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novapsycheHughes Defends Remarks on Abortion Rights March
Asked by host Wolf Blitzer how big an issue she thought abortion would be in this year's presidential election, Hughes responded: "Well, Wolf, it's always an issue. And I frankly think it's changing somewhat. I think after September 11th the American people are valuing life more and realizing that we need policies to value the dignity and worth of every life."
[...] "And I think those are the kind of policies that the American people can support, particularly at a time when we're facing an enemy, and really the fundamental difference between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life," she added. "It's the founding conviction of our country, that we're endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, the right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately our enemies in the terror network, as we're seeing repeatedly in the headlines these days, don't value any life, not even the innocent and not even their own."
Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority, condemned the comments as "cynical, ugly and mean-spirited" and urged Hughes to clarify or take back what she said. Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) issued a statement expressing shock that Hughes "compared the 9/11 terrorists to Americans who marched on the Mall" on Sunday. "It's outrageous to use the tragic events of 9/11 to demonize the pro-choice movement," he said.
Asked for her response yesterday, Hughes sent an e-mail saying, "That is a gross distortion and I would never make such a comparison. Surely even the most strident of partisans, and reasonable people on both sides of the abortion issue, can agree that we have been reminded of the precious nature of human life and that we ought to work to reduce the number of abortions in America."
Asked by host Wolf Blitzer how big an issue she thought abortion would be in this year's presidential election, Hughes responded: "Well, Wolf, it's always an issue. And I frankly think it's changing somewhat. I think after September 11th the American people are valuing life more and realizing that we need policies to value the dignity and worth of every life."
[...] "And I think those are the kind of policies that the American people can support, particularly at a time when we're facing an enemy, and really the fundamental difference between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life," she added. "It's the founding conviction of our country, that we're endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, the right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately our enemies in the terror network, as we're seeing repeatedly in the headlines these days, don't value any life, not even the innocent and not even their own."
Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority, condemned the comments as "cynical, ugly and mean-spirited" and urged Hughes to clarify or take back what she said. Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) issued a statement expressing shock that Hughes "compared the 9/11 terrorists to Americans who marched on the Mall" on Sunday. "It's outrageous to use the tragic events of 9/11 to demonize the pro-choice movement," he said.
Asked for her response yesterday, Hughes sent an e-mail saying, "That is a gross distortion and I would never make such a comparison. Surely even the most strident of partisans, and reasonable people on both sides of the abortion issue, can agree that we have been reminded of the precious nature of human life and that we ought to work to reduce the number of abortions in America."