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Both Udall, Schaffer oppose abortion measure

Neither candidate for Senate in favor of personhood measure

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 6, 2008 at 11:22 p.m.

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This just in: Republican Bob Schaffer and Democrat Mark Udall agree on something.

Neither U.S. Senate candidate supports Amendment 48, a November ballot measure that would ban abortion by defining personhood as beginning at fertilization.

The candidates talked about the amendment during separate appearances Wednesday on KHOW's Caplis and Silverman talk show.

Udall, a Democratic congressman from Eldorado Springs, has long supported choice.

Schaffer hadn't taken a position on the personhood proposal until now, although the former state legislator and congressman has opposed abortion his entire career, calling it "murder."

He pointed out in his radio interview that Colorado's three Catholic bishops also don't support Amendment 48.

"I think there are other strategies and tactics that get us far closer to advancing the cause of human life," Schaffer said.

Both Senate candidates campaigned outside the Front Range this week.

Udall spent Wednesday morning in Trinidad attending a standing-room-only meeting about the proposed expansion of Fort Carson's Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

He then went to Lamar for a crowded town hall meeting with T. Boone Pickens, a well-known oil and gas developer who talks about America's growing and dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

"He's Republican and I'm Democrat, but we're both down there advocating for a new energy policy," Udall said. "I think T. Boone hit the nail on the head when he said we have to do everything American, more drilling, more nuclear, moving toward a 100-miles-to-the-gallon car."

Udall took a private plane to the meetings, drawing scoffs from Republicans about the carbon footprint it must have left.

Schaffer's appearance included stops in Dillon, Glenwood Springs and Kremmling, where he heard plenty about high gas prices, taxes and congestion on Interstate 70.

He said Coloradans talked about wanting more energy production in the state while still protecting the environment.

Comments

  • August 7, 2008

    8:28 a.m.

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    JohnSmith2 writes:

    It's been reported widely that Udall is buying carbon offsets for his campaign, rendering it carbon neutral. Meanwhile Bob Schaffer surrounds himself with global warming deniers and pushes for more ways to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as a matter of national policy.

    I don't think the Republican scoffers (or is it scofflaws?) have a leg to stand on.

  • August 7, 2008

    12:25 p.m.

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    Guabe writes:

    Thanks for letting us know your true positions. I am pro-life, so when a politician says he is pro-life but he can't pull himself to vote/support something as simple as this amendment (it would make every human being also a human person with full civil rights) then it makes it very easy for me not to vote for him.
    Mark Udall openly advocates the advantages of killing babies before they're born, Bob Schaffer cares so little about his own beliefs that he could hardly be called pro-life, so who's left? Any pro-lifers out there please stand up.

  • August 7, 2008

    7:04 p.m.

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    TheGraphite writes:

    Well, it's been an interesting week.

    A great many pro-lifers in Colorado have been disappointed in Dr. Dobson's increasing compromise on the issue of abortion in the last few yearas. Earlier this week, Dr. James Dobson reversed his long-implied opposition to the Personhood Amendment on the ballot this November, and openly supported it.

    ... 48 hours later, I got a letter in the mail from Focus on the Family explaining that they are in dire financial straits and desperately need money to help deal with their $5 million shortage of funds. Interesting timing.

    On the other hand, Bob Schaffer has ended his long-held silence on the issue and come out expressing unity with Democrat Mark Udall in opposing the Personhood Amendment.

    "I think there are other strategies and tactics that get us far closer to advancing the cause of human life," Schaffer said.

    Far closer than, say.... ending abortion? Wow, I would love to hear what pro-life strategy Schaffer advocates that would "advance the cause of human life" more than ending abortion. The truth is more likely that National Right to Life leaned on him to oppose the measure, since they oppose ending abortion and favor regulating how to kill babies legally. We know for a fact they have been pressuring politicians in Colorado and similar states to oppose personhood efforts. (We know, because some of those politicians have produced the letters and faxes from NRLC.) In return for this, Schaffer is certain to get a 100% or near-perfect "pro-life rating" from NRLC just like our pro-choice Pres. Bush has.

    Lest we forget, in the late 80s, Reagan tried to advance a national-level personhood bill that would have ended abortion across the country. National Right to Life opposed it very strongly, saying this is a "state rights issue." Now that individual states are advancing personhood bills and amendments, NRLC is strongly opposing those, as well. As their long-time spokesman and legal council James Bopp said, they want to "keep abortion alive as an issue." Who can blame them, with their six-figure incomes and pension plans?

    God bless organizations like Colorado Right to Life, American Right to Life and the Collaborator's Project, who express a desire to put themselves out of business. Pray for an end to abortion. And please pray for Dr. Dobson and senate-candidate Bob Schaffer!

  • August 8, 2008

    8:34 a.m.

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    Ian74 writes:

    Let's just hope that Udall can stay consistent on the issues as well (the war on terror, employee free choice act). Otherwise, both of them may be digging themselves a hole.