'Personhood' Issue Haunts Colorado Senate Candidate
Rep. Cory Gardner, the Republican candidate for a Senate seat in Colorado, is trying to move away from the thorny issue of "personhood." His problem is that neither his foes on the left nor some friends on the right will let him.
Shortly after entering the race against Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in February, Mr. Gardner disavowed his past support for the idea at the heart of the personhood movement, which is to give a fertilized egg the same rights as a person, thereby outlawing abortion and some forms of birth control. In backing away, he even called for the sale of birth control over the counter.
That hasn't stopped Democrats from attacking him on these issues. Recent polling shows why: In a tight race, Mr. Udall has built a solid advantage among women voters. Social conservatives, however, won't let go of the issue. Despite two failed campaigns in Colorado, they are advocating another personhood ballot question in November. That is helping Democrats keep abortion and birth control on voters' minds and weighing on Mr. Gardner, whom the GOP sees as one of its bright hopes in its bid this year to win the six seats needed for Senate control.
The campaign for and against the ballot question is ramping up just as the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act is rekindling debates about contraception and abortion... In Senate races in Colorado as well as Michigan and other states, Democrats are trying to use such issues to expand the advantage they have among women voters. Republicans generally are playing down social issues and making the midterm elections mostly a referendum on a lukewarm economy, an unpopular president and his health-care law.
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http://online.wsj.com/articles/personhood-issue-haunts-colorado-senate-candidate-1405910621
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