Tuesday, September 9, 2008
S.C. Dem Chief Apologizes for Palin-Abortion Dig
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina's Democratic Party chairwoman has apologized for saying Wednesday that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's top qualification seems to be not having had an abortion.
In an interview posted on the political Web site Politico, Chairwoman Carol Fowler said Republican John McCain picked a running mate "whose primary qualification seems to be that she hasn't had an abortion."
Fowler later apologized, saying she made the statement during an interview about single-issue voters.
"I personally admire and respect the difficult choices that women make everyday, and I apologize to anyone who finds my comment offensive," Fowler said in a statement.
"I clumsily was making a point about people in South Carolina who may vote based on a single issue. Whether it's the environment, the economy, the war or a woman's right to choose, there are people who will cast their vote based on a single issue," she continued. "That was the only point I was attempting to make."
Palin opposes abortion, including in cases of rape or incest, and has lived out her convictions by bearing son Trig in April, knowing he had Down syndrome.
A top McCain surrogate, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said it was an outrage to dismiss Palin's record and life with that kind of remark.
"I think it has more to do with the fact our Democratic colleagues and opponents are in a meltdown mode over Gov. Palin," Graham said. Palin "has, I think, thrown our opponents for a loop in terms of how they engage the McCain-Palin ticket."
Graham said there would be a "firestorm of monumental proportion" if a Republican had said the same thing about a female Democrat running for vice president, and called on Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to repudiate Fowler's remark.
"If he doesn't speak to this and condemn this statement, it will speak volumes about where we're at on the Democratic side," Graham said.
Fowler also told Politico she believes putting Palin, a mother of five who opposes abortion, on the ticket would not boost McCain's standing among Democratic women or many independent women. She dismissed polls showing more white women supporting McCain after he chose Palin, saying they were likely Republican women anyway.
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina's Democratic Party chairwoman has apologized for saying Wednesday that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's top qualification seems to be not having had an abortion.
In an interview posted on the political Web site Politico, Chairwoman Carol Fowler said Republican John McCain picked a running mate "whose primary qualification seems to be that she hasn't had an abortion."
Fowler later apologized, saying she made the statement during an interview about single-issue voters.
"I personally admire and respect the difficult choices that women make everyday, and I apologize to anyone who finds my comment offensive," Fowler said in a statement.
"I clumsily was making a point about people in South Carolina who may vote based on a single issue. Whether it's the environment, the economy, the war or a woman's right to choose, there are people who will cast their vote based on a single issue," she continued. "That was the only point I was attempting to make."
Palin opposes abortion, including in cases of rape or incest, and has lived out her convictions by bearing son Trig in April, knowing he had Down syndrome.
A top McCain surrogate, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said it was an outrage to dismiss Palin's record and life with that kind of remark.
"I think it has more to do with the fact our Democratic colleagues and opponents are in a meltdown mode over Gov. Palin," Graham said. Palin "has, I think, thrown our opponents for a loop in terms of how they engage the McCain-Palin ticket."
Graham said there would be a "firestorm of monumental proportion" if a Republican had said the same thing about a female Democrat running for vice president, and called on Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to repudiate Fowler's remark.
"If he doesn't speak to this and condemn this statement, it will speak volumes about where we're at on the Democratic side," Graham said.
Fowler also told Politico she believes putting Palin, a mother of five who opposes abortion, on the ticket would not boost McCain's standing among Democratic women or many independent women. She dismissed polls showing more white women supporting McCain after he chose Palin, saying they were likely Republican women anyway.
