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Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had a strong pro-life voting record, has announced that he is now "pro-choice" as he seeks the Democratic nomination for President.
Kucinich was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. During that campaign, he stated, "I believe that life begins at conception but doesn't end at birth." Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland and NARAL of Ohio both rated Kucinich as "anti-choice."
According to Carrie Carpenter Peer, then public affairs director for Planned Parenthood, they met with Kucinich and asked him their "benchmark" question, "Do you support Roe vs. Wade?" to which he answered "no."
However, during the recent publicity surrounding the announcement of his presidential campaign, Kucinich insisted that he had not switched positions for political expediency, saying that he has "never been for a Constitutional amendment to criminalize abortion or for overturning Roe v. Wade."
In the five years following his election to Congress, Kucinich voted with National Right to Life on every issue but campaign finance reform. Only last year did he start mixing his voting record, voting pro-life on two votes, voting pro-abortion on four votes, and voting present twice - - on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act. (See editorial on page two for more.)
Kucinich becomes the second Democrat seeking the Democratic presidential nod to switch positions on abortion. Missouri Congressman Richard ...