When Joe Biden Voted to Let States Overturn Roe v. Wade

[workinclasszero]

By Lisa Lerer March 29, 2019 New York Times

With an anti-abortion president, Ronald Reagan, in power and Republicans controlling the Senate for the first time in decades, social conservatives pushed for a constitutional amendment to allow individual states to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that had made abortion legal nationwide several years earlier.

The amendment — which the National Abortion Rights Action League called “the most devastating attack yet on abortion rights” — cleared a key hurdle in the Senate Judiciary Committee in March 1982.

Support came not only from Republicans but from a 39-year-old, second-term Democrat: Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Mr. Biden is already facing criticism from some women’s rights activists over his aggressive questioning of Anita Hill during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas in 1991. Mr. Biden’s comment Tuesday that he wished he “could have done something” to give Ms. Hill’s claims of sexual harassment a more respectful hearing drew fierce backlash from critics, who pointed out that Mr. Biden was chairman of the Senate committee that questioned Ms. Hill.

Some women’s rights leaders say Mr. Biden must offer a stronger and more personal apology to Ms. Hill, as well as clarify his views on a broad range of issues including sexual assault, harassment and Republicans’ efforts to limit abortion access. (Mr. Biden has spoken warmly about some Republicans and bipartisanship in recent months.)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/us/politics/biden-abortion-rights.html

[stonecutter357]

1. I'll take Joe Biden over most of the rest anyday !

[awesomerwb1]

2. Another "informational" negative thread vs Biden by a Bernie supporter today

Shocker.

[NurseJackie]

4. Thank goodness Biden didn't write any inappropriate essays when he was in his thirties...

Thank goodness Biden didn't write any inappropriate essays when he was in his thirties... can you imagine?

[awesomerwb1]

7. It's very weird to me because I see the people in Bernie's

political orbit, and they scare the F out of me. The type of people I would not hang out with or trust. I trust them less than I trust him obviously which leads me to ask the question....why doesn't he disassociate himself from these very controversial figures? In a couple of cases seems to embrace(hire) them?

Just extremely bizarre imo.

[still_one]

9. or endorsing and campaigning for anti-abortion candidate Heath Mello in Nebraska.

[rusty fender]

20. But he did plagiarize Neil Kinnock's speech

So there’s that

[workinclasszero]

6. It's Joe's record right from the New York Times

In primary season, you talk about peoples record.

Joe has a long and difficult record for many liberal democrats.

When people are attacking Bernie here on DU it's called "vetting".

So Joe will be vetted as well.

[still_one]

10. Here is Biden's record on the issues, including his support for a women's right to choose

http://www.ontheissues.org/Joe_Biden.htm

[workinclasszero]

12. Do you dispute the NYT reporting on this story?

When Joe Biden Voted to Let States Overturn Roe v. Wade


Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 1981. His changing record on abortion is getting fresh scrutiny as he considers running for president in a Democratic primary where women are expected to make up a majority of voters. George Tames/The New York Times

The amendment — which the National Abortion Rights Action League called “the most devastating attack yet on abortion rights” — cleared a key hurdle in the Senate Judiciary Committee in March 1982.

Support came not only from Republicans but from a 39-year-old, second-term Democrat: Joseph R. Biden Jr.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/us/politics/biden-abortion-rights.html

[still_one]

18. nope. That is 1981, not his views now. Do dispute that Bernie Sanders endorsed and campaigned for

anti-abortion candidate Health Mello in Nebraska?

He also has a mixed record on background checks. I suspect his views today are not what they were when he voted against the Brady Bill

[demmiblue]

3. I believe that Biden firmly advocates for a woman's agency over her own body today. n/t

[David__77]

5. I'm more interested in what he would advocate now.

...

[Laurian]

8. Darn....piling on Biden by Sanders supporters?

Because a poll came out showing Biden ahead of Sanders? I wish we’d stop eating our own. 😟

[still_one]

11. Absolutely. With his Jill Stein appointed staff who voted for Jill Stein of David Sirota, Nina

Turner, and Briahna Joy Gray to high positions in his campaign, I would expect nothing less from them

[workinclasszero]

13. LOL I didn't realize the NYT was a bastion of Bernie Sanders loving supporters!

Learn something new everyday!

[still_one]

16. Gee, I guess Judy Miller was such an objective reporter, as was their front page story blaming the

hubris of the Democrats for causing the republicans to reject climate change:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/us/politics/republican-leaders-climate-change.html

Or their hiring of climate change denier Bret Stephens

or their shallow reporting regarding the Russian involvement in our election:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/01/01/new-nyt-scoop-on-russia-raises-questions-about-old-nyt-story-on-russia/?utm_term=.db1d5cdf2992

Yeah, the wonderful NY Times, and their pattern of setting up false equivalencies between republicans and Democrats:

they put a video by Mark Scheffle and Shane O'Neill telling us how both republicans and Democrats have flip-flopped on Comey. It was so out of context it was pathetic.

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000005090191/comey-fired-democrats-republicans.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=b-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

They did the same thing when one of the Democrats on the FEC stepped down, building the false equivalency argument how there is deadlock because both sides won't budge. That was NOT the case at all, and was a gross distortion again.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/us/politics/fec-elections-ann-ravel-campaign-finance.html

In fact, that report was so messed up, that the Democrat who resign from the commission wrote a rebuttal to state the reality of the situation:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/opinion/dysfunction-and-deadlock-at-the-federal-election-commission.html

They played the false equivalency game big time in 2016, and made sure that when Comey released the letter to the republicans in Congress they reported it as "The email investigation was being reopened", which was a LIE, but they were following the other outlets.

The NY Times is not what it used to be, and their hiring a while back of reporters from Politico didn't help their reporting

The actual question should be where does Biden stand today on abortion. That they decide to inject something from 1980 smells more of typical flame baiting to create a horse race scenario because they know damn well he supports Roe

[Otto Lidenbrock]

14. Joe is getting piled on

Negative story after negative story. He can't run now.

Having a long record in this day and age is not a good thing because nothing is hidden. Heck if President Carter decided tomorrow morning to return to his old home in DC expect a barrage of articles about the killer rabbit incident!

[still_one]

17. Sorry, he run just fine. It is where he stands on the issues today, and he supports Roe

http://www.ontheissues.org/Joe_Biden.htm

[stillcool]

15. is every Friday..

going to be Biden day? If I weren't in such a bad place, it might be fun.

[SFnomad]

19. I'm curious ... when he loses the Primary, again ... will his supports continue to trash

the nominee and the Party ... and end up helping tRump to another 4 years?

[WeekiWater]

21. Most of our crop of male career politicians...

Have faultered on this issue at multiple points in their career.