Rand Paul: I wouldn't try to ban abortion or overturn Roe v Wade

[Blue3]

Paul says he wouldn't try to ban abortion, overturn Roe v Wade, or change any federal laws from where they are now on the abortion issue.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/rand-paul-abortion_n_5213294.html

[Meursault]

At the rate he's going, I'm getting very close to being able to vote for Paul - in 2020, when he can actually clinch the nomination.

[H. Ross Peron]

Looks like Rand Paul's aiming for a nomination sometime in the 2020s rather than 2016

[henster]

Coming from a guy who co-sponsored a bill that would've banned all abortions even in cases of rape and incest and when the mother's life is in danger. He even tried to hold up a flood insurance bill in order to pass it I'm not buying this BS his record speaks for itself.

[Never]

It seems like Paul is just saying that he wouldn't try to influence the Supreme Court to a great extent, but I would still expect him to choose Supreme Court nominees who oppose abortion and the Roe v Wade ruling, which might have a large impact somewhere down the line.

Perhaps Paul recognizes that a significant amount of political capital would be required to repeal Roe v Wade or ban abortion at the federal level, and he is not willing to put his focus on this issue. If he becomes President, I would not be surprised if his biggest priorities have nothing to do with social issues.

[Mr. Morden]

Sounds like he's inching towards what this man was saying during his 2000 presidential candidacy:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/mccain082499.htm

[Joe Biden 2020]

I hate abortion as any sane person should.  I hate Roe v. Wade.  However, I think Roe v. Wade is a necessary evil.  Without it, there would be many back-alley unsterilized abortions unnecessarily putting the life of the woman at risk.  Abortions would not be lower with or without Roe, it's just more sterile with Roe.  It reminds me of the Prohibition in the pre-WW2 era.  Drug use did not go down during Prohibition, it was just mostly hidden.

[TJ in Oregon]

If he ever was a serious candidate in the Republican Primary before, he certainly won't be now. Good riddance.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

This was "Mr. Right to Life Amendment," right?  What the hell has Rand been smoking lately?

I hate abortion as any sane person should.  I hate Roe v. Wade.  However, I think Roe v. Wade is a necessary evil.  Without it, there would be many back-alley unsterilized abortions unnecessarily putting the life of the woman at risk.  Abortions would not be lower with or without Roe, it's just more sterile with Roe.  It reminds me of the Prohibition in the pre-WW2 era.  Drug use did not go down during Prohibition, it was just mostly hidden.

When did you change your mind on that?

[Joe Biden 2020]

This was "Mr. Right to Life Amendment," right?  What the hell has Rand been smoking lately?

I hate abortion as any sane person should.  I hate Roe v. Wade.  However, I think Roe v. Wade is a necessary evil.  Without it, there would be many back-alley unsterilized abortions unnecessarily putting the life of the woman at risk.  Abortions would not be lower with or without Roe, it's just more sterile with Roe.  It reminds me of the Prohibition in the pre-WW2 era.  Drug use did not go down during Prohibition, it was just mostly hidden.

When did you change your mind on that?

To be honest, jamespol helped me to that decision a few years ago.  We are no longer friends, but I liked his political leanings.

[henster]

This was "Mr. Right to Life Amendment," right?  What the hell has Rand been smoking lately?

I hate abortion as any sane person should.  I hate Roe v. Wade.  However, I think Roe v. Wade is a necessary evil.  Without it, there would be many back-alley unsterilized abortions unnecessarily putting the life of the woman at risk.  Abortions would not be lower with or without Roe, it's just more sterile with Roe.  It reminds me of the Prohibition in the pre-WW2 era.  Drug use did not go down during Prohibition, it was just mostly hidden.

When did you change your mind on that?

Yep no matter what he says he's not running from his voting record if he really believed this he would have never brought up the Personhood Bill.

[memphis]

Drinking and liver disease were, in fact, both down sharply during Prohibition. I still think it was a bad idea, but get your facts straight. Pros and cons to everything.

[Never]

Drinking and liver disease were, in fact, both down sharply during Prohibition. I still think it was a bad idea, but get your facts straight. Pros and cons to everything.

