Editorials
Thursday, May 22, 1997WHEN a supporter of abortion rights confessed that he had lied extravagantly about so-called "partial birth" abortions, he forced a re-examination of the issue. Ron Fitzsimmons, director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, said he had knowingly underestimated the number of a type of late-term abortions -- also called intact dilation and extraction -- that doctors had performed. He also said he had lied about the number of cases in which the procedure was performed on women whose fetuses were healthy and whose own health was not in danger. A missed opportunity
on the abortion issueThat admission damaged the credibility of abortion rights advocates and encouraged opponents. They have now succeeded in winning passage in both houses of Congress of a bill to ban the partial-birth procedure. But once again President Clinton has vowed to veto the measure because it does not provide exceptions other than cases in which the life of the mother is endangered. The margin of victory in the Senate fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. So the deadlock continues.
This is regrettable because the abortion debate has been severely divisive. The country needs to find acceptable middle ground. And in fact a promising vehicle for compromise appeared in Washington only to be rejected.
This was the proposal by the Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, to ban all abortions, regardless of procedure, after doctors determine the fetus is capable of life, unless the doctor certified that continuation of the pregnancy "would threaten the mother's life or risk grievous injury to her physical health."
The bill had the president's endorsement -- meaning that a major barrier would have been overcome -- but won only 36 votes last week in the Senate, including just two Republicans. The proposal deserved more support, and perhaps will get it someday. Some restrictions are needed on late-term abortions. But until public pressure forces Congress to deal seriously with the issue, the posturing by the hard-liners on both sides will continue and nothing will be resolved.
THE controversy over Asian-American fund-raising in national political campaigns has come home to Hawaii with the announcement by the Justice Department that Nora and Gene Lum agreed to plead guilty to arranging $50,000 in illegal campaign contributions during the 1994 election. Illegal contributions
The focus on Asian Americans has been criticized as racist. It would be absurd to conclude that only Asians are involved in such activities. But the case of the Lums shows that it would be a mistake to fail to follow the evidence wherever it leads.
IT'S too soon to judge whether the overthrow of the corrupt ruler of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko, will produce any improvements in that wretched country, now renamed the Congo. One encouraging development, however, is the emergence of Nelson Mandela as a statesman in an Africa that has sorely needed a leader of his stature. He should be encouraged to apply his skills at conciliation to other troubled areas. Statesman Mandela
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
