Meet the Press: Meet the Candidates 2007 series, with Tim Russert: on Abortion

Claire McCaskill: Support embryonic stem cell research but not cloning

My faith directs me to heal the sick. God gave us the miracle of human intelligence to find cures. Our country has never turned its back on medical research and we shouldn’t in Missouri. We should strictly prohibit human cloning and provide a framework of ethical conduct and laws that are going to restrict the kinds of things that no one wants. I respect people who disagree with me on this issue, I understand there are differences. I come down on the side of hope, hope for cures and supporting science. Source: 2006 MO Senate Debate on NBC Meet The Press with Tim Russert Oct 8, 2006

Claire McCaskill: Support a ban on partial-birth abortion

Q: Do you support a ban on partial-birth abortion? A: I do, within the constitutional framework that we currently have, with the exception for the life of the mother. I also support parental notification. On the whole issue of abortion, I certainly believe that abortion should remain safe, legal and rare in the early term, but why don’t we concentrate on prevention? and do the right thing to drop the number of abortions instead of making health care more unavailable to poor women, which in fact drives up the number of abortions in this country. Source: 2006 MO Senate Debate on NBC Meet The Press with Tim Russert Oct 8, 2006

Jim Talent: Oppose embryonic stem cell research that involves cloning

I’m opposed to human cloning and the ballot issue would create an unqualified constitutional right, to clone the earliest stages of human life, which I can’t support. I support stem cell research, and the problem was that there was one particular kind of stem cell that science believed it could only get by cloning a human embryo. There are alternatives that science is developing which will allow us to get all the stem cells that we want without having to clone or destroy an embryo. Source: 2006 MO Senate Debate on NBC Meet The Press with Tim Russert Oct 8, 2006

Jim Talent: Favor exemptions in abortion law but not stem cell research

Q: Why do you favor exemptions in abortion law for rape-exceptions for race-rape, incest or, or life of mother? A: Whatever it is that makes a person a person attaches at the time the genetic code is complete. This is a personal judgment I’ve made. All these things involve personal moral judgments. And I’ve said to people in Missouri, “Look, go back, look at it, look at the technology, try and understand the underlying science and then make a decision on your own.” Source: 2006 MO Senate Debate on NBC Meet The Press with Tim Russert Oct 8, 2006

Bob Casey: Plan B morning-after pill is contraception, not abortion

Q: The FDA has said that Plan B, the morning-after pill, can be sold over the counter. Are you in favor?

SANTORUM: No, I’m not. I agree that it is an abortifacient, and that it’s dangerous to give a dose of hormones equivalent to one third of a whole series of birth control pills to someone without any kind of doctor supervision.

CASEY: Yes, I’m in favor. I think what emergency contraception is contraception.

Q: But you do believe life begins at conception?

CASEY: I do.

Q: If this was fertilized, would you call it abortion?

CASEY: The science is clear on this. It is contraception, and I support it. I think we’ve got to make it widely available, and I think that’s one of the ways we reach common ground on the very tough issue of abortion: emergency contraception can reduce the number of abortions and unwanted pregnancies. That’s what we should emphasize.

SANTORUM: The science is clear. In fact, it is an abortifacient in certain circumstances.

Source: PA 2006 Senate Debate, Tim Russert moderator Sep 3, 2006

Rick Santorum: Exception for rape & incest ok, even though they take a life

Q: Are you in favor of Plan B, the morning-after pill?

CASEY: I’m in favor. I think what emergency contraception is contraception, not abortion.

SANTORUM: It is an abortifacient in certain circumstances. If the egg has been fertilized and the pill is taken, it does cause an abortion. It’s inconsistent with his previous position and violated his principles.

Q: If you believe that life begins at conception, then why do you support exceptions for rape, incest, and life of mother?

SANTORUM: Yeah, I would vote for things like that.

Q: But it’s the taking of a life.

SANTORUM: The Hyde Amendment allows rape, incest, life of the mother. That is the common ground we could get, and I would support that.

Q: But by your standards, it’s the taking of a life.

SANTORUM: It is, there’s no question it’s the taking of a life. But it is an attempt for me to try to see if we can find common ground to actually make progress in limiting the other abortions. So yes, that’s what I would do.