February 07, 2004
WESLEY CLARK ON ABORTION
He’s for it:
Life begins with the mother's decision.
No -- he’s against it:
I don't believe in abortion.
Wait -- he’s for it:
I have always been and always will be pro-choice.
Ummm ... he doesn’t know whether he’s for it or against it:
In general, I'm pro-life -- excuse me, I'm pro-abortion rights.
Hold everything! As of today, he’s for it again:
I support a woman’s right to choose.
If only Clark would choose. Make a decision, already! Ask Mary, if you have to. Man, even squirrels hold more definite views than old General Confusion here.
Posted by Tim Blair at February 7, 2004 02:44 AMI believe in a presidential candidate's right to choose whichever soundbite he thinks his audience wants to hear at that particular moment.
(Todd's tattoo sounds awesome, by the way.)
Posted by: Jim Treacher at February 7, 2004 at 03:17 AMHey, give Clark a break. Not only is he willing to take a stand on the tough issues, he's willing to take two or three of them. That's the type of go-the-extra-mile attitude that puts him head and shoulders above the other candidates. Except Kerry and Edwards.
Posted by: Randal Robinson at February 7, 2004 at 03:18 AMOne thing you can't say about Clark, though, is that he's not willing to scrap like a furry rodent.
Posted by: Randal Robinson at February 7, 2004 at 04:06 AMAbortions for all! [crowd boos]
Very well, Abortions for none! [crowd boos]
Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others! [crowd cheers]
- Candidate Kang
CAN'T YOU PEOPLE SEE IT. He's a frickin alien. Just try to make him blink.
Posted by: LB at February 7, 2004 at 04:47 AMGive him a break! He is all things to all people.
(Pro-war/Anti-war, Pro-life/Pro-choice, Republican/Democrat, etc) How many other candidates reach/conect with so many voters? He is prolly the only one who could steal the graveyard vote away from JFK....err..umm..Kerry, by claiming he is dead at some point, then claim he is alive. The graveyards voted JFK in droves in '60, so don't overlook their impact. Wes is a shoe-in..........shoot, I'd believe him if he said he was dead.......
General Clark was one of the stars in Philip Adams' wet dream a few months ago, when he was fantasizing about Prime Minister Crean welcoming President Clark to Australia.
He can really pick them.
Jeez, isn't this the ONE issue that pretty much everyone has staked out a position on...
Posted by: Jerry at February 7, 2004 at 08:17 AMGeneral Clark was one of the stars in Philip Adams' wet dream a few months ago, when he was fantasizing about Prime Minister Crean welcoming President Clark to Australia.
He can really pick them.
I want to see a fantasy of Phil's where PM Latham welcomes President Bush to Australia.
Latham to Bush: Welcome to Australia, President Bush
Bush to Latham: Fuck off, arselicker.
Posted by: Quentin George at February 7, 2004 at 08:28 AMCouldn't you just see his present line of thinking when he was a general--attack! no, retreat, no, attack, no whatever President Clinton chooses. No, wait . . .
What a maroon!!
What a maroon!!
You mean he's a supporter of Queensland in the State of Origin?
Shame on him!
Posted by: Quentin George at February 7, 2004 at 12:52 PMSurely all but the most intellectually deficient could see that in the full context of those quotes, Clark believes that choice of abortion should be available to all Americans, but he personally wouldn't choose that path, or wouldn't advise it. That line of thought is carried across all 5 references, apart from the 3rd one where he refers to the possibility of banning "partial birth" abortions.
Take the time to read the whole article, people... instead of swallowing the Blairified quotes.
Posted by: LD at February 7, 2004 at 01:37 PMbut he personally wouldn't choose that path
Should we add man/woman to his list of dualities?
Loretta: I want to have an abortion.
Reg: You want to have an abortion?
Loretta: It's every man's right to have an abortion if he wants one.
Reg: But ... you can't have an abortion.
