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John Cox on Abortion

Republican Party Chair, Cook County (IL)


Christians & Jews believe in the right to life

Q: What will you do to restore legal protection to the unborn?

A: This issue tears this country apart. And it shouldn't. I'm a Christian. Most of you, if not all of you, are Christians or Jews. We believe in the right to life. We need to talk to the American people about responsibility. You know, in 1955, my mother already had a child. She conceived me, and my real father walked out. If abortion had been legal in 1955, I wouldn't be standing here before you today. This is personal to me. It's about responsibility. My mother took responsibility for me. She's glad she did, and I'm glad she did, and my children are glad she did. And that's what we need to talk about on this issue, with the American people. I, too, will make sure I appoint judges that don't make the law, but will interpret it only. We need to end the reign of the activist judges, and restore some sanity to the right to life.

Source: 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate Sep 17, 2007

Nominate only judges who refuse to legislate from the bench

Q: Will you nominate only judges who are demonstrably faithful to the judicial role of following only the text of the Constitution, and who not only refuse to legislate from the bench, but are committed to reversing prior court decision where activist judges strayed from the judicial role and legislated from the bench?
Source: [Xref Paul] 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate Sep 17, 2007

Save "snowflake babies": no experiments on frozen embryos

Q: Our children were adopted as embryos. They were snowflake babies, which means that for the first part of their lives, they were frozen embryos. Can you look at them now and honestly tell me that it would be OK with you if someone used them in medical experiments and snuffed out their little lives? Is that your position?
Source: [Xref Paul] 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate Sep 17, 2007

No tax funding for organizations that promote abortion

Q: The Mexico City Policy states that as a condition for a foreign organization to receive federal funds, they will neither "perform nor actively promote abortion." Would you work to apply this Mexico City policy to organizations within the US?

HUCKABEE: Are we being asked to apply a Mexican law to the US?

Q: It's the principle of not giving our tax dollars to organizations within our country that actively promote or provide abortions. It's an American law.

BROWNBACK: This is Ronald Reagan' policy that we wouldn't use federal funds to support organizations that promote abortions overseas.

HUNTER: It's actually a UN policy.

KEYES: Actually, it was a policy of the Mexico City Population Conference. I was the deputy chairman. I actually negotiated the language into the final resolution at that conference.

Q: I want to know, will you defund Planned Parenthood?

Source: [Xref Keyes] 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate Sep 17, 2007

Define unborn life as a fundamental right

As president, I will stand for the rights of the unborn. I am proudly pro-life without exception, from conception to natural death. If there is a question about protecting life versus protecting someone's personal choices, we should ALWAYS resolve it in life's favor. We should embrace the broadest possible definition of life, and err on the side of protecting it. Government has a role in defining life as a fundamental right.
Source: Campaign website, cox2008.com Jul 2, 2007

Personal history--conceived in rape--makes him anti-abortion

Born poor on Chicago's South Side to a mother who was raped by a father who split shortly thereafter (he points to his very existence as the reason he's adamantly against abortion), Cox is a self-made man.
Source: Matt Labash, The Weekly Standard, "Sane Fringe Candidate" May 21, 2007

There is no 'right of privacy' in the Constitution

Q: Under a Cox administration, is the Constitution a document to be followed AS WRITTEN and to the letter, or is it a living document where its meaning is merely "interpreted" based on the day's events?

A: I absolutely believe the Constitution should be followed to the letter. There should also not be provisions created out of whole cloth. There is no 'right of privacy' in the Constitution. If people feel there ought to be, which I might agree with, then they should follow the procedure included in the Constitution to change it. Get the approval of the states as is provided. Of course, the next question after that would be if a right of privacy would allow abortion. To me, the right of privacy is just that--a right to have some measure of privacy from big government interference. Abortion is murder--plain and simple--and that should be regulated by state law.

Source: Interview with "Small Government Times" Mar 6, 2007

Other candidates on Abortion: John Cox on other issues:
Nominees:
GOP: Sen.John McCain
Democrat: Sen.Barack Obama
Dem.V.P.: Sen.Joe Biden

GOP V.P. Possibilities:
Gov.Haley Barbour(MS)
Gov.Charlie Crist(FL)
Mayor Rudy Giuliani(NYC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Sen.Joe Lieberman(CT)
Gov.Tim Pawlenty(MN)
Gov.Mitt Romney(MA)
Gov.Mark Sanford(SC)

Third Parties:
Constitution: Chuck Baldwin
Libertarian: Rep.Bob Barr
Libertarian: Sen.Mike Gravel
Constitution: Amb.Alan Keyes
Liberation: Gloria La Riva
Green: Rep.Cynthia McKinney
Socialist: Brian Moore
Independent: Ralph Nader
Libertarian: Rep.Ron Paul
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Page last updated: Oct 01, 2008