I now have copies of Al Gore's voting record on abortion, his letters to constituents, and other documents. (everything quoted below and more) If anyone wants copies. Please stop back in the next few days to see a complete list of Gore's abortion flip-flop record.
In 1987, however, Mr. Gephardt decided to run for president, and he soon
announced that he had discontinued his support for pro-life legislation.
Specifically, he informed the National Right to Life Committee, "I do not
support any Constitutional Amendment pertaining to the legality of
abortion."
"I share the confidence of those who feel that America is working to care
for its unwanted as well as wanted children, protecting particularly those
who cannot protect themselves. I also share the opinions of those who do
not accept abortion as a response to our society's problems -- an
inadequate welfare system, unsatisfactory job training programs, and
insufficient financial support for all its citizens.
"When history looks back to this era it should recognize this generation
as one which cared about human beings enough to halt the practice of war,
to provide a decent living for every family and to fulfill its
responsibility to its children from the very moment of conception."
"What happens to the mind of a person, and the moral fabric of a nation,
that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of
conscience? What kind of a person and what kind of a society will we have
20 years hence if life can be taken so casually? It is that question, the
question of our attitude, our value system, and our mind-set with regard
to the nature and worth of life itself that is the central question
confronting mankind. Failure to answer that question affirmatively may
leave us with a hell right here on earth."
* In 1980, Gore wrote a letter to NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE, supporting the Hyde Amendment.
* On June 26, 1984, Representative Al Gore cast an extremely pro-life vote. While debating the Civil Rights Act of 1984, Representative Siljander proposed the following amendment.
"For the purposes of this act, the term 'person' shall
include unborn children from the moment of conception."
After debate, Mr. Siljander demanded a recorded vote. The amendment was defeated 219 to 186. Among the recorded votes for the amendment was that of Al Gore. This amendment was in direct opposition to Roe v Wade, not just one against federal
funding for abortions.
In addition, he denied even casting that vote on Meet the Press on Feb. 21, 1988, and a Gore advisor stated to U.S. News and World Report on March 7, 1998, that: "Since there's a record of that vote, we only have one choice. In effect, what we have to do is deny, deny, deny."
* In Iowa and New Hampshire, questions at Gore's open meetings focused on health care and education. In Los Angeles, they ran the gamut from welfare reform to the environment, as well as a number of questions about Gore's commitment to individual rights, such as gay rights, rights of the disabled and civil rights. Abortion continued to be an issue for Gore, who was asked by reporters in Venice about comments he made during his 1976 congressional race suggesting that a woman's "freedom to live her own life" does not always outweigh the rights of a fetus.
Source: "Democrats Take Race to West Coast In Costly California, Key Goal Is 'Free Media'"
By William Booth and Lois Romano Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, February 4, 2000; Page A06 (this is one document I do not have a copy of)
* During his tenure in the U.S. House (1977 to 1984) Gore voted pro-life
27 times and had a 84% pro-life voting record.
* In letters to a constituents, he wrote: "It is my deep
personal conviction that abortion is wrong. I hope that some day we will
see the current outrageously large number of abortions drop sharply." (Letters from Sept. 15, 1983, August 22, 1984, )
* In a May 26, 1987 letter to a constituent he wrote: "During my 11 years in congress, I have consistently opposed federal funding for abortions. In my opinion, it is wrong to spend federal funds for what is arguably taking of a human life. Let me assure you that I share your
belief that innocent human life must be protected, and I am committed to furthering this goal."
Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.)
"Life is the division of human cells, a process that begins with
conception.... The [Supreme Court's abortion] ruling
was unjust, and it is incumbent on the Congress to correct
the injustice." Mr. Gephardt wrote in 1984, "I have always
been supportive of pro-life legislation. I intend to remain
steadfast on this issue.... I believe that the life of the
unborn should be protected at all costs."
Sen. Edward Kennedy, [D-Mass.], in a letter
to a constituent, August 3, 1971
"While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits
consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the
legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value
which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I
believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights
which must be recognized -- the right to be born, the right to love, the
right to grown old.
Bill Clinton, in a letter to Arkansas Right to
Life, September 26, 1986
"I am opposed to abortion and to government funding of abortions. We
should not spend state funds on abortions because so many people believe
abortion is wrong."
Reverend Jesse Jackson - he endorsed the Hyde Amendment in an open letter
to Congress that opposed federal funds used for "killing infants." Mr.
Jackson wrote the following statements in a 1977 National Right to Life News
article
"There are those who argue that the right to privacy is of [a] higher
order than the right to life ... that was the premise of slavery. You
could not protest the existence or treatment of slaves on the plantation
because that was private and therefore outside your right to be concerned.