Loretta: Don't you oppress me.
Reg: I'm not oppressing you, Stan. You haven't got a uterus! Where's the foetus going to be extracted from?! You going to take it from a box?!
Loretta: [crying]
Judith: Here! I-- I've got an idea. Suppose you agree that he can't actually have an abortion, not having a womb, which is nobody's fault, not even the GOP's, but that he can have the right to have an abortion.
Francis: Good idea, Judith. We shall fight the oppressors for your right to have an abortion, brother. Sister. Sorry.
Reg: What's the point?
Francis: What?
Reg: What's the point of fighting for his right to have an abortion when he can't have an abortion?!
Francis: It is symbolic of our struggle against oppression.
Reg: Symbolic of his struggle against reality.
Posted by: Andjam at February 7, 2004 at 02:41 PMSuddenly I'm channeling Groucho Marx:
"Whatever it is, I'm against it..."
Posted by: Alice at February 7, 2004 at 02:44 PMWhere do you stand on the abortion issue Tim?
C'mon mate let's hear your own personal opinion. Get it on the record. Are you for or agin it?
Or are you too gutless to say?
Posted by: Rex at February 7, 2004 at 07:15 PMI dunno, some of the comments posted to this blog make me all for retroactive abortion.
Posted by: Quentin George at February 7, 2004 at 09:57 PMAnd what's your position on abortion, bloghead? Or do you just like pushing all the buttons at once like a deranged toddler?
Posted by: Miranda Divide at February 7, 2004 at 11:32 PMHe sure seems good at pushing your buttons, Marigold.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 8, 2004 at 01:41 AMI think we can all agree that we'd support Miranda being aborted. When are 160th trimester abortions going to be made legal over here? We have been oppressed FAR TO LONG!
Posted by: Yobbo at February 8, 2004 at 03:33 AMThe hell is this hackery?
First off, it's totally clear in the fourth example that he stumbled over words, rather than equivocated in a craven manner. Second, the only damning quote "I'm against abortion" stakes out a position millions of Americans have - I'm personally opposed to abortion, but I wouldn't employ the power of the government to stop others from getting one. Jesus, develop a reasonable position and the partisans get all confused cause you're not as simple-minded as them.
TRY HARDER, GOATBOY.
Posted by: bonk at February 8, 2004 at 04:34 AMJudith: Here! I-- I've got an idea. Suppose you agree that he can't actually have an abortion, not having a womb, which is nobody's fault, not even the GOP's, ...
IT'S ASHCROFT'S FAULT!!!
;-)
Posted by: rosignol at February 8, 2004 at 04:56 AM1) Anyone who doesn't think Clark's trying to have it both ways is an apologist;
2) Tim's not running for President of the most powerful country in the world, with the ability to make appointments to the supreme court -- why would he need to discuss his opinion on it, and why would you care?
Posted by: Jerry at February 8, 2004 at 05:43 AMAchewood is hitting gold again - what a comment from Todd - gunny sack - I laughed my ass off at that one.
Posted by: Rob at February 8, 2004 at 08:17 AMWhat's up with the "goat boy" insult? Is it secretly naughty and I don't get it? Does it have something to do with this?
Posted by: Dylan at February 8, 2004 at 08:21 AM"...the partisans get all confused cause you're not as simple-minded as them."
Yeah, simple-minded partisans like the head of NARAL. "Kate Michelman, head of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Clark's inconsistencies showed a lack of understanding of the issues regarding abortion." Maybe she meant to say "showed tremendous nuance". Luckily, in the same article Clark clarified himself (clarified in the sense that you clarify butter) "She didn't say 'how did you feel about choice,' she said, 'what do you think about abortion,'" Clark said. "That was the question, it's the question I answered."
What's up with the "goat boy" insult
He means Tim is virile, eats well, with a full head of hair and a bad-ass goatee - just like a goat.
Posted by: Quentin George at February 8, 2004 at 07:36 PM