Courage and Consequence: on Abortion

George W. Bush: 2001: First president to give speech on bioethical issue

In 2001, Bush made up his mind: he would support federal funding for research using embryonic stem cells that had already been harvested but not for research on new lines of stem cells created after his announcement. Bush also decided he would expand research into ethically acceptable alternatives and create a Bioethics Council to monitor the progress. He became the first president to give a speech on a bioethical issue, trying his best to ensure that science did not get ahead of the humanity making it. It was not a political compromise, it was a moral solution to a difficult dilemma.

In 2007, it was possible to create stem cells functionally identical to those taken from human embryos. This was an extraordinary breakthrough, precisely the kind of alternative Bush encouraged. He helped steer scientific research in the direction of discovering exciting new frontiers while avoiding the morally troubling burden that industrial cloning and wholesale destruction of human embryos would carry.

Source: Courage and Consequence, by Karl Rove, p.246-247 Nov 2, 2010

George Bush Sr.: Shifted towards pro-life camp seeing callousness of abortion

Bush's mind worked by drawing on deeply engrained principles, & he constantly sifted information. This made him open to profound growth. He read that the number of abortions in D.C. had eclipsed the number of live births. This callousness toward life deeply disturbed him and he began moving more firmly into the pro-life camp. It wasn't as if he were at one point on the continuum one day and at the opposite point the next day. He had a constantly engaged mind, a habit he passed on to his children. Source: Courage and Consequence, by Karl Rove, p. 50 Mar 9, 2010

George Bush Sr.: Slowly moved along continuum to pro-life

I saw how Bush's mind worked, drawing on broad principles that were deeply engrained, and how he constantly collected and sifted information. This made him open to profound growth. He read in the paper that the number of abortions in DC had eclipsed the number of live births. This callousness toward life deeply disturbed him and he began moving more firmly into the pro-life camp. It wasn't as if he were at one point on the continuum one day and at the opposite point the next day. Source: Courage and Consequence, by Karl Rove, p. 50 Mar 9, 2010

The above quotations are from Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight, by Karl Rove. Click here for definitions & background information on Abortion. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by George W. Bush on Abortion. Click here for more quotes by Dick Cheney on Abortion.
*2012 Presidential contenders on Abortion:*
	*Democrats:* Pres.Barack Obama(IL) V.P.Joe Biden(DE) *Republicans:* Gov.Mitt Romney(MA) Rep.Paul Ryan(WI)	*Third Parties:* Green: Dr.Jill Stein(MA) Libertarian: Gov.Gary Johnson(NM) Justice: Mayor Rocky Anderson(UT) Constitution: Rep.Virgil Goode(VA) Peace+Freedom: Roseanne Barr(HI) Reform Party: André Barnett(NY) AmericansElect: Gov.Buddy Roemer(LA)
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Page last updated: Apr 23, 2013