want the government to use my taxes to subsidize "poor women's abortion rights who can't afford it", or Planned Parenthood's sex education programs and discounted birth control pills to students on our campuses. Poor students, they will have to skip lunch to buy their pills! Well, let them go on a diet, because I have better use for my money.

I don't mind though supporting our brave troops. They just won the war in Iraq - violence at a 4-year low, the Iraqi army is in control, and the public feels safe again. Any headline news lately in our media about how we are winning the war? No, they are covering instead the Palin girl's pregnancy. Shame on them. But wait a minute - how about the Palin boy, and two of McCain's sons, serving our country in the military? Aren't their stories interesting or relevant enough to write about?

Posted by: Joseph | Sep 3, 2008 8:43:19 PM

Wow. In most science classes, it is taught life begins when a sperm meets an egg. At that point the dna is established and the cells begin to grow and multiply.

The baby becomes viable at the point it can exist on it's own outside of the womb.

A baby is born at the time it leaves the mothers womb.

Some believe it's ok to remove the fetus before it is viable.

Some believe it's ok to kill a viable fetus at any time before it is born.

Some believe it is ok to withhold food, water and medicine to a viable baby outside of the womb when it was removed from the womb as a result of an abortion.

If this is what science teaches us, does that mean the pro-choice people don't believe in science?

Posted by: Dave in lv | Sep 3, 2008 7:53:40 PM

Life begins at conception. It starts to grow into a HUMAN BEING!

Born to be another human being, just like you and me who have the right to live and capable of loving and caring. Capable of working for the good of others.Who has the ability to think and reason and be a wonderful person in service of the another human being who is less fortunate than him. That is what we should all be striving to be, to make this a better world to live in, and not to murder the helpless,unborn one, who for others, who would want to abort their own babies, because of selfish reasons, which for them is a burden in their life.

The women who want to abort should have used their reasons before having sex and should be responsible enough to accept the consequence of having that licit or illicit affair.

Posted by: Tdeo | Sep 3, 2008 7:08:45 PM

this is ridiculous. Republicans act like obama is going to force them to abort. The fact is abortion will happen, legal or not. If it were not the abortions these women would receive would be extremely dangerous and could likely cost the mother her life. This death would be the fault of the republicans for forcing their religious beliefs on to others. If you are all so christian why don't you care about world peace or the poor? shame, shame, shame on all of you.

Posted by: apple pie | Sep 3, 2008 6:10:47 PM

Amen! Rose

Posted by: stacie | Sep 3, 2008 5:48:20 PM

Obama is an idiot! There I said it - I know it's not the popular thing to say, but it's true. Life begins at conception, plain and simple. He is not able to see that, nor does he want to. Can you say MURDER?? Because that's what partial birth abortion is, which Obama supports. I don't quite grasp the idea of the woman's choice here. What about the baby's choice? The woman used her choice when she chose
to have sex knowing the possible consequences. That's where the choice part should end. Ask God how He would vote in this election.

Posted by: Rose | Sep 3, 2008 5:34:10 PM

There is a huge flaw in the pro-choicers thinking. Yes, women should have choices, but those choices happen before conception occurs when she is choosing to have intercourse. Once she becomes pregnant, there is another life. That life should be protected as an unborn child cannot speak for nor protect him or herself. Pro-lifers value life from conception to natural death. The argument about sending kids off to war is totally different than protecting an innocent helpless child. When a person turns 18, that child can make a decision to join the military. At this point in time, that is their choice. The whole discussion about whether an unborn child is a person with rights or not was made null and void once ultrasound was invented. By using ultrasound, especially the new and improved machines, anyone can clearly see that a baby is more than a clump of cells. A baby is an unborn human being. I think a previous poster was right on the money when he said that this culture of death makes him scared to grow older. All human life is sacred and needs to be respected but so few do respect it. One of my favorite phrases is so simple but so true. It's a phrase uttered by an elephant named Horton and it states that "a person's a person no matter how small." Now how can an elephant be so much smarter than a democrat?

Posted by: Rose | Sep 3, 2008 5:27:01 PM

Right wingers are not "pro life." That is a fifty cent word designed to imply that the other side is not.

More appropriately they are "pro-birth." They care about an unborn fetus and then once it comes into this world they say: "Ok you're alive... and you are ON YOUR OWN!"

That is, unless they need them to serve in one of their many wars of course. Then they still pretend they are "pro life" while sending kids out to die for corporate no bid contracts.

Posted by: Josh | Sep 3, 2008 5:11:25 PM

Quantity versus quality? When is the best time to value human life? It appears that some believe that "life" before exiting the womb has more value than when that "life" becomes 18 and can be sent to fight in unnecessary wars. Get the baby here regardless of the hell it may live in when it arrives. To think that God would be that cruel is beyond me.

Posted by: Rob | Sep 3, 2008 4:37:52 PM

Gov Palin has and had the right to choose to have her last child knowing that it would have Down's Syndrome. She has the right to choose to support her unmarried teenage daughter to have her child as well. However, once these choices are made, doesn't she (Gov Palin) have the responsibility to make the choices about her family and her political career that will support her family first? She should be willing to give other women the right to choose what they would do in similar circumstances. The outlawing of all abortions is primarily a religious view, but Genesis 2:7 does state that "God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul." For the literalist, this would seem to indicate that there might not be a "soul" at conception???? Just a thought.

Posted by: Bobby | Sep 3, 2008 4:29:04 PM

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