2008 Woodie Awards
Head-to-Head
Democratic candidates on abortion and stem-cell research
Haley Swenson
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: News/Features
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Barack Obama
On abortion rights: "I trust women to make these decisions, in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy, and I think that's where most Americans are." He also voted no on requiring parental consent for minors crossing state lines to abort a pregnancy.
Partial-birth abortion ban: Obama criticized the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the ban, which did not allow exceptions for maternal health: "As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman's medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient."
Stem-cell research: Obama supports allowing research on embryonic stem-cell lines, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from human embryos, so long as the embryos were donated by consenting couples for this purpose.
John Edwards
On abortion rights: "I believe in a woman's right to choose, but I think this is an extraordinarily difficult issue for America. And I think it is very important for the president of the United States to recognize. While I believe the government should not make these health care decisions for women, I believe they should have the freedom to make them for themselves."
Military-base abortion ban: Edwards opposes a law which denies funding toward any program to make abortion available to servicewomen living on military bases around the world.
Stem-cell research: Edwards supports expanding funding and availability for stem-cell research to help cure disease. He signed a letter to President Bush along with 57 other senators, urging him to reconsider the limitations put on stem-cell research in 2001.
Hillary Clinton
On abortion rights: "I am and always have been pro-choice, and that is not a right any of us should take for granted. There are a number of forces at work in our society that would try to turn back the clock and undermine a woman's right to chose, and [we] must remain vigilant." She has supported parental notification laws for minors that would allow some exceptions, but opposes requiring parental consent.
Contraception and family planning: Clinton voted "yes" on a 2005 bill to provide $100 million for increased educational and preventative health services to help reduce incidents of unintended pregnancy, particularly for teenagers.
Stem-cell research: Clinton cosponsored the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which Bush subsequently vetoed. She has said, "...stem cell research holds the promise of new cures and treatments for countless diseases and millions of Americans with chronic and curable conditions."
On abortion rights: "I trust women to make these decisions, in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy, and I think that's where most Americans are." He also voted no on requiring parental consent for minors crossing state lines to abort a pregnancy.
Partial-birth abortion ban: Obama criticized the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the ban, which did not allow exceptions for maternal health: "As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman's medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient."
Stem-cell research: Obama supports allowing research on embryonic stem-cell lines, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from human embryos, so long as the embryos were donated by consenting couples for this purpose.
John Edwards
On abortion rights: "I believe in a woman's right to choose, but I think this is an extraordinarily difficult issue for America. And I think it is very important for the president of the United States to recognize. While I believe the government should not make these health care decisions for women, I believe they should have the freedom to make them for themselves."
Military-base abortion ban: Edwards opposes a law which denies funding toward any program to make abortion available to servicewomen living on military bases around the world.
Stem-cell research: Edwards supports expanding funding and availability for stem-cell research to help cure disease. He signed a letter to President Bush along with 57 other senators, urging him to reconsider the limitations put on stem-cell research in 2001.
Hillary Clinton
On abortion rights: "I am and always have been pro-choice, and that is not a right any of us should take for granted. There are a number of forces at work in our society that would try to turn back the clock and undermine a woman's right to chose, and [we] must remain vigilant." She has supported parental notification laws for minors that would allow some exceptions, but opposes requiring parental consent.
Contraception and family planning: Clinton voted "yes" on a 2005 bill to provide $100 million for increased educational and preventative health services to help reduce incidents of unintended pregnancy, particularly for teenagers.
Stem-cell research: Clinton cosponsored the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which Bush subsequently vetoed. She has said, "...stem cell research holds the promise of new cures and treatments for countless diseases and millions of Americans with chronic and curable conditions."
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