The Prohibition surely had some benefits, but I strongly question whether the federal government should have involved itself in this issue. I am aware that the Prohibition was a Constitutional amendment, so I think that the main issue here is should rather than could. I think the conclusion to this might give insight on whether the Supreme Court should have ruled that the federal government has the right to require the legalization of abortion.

Before Roe v. Wade, abortion was illegal in 30 states, yet one Supreme Court ruling changed all of that. I don't think a broad ruling like Roe v Wade was necessary. The Supreme Court could have ruled that all states had to provide abortions in the case of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother.  It actually turns out that the "Roe" of the Supreme Court ruling, Norma McCorvey, fit none of these criteria.

The Court could have also recognized that abortion laws should be left to the state based on the Tenth Amendment. In short, I feel that like Prohibition, the Roe v Wade ruling was an unnecessary expansion of the federal government's power, and that more power should be given to the states on issues where the federal government is not expressly given authority in the Constitution.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

He was talking about changing the terms of the debate from all or nothing on abortion, and recognizing that the country is in the middle on the issue even as the law has been at a pro-abortion extreme.  He clearly supports increasing restrictions, but it's not going to be banned outright with the country's current views.

[BaconBacon96]

At least he's taking a more libertarian position on the issue. A federal abortion amendment is not libertarian...

[Eraserhead]

This was "Mr. Right to Life Amendment," right?  What the hell has Rand been smoking lately?

I hate abortion as any sane person should.  I hate Roe v. Wade.  However, I think Roe v. Wade is a necessary evil.  Without it, there would be many back-alley unsterilized abortions unnecessarily putting the life of the woman at risk.  Abortions would not be lower with or without Roe, it's just more sterile with Roe.  It reminds me of the Prohibition in the pre-WW2 era.  Drug use did not go down during Prohibition, it was just mostly hidden.

When did you change your mind on that?

To be honest, jamespol helped me to that decision a few years ago.  We are no longer friends, but I liked his political leanings.

That's sad that you guys are no longer friends.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

At the rate he's going, I'm getting very close to being able to vote for Paul - in 2020, when [/b]he can actually clinch the nomination.[/b]

Not a chance of that.

[Sasquatch]

As of late, I'm starting to like Rand Paul.

[SWE]

This was "Mr. Right to Life Amendment," right?  What the hell has Rand been smoking lately?

I hate abortion as any sane person should.  I hate Roe v. Wade.  However, I think Roe v. Wade is a necessary evil.  Without it, there would be many back-alley unsterilized abortions unnecessarily putting the life of the woman at risk.  Abortions would not be lower with or without Roe, it's just more sterile with Roe.  It reminds me of the Prohibition in the pre-WW2 era.  Drug use did not go down during Prohibition, it was just mostly hidden.

When did you change your mind on that?

Yep no matter what he says he's not running from his voting record if he really believed this he would have never brought up the Personhood Bill.

There's a difference between voting something and saying you won't pursue an issue if president

[Mordecai]

At least he's taking a more libertarian position on the issue. A federal abortion amendment is not libertarian...

It actually is

If the Taxpayers' Party had existed in 1988, Ron and Rand Paul would have never referred to themselves as libertarian. They're paleoconservatives, cut from the same cloth as Pat Buchanan.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Rand Paul is still pro-life, but understands that unfortunately there isn't much the President can do.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Sometimes it is a matter of picking your battles.  The abortion battle is not a hill many Presidents want to die on, mainly because it will never end despite the best efforts of the President.

[Potatoe]

Wow, he really doesn't want that Nomination does he?

[Never]

Wow, he really doesn't want that Nomination does he?

Maybe he thinks that he can run above the fray of the Republican primaries. If the GOP has a lot of serious candidates who are running to the right in order to win primaries in 2016, Paul could be viewed as the most reasonable voice.

[Potatoe]

Wow, he really doesn't want that Nomination does he?

Maybe he thinks that he can run above the fray of the Republican primaries. If the GOP has a lot of serious candidates who are running to the right in order to win primaries in 2016, Paul could be viewed as the most reasonable voice.

But this is the Republican party, where you're not allowed to support abortion.