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Jim Gilmore on AbortionSenate challenger 2008; previously Republican Governor (VA) |
GILMORE: I'm a former elected prosecutor, a former elected attorney general, trained at the University of Virginia in constitutional law, and I don't believe in litmus tests except this: I believe we should be appointing Supreme Court justices who will follow the law and not try to make the law. Now, the challenge we're seeing today is that the Supreme Court is being converted into some type of political body. My goal in appointing Supreme Court justices would be to appoint justices who would follow the law. Q: So, no litmus test on abortion?
GILMORE: Not on that, no.
Gilmore: As governor of Virginia, I stood for the sanctity of life, pushing through legislation that created a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions, required parental notification for minors and banned partial birth abortion. As your U.S. senator, I will continue to work to preserve Virginia values including the protection of human life.
Mark Warner: I support Roe v Wade. But I think folks with differing views on the issue of abortion can all agree that we ought to do everything we can to reduce unintended pregnancies. I signed a bill when I was governor to require parental notification with a judicial bypass. As the father of three daughters, I am very comfortable with this law.
A: Well, OK is not exactly the way I would put it. But what I would say is this: There has to be some time for the baby to form in the womb, which I think happens at about eight weeks. And after that, I think that abortion should be limited except to save the life of the mother.
Q: Between the beginning and eight weeks, abortion would be OK if necessary?
A: Not OK, but the question is, should the law prohibit it at that point? And I’ve never taken that position. On the other hand, my record has governor of Virginia with the pro-life movement has been very strong. We passed a 24-hour waiting period, parental notification, & informed consent. I signed the partial-birth abortion ban. And I think I have furthered our pro-life movement very substantially, even though not everybody would agree with every nuance of my position.
ROMNEY: Absolutely.
BROWNBACK: It would be a glorious day of human liberty and freedom.
GILMORE: Yes, it was wrongly decided.
HUCKABEE: Most certainly.
HUNTER: Yes.
THOMPSON: Yes.
McCAIN: A repeal.
GIULIANI: It would be OK to repeal.
TANCREDO: After 40 million dead because we have aborted them in this country, that would be the greatest day in this country’s history when that, in fact, is overturned.
A: I do. My views on this, my beliefs on this are a matter of conviction. And they’ve always been the same, and they’ve never changed, the entire time that I’ve been in public life. However, my record as governor of Virginia, I think, has been one that the pro-life community, of which I’m a part, would be very proud: passing a 24-hour waiting period, passing informed consent, passing parental notification, signing the partial-birth abortion law in Virginia. So I think the record is there. But my views -- my views are strongly and fundamentally believed and been held that way.
GILMORE: We can’t create people in order to experiment with people.
HUCKABEE: I would concur. I don’t think it’s right to create a life to end a life. That’s not a good health decision.
HUNTER: No. I’d like to show Mrs. Reagan the alternatives, which are adult stem cells.