Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Sen. Bob Casey, Jr.’s speech last night at the Democratic National Convention:
“It was billed as the breakthrough moment: the Democratic National Convention, which prohibited Gov. Bob Casey, Sr. from making a pro-life speech at the 1992 Convention, allowed his son to speak last night on the subject. But what happened? Casey blew it: The best he could do was to offer the standard cliché about promoting the ‘common good’ by seeking ‘common ground.’
“Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. never settled for a ‘common ground’ approach to fight racism—he sought to win. Similarly, Gov. Casey did not seek to fight abortion by looking for ‘common ground’: He knew that the ‘common good’ could only be achieved by protecting the lives of innocent human beings. Moreover, when it comes to human trafficking, the Democratic Party Platform does not seek ‘common ground’—it wants ‘strong legislation and enforcement.’ But when it comes to abortion, the Party jettisons a legal strategy, offering instead the tired mantra about achieving ‘common ground.’
“The Casey collapse can only be understood against the forces he must deal with on a constant basis. For example, the Democratic National Convention has already been host to the presidents of NARAL and Planned Parenthood, and yesterday featured an Emily’s List event. Emily’s List is the nation’s richest PAC, and it only gives money to abortion-rights women candidates for office. At its special gathering on Tuesday, it was able to attract the most radical pro-abortion women in America: not surprisingly, Hillary and Michelle were there. That this is the only venue where those two could ever find common ground speaks volumes. It also explains why Casey settled for clichés.”
