Gasps as Hillary woos the anti-abortion vote
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 26/01/2005)
Senator Hillary Clinton, seen by many Democrats as their best bet to recapture the White House in 2008, has made an extraordinary appeal for support from Right-wing religious groups.
The wife of the former president Bill Clinton said she sought common ground on abortion and described herself as a "praying person".
Hillary Clinton: hopes to mobilise the black vote
Her words represented an attempt to repackage her image for American conservatives, many of whom despise what they see as her radical feminist views. During a speech on Monday night to mark the anniversary of Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion, Mrs Clinton drew gasps from an audience of hundreds of pro-abortion activists.
The New York Times reported that others shook their heads during the speech in Washington, especially when she cited statistics designed to show that pro- and anti-abortion groups could unite over the need to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
"There is an opportunity for people of good faith to find common ground in this debate. We should agree that we want every child in this country to be wanted, cherished and loved," Mrs Clinton said. "We can all recognise that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic, choice to many, many women."
She also praised religious groups which have run chastity campaigns for young people, encouraging millions of teenagers to pledge sexual abstinence before marriage. Last week in Boston, Mrs Clinton spoke of God more than a dozen times and stated that she had always been a "praying person".
Backing President George W Bush's faith-based initiatives, which offer federal money for religious groups' charitable works, she said: "There is no contradiction between support for faith-based initiatives and upholding our constitutional principles."
Addressing a crowd including many religious leaders, she said there must be room for religious people to "live out their faith in the public square".
The New York senator has long been an advocate of a woman's right to choose. In 2000, she wrote in the New York Times: "I am and always have been pro-choice and that is not a right anyone should take for granted. There are a number of forces at work in our society that would try to turn back the clock … We must remain vigilant."
Yesterday, pro- and anti-abortion groups agreed that the speech marked a naked attempt to soften Mrs Clinton's image in "Red America", the heartland states that have twice voted Mr Bush into office.
Since November's election, the Democrats have engaged in a prolonged bout of introspection as to how to woo religious voters, who care profoundly about moral issues, particularly abortion. Many are angry with Mr Bush for failing to ban the procedure altogether.
Mrs Clinton may also be hoping to mobilise the black vote, which also has a big Christian element. Her husband had a genuine rapport with many blacks which paid off at the polls.
Either way, Mrs Clinton must address moral issues if she is to persuade Democrats that she is the right candidate for 2008. Some senior party figures have questioned her ability to reach beyond the traditional Democratic base.
But others, such as Dick Morris, a former senior adviser and pollster for Bill Clinton, said this month: "There is no way she is not going to win that nomination".
telegraph.co.uk |
