Jeb Bush on Abortion Former Republican FL Governor

No conservative litmus test for judicial appointments

BUSH: I don't believe in litmus tests, but I'm going to make sure that my appointments to the Supreme Court would have a consistent proven record of judicial restraint.

Q: So you're not going to ask a potential Supreme Court justice if they would overturn Roe v. Wade?

BUSH: No.

Abortion ok when LIFE of mother at risk, not just her HEALTH

BUSH: My views haven't changed. I believe in the exceptions of rape and incest and the life of the mother, of course.

Q: Is there a line on health? What is that line on life and health of the mother?

BUSH: Well, the life of the mother, not health of the mother.

Defund Planned Parenthood, but not with federal shutdown

BUSH: I'm against a government shutdown. That's not how democracy works. But I defunded Planned Parenthood when I was governor.˙And I think it's abhorrent that 330,000 or 340,000 abortions take place through these clinics. I'm a pro-life governor and I'd be a pro-life president. But it will have no effect on funding for Planned Parenthood. That's the problem in Washington right now.˙It's so dysfunctional that that's considered a victory. Continue to fund Planned Parenthood, shut down the government and then cost the taxpayers more. It is better to elect a conservative president that will pledge to do it and work with Congress.

I defunded Planned Parenthood in Florida; do same federally

BUSH: I'm the most pro-life governor on this stage. Life is a gift from God. And from beginning end we need to respect it and err on the side of life. And so I defunded Planned Parenthood. And I would bring that philosophy to Washington. So here is a solution to this. Title X of the HHS funding, there is something that was the "Reagan Rule." It was passed in 1988. And the courts approved this, that a Planned Parenthood, you couldn't separate the money between the actual abortion procedures, and there are 330,000 abortions that take place in this clinic, and their promotion of it. He interpreted it the right way, the courts ruled in his favor, and Planned Parenthood did not get funding during that time until President Clinton came in. When I'm elected president, we will restore that interpretation of Title X. And this deal will be finished.

Husband of Terri Schiavo blames Bush for harassment

Michael Schiavo called Jeb Bush a vindictive, untrustworthy coward. For years, the self-described "average Joe" felt harassed, targeted and tormented by the most important person in the state. "It was a living hell," he said, "and I blame him."

Seen in thousands of pages of court records, was Jeb the converted Catholic, Jeb the pro-life conservative, Jeb the hands-on workaholic, Jeb the all-hours emailer.

The case showed he "will pursue whatever he thinks is right, virtually forever," said one pundit: "It's a theme of Jeb's governorship: He really pushed executive power to the limits."

Terri Schiavo case: ordered feeding tube reinserted

On Oct. 15, 2003, with the court's approval, Terri's feeding tube was finally removed.

Terri's parents were joined by a well-organized band of anti-abortion activists. As protesters marched in Tallahassee and talk radio hosts conjured up comparisons to Nazi death camps, Republican State Representative colleagues passed "Terri's Law," giving Jeb Bush authority to intervene in the case.

The legislature? The governor? Overruling the husband, the doctors, and the courts? I'd never seen blind zeal like this. Or was it blind politics?

Jeb immediately ordered the feeding tube reinserted.

It was the cruelest things I have e

OpEd: Jeb avoids extremism on women's issues

The former governor of Florida has emerged as the GOP's voice of reason this election cycle. During an appearance on NBC'S "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Bush acknowledged that some conservatives' rather extreme rhetoric on some issues relating to women and minorities is understandably repelling those two groups from the Republican Party.

"I'm concerned about it over the long haul for sure. Our demographics are changing and we have to change not necessarily our core beliefs, but the tone of our message and the intensity of it, for sure," Bush said.

Funded adoption counseling, but not abortion counseling

Prevent use of public funds for stem cell research

Created divisive "Choose Life" license plates

Parental consent; clinic regulation; pro-life counseling

After winning reelection in 2002, though, it was no-holds-barred. His Department of Children and Families sought to bar a minor girl who'd had sex while in the state's protective custody from having an abortion. He pushed through a law strictly regulating abortion clinics, but no other comparable outpatient clinics. He got money in the budget for his office to finance antiabortion groups who counsel women to carry pregnancies to term.

The usual suspects complained about all of these efforts--the ACLU, pro-choice groups, the newspaper editorial boards. Jeb didn't care. If the Christian Right liked an idea, Jeb liked it.

Restrict abortions to incest, rape, & health

Supports the following principles concerning abortion:
• Abortions should be legal only when pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
• Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
• Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as “partial-birth” abortion.
• Should Florida government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services? Answer: “No.”

No need to teach about abortion if we have moral absolutes

Forming good character in young people does not mean having to instruct them on thorny issues like abortion, creationism, homosexuality, or euthanasia, to name just a few. People of character can be conservative and good people can be liberal