Democrats shift policy on abortion

Stephanie Simon, writing in the Los Angeles Times, notes that Democrats in Congress and on the campaign trail are adopting some of the language and policy goals of the antiabortion movement.

"In a striking shift, Democrats in the House last week promoted a grab bag of programs designed not only to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but also to encourage women who do conceive to carry to term.

"The new approach embraces some measures long sought by antiabortion activists. It's designed to appeal to the broad centrist bloc of voters who don't want to criminalize every abortion — yet are troubled by a culture that accepts 1.3 million terminations a year."

The story also notes the return of the Kennedy-Brownback bill, which disappeared in committee in the last session of Congress and was reintroduced last week.

"Liberal stalwart Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) is working with staunch conservative Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) to mandate more support services for pregnant women carrying fetuses with genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Focus on the Family, an influential conservative ministry, praises that bill as 'lifeaffirming.' "