At 35, Roe v. Wade Still Divides

Purists rip Dobson for praising limits, not full prohibition

(NEWSER) - The recent Supreme Court ruling against partial-birth abortions has ignited a battle among anti-abortion groups, the Washington Post reports. The bickering highlights a divide between groups working for a wholesale ban and those seeking limits. In newspaper ads, a religious coalition ripped the ruling as "wicked" and slammed longtime ally James Dobson of Focus on the Family for praising the decision. More»

New generation less passionate, more tuned into technology

(NEWSER) - Don’t expect to see a lot of fresh young faces out to protest—or defend—Roe v. Wade today. It’s the 37th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, and as usual there will be demonstrations for and against abortion rights in Washington, but the demonstrators aren’t getting any younger, Newsweek reports. The marching route is shorter because, a police planner says, “the organizers are getting older, and it’s more difficult for them to walk a long distance.” More»

(NEWSER) - Rush Limbaugh is willing to back Sonia Sotomayor if her nomination to the Supreme Court offers even the “opportunity” of overturning Roe v. Wade, Politico reports. Limbaugh noted today on his radio show that Sotomayor “doesn't have a clear record on abortion” and is a Catholic. “I don't know if it will ever happen,” the host said, but he may support her if an anti-abortion decision is possible. More»

Nominee has no track record of upholding right to choose

(NEWSER) - Advocates of abortion rights are getting jittery about Sonia Sotomayor, who, despite a decades-long paper trail, has never issued a ruling on the right to choose. Barack Obama's nominee to replace David Souter—himself famous for surprising his pro-life supporters by upholding Roe v. Wade—was raised Catholic and is a member of a group that helps young mothers. And in her only abortion-related decision, she came down on the side of the Bush administration, reports the Los Angeles Times. More»

Not even 'conservative issue' for older generation: Goodman

(NEWSER) - Abortion has become “the purity test for remaining in the GOP’s inner circle,” writes Ellen Goodman in the Boston Globe: The Republican Party is shedding and shunning abortion-rights supporters it once called its own. But it wasn’t always that way—even “Mr. Conservative” Barry Goldwater supported a woman’s right to choose, saying it wasn’t “a conservative issue.” More»