Abortion Activists Split Over Obama Comment

A brief budge from a purely pro-choice position by Barack Obama last week drew a heavy round of responses from the reproductive-rights crowd, Politico notes. The blowback came after Obama said to a Christian magazine that health exceptions to a late-term abortion ban shouldn’t extend to women merely “feeling blue.” NOW’s president criticized Obama for playing into the "wingnut argument"—that women have abortions for frivolous reasons.

The former NARAL chief, on the other hand, argued that Barack was in fact countering the wingnut argument: “Obama was making it clear that he doesn’t believe that is what women do and what the law allows.” Another response from activists was simple bewilderment: one boasted of Obama’s “excellent” voting record on the issue—and said now there’s “some confusion where there shouldn’t be any.” (More Barack Obama stories.)