A member of the "party of death" writes:
My wife and I are personally pro-life but we take a pro-choice position when it comes to public policy (and yes, we vote Democrat). I believe that women should have the complete right to an abortion during the first trimester and after that I favor restrictions. I have yet to come across a Democrat who promotes abortion. If anything, we Democrats stand for neutrality on this issue and want the government to keep out of it. Isn't this after all a true conservative position?
Er, yes it is. The trouble is: the word 'conservative' has been hijacked by religious extremists. I find the attempt of the government to police a woman's body in the first stages of pregnancy to be a deeply unconservative idea. I find the absolutist stance of those who say a zygote is as morally significant as an infant lacking in the moderation and common sense that has long been the hallmark of conservatism. I abhor abortion as a moral matter and can never condone it. But in the balancing of goods, I'd keep it legal in the first trimester, strongly restrict later abortions, while doing all I can to facilitate care, adoption options and support for pregnant mothers. I'd also aggressively encourage contraception, the morning-after pill, and the institution of marriage as bulwarks against unwanted pregnancy. And all of this makes me part of a "party of death" because I don't agree with banning all abortion by law?
Ponnuru has his fig-leaf on the partisan point. When he says "party", he can say he doesn't mean political party. Sure. But somehow only the Democrats appear in the subtitle. And Ponnuru is integral to the GOP machine. Limbaugh and Coulter do the rest. Hey, it sells.