Buchanan on Abortion: From CMUR interviews Sept. and May; and from 
campaign literature.

Excerpt from Buchanan CMUR-TV Interview and Call-in show,  "You Make the 
Call." Host: Jack Heath, September 3, 1995.
 


Heath:		Pat, when you, uh, we're going back to the phones, when 
		you just say a line there and I take the abortion issue 
		because it's gonna' be so talked about by all analysis of 
		the Republican party, you see the candidates identifying 
		themselves on the issues, it's gonna' be a convention issue, 
		I imagine, maybe it won't.  But, it's you, you've, been 
		a staunch pro-lifer for for forever in your mind.  I don't know 
		your, all your, history, but that's something you're very 
		open about, right?


Buchanan:	Sure.


Heath:		When you just talk about cigarettes and I can understand the
		obvious difference between something, uh, a cigarette, 
		and, uh, and, the abortion question, but when you just said,
		for example on cigarettes, "I think the government should get
		out of the people's lives on that," talk to our viewers for
		a moment and our phone callers who don't understand the 
		distinction or have problems with you or people that are 
		outspoken on that side feeling the same way that they might
		not like abortion, they might not like the idea of it, 
		uh, but they would say, many people would say, that that 
		is not the government's place to, to legislate it in 
		terms of taking away someone's right to choose.  How do 
		you, how do you balance that?


Buchanan:	Alright, well let's first take a look at our historical 
		situation.  It has always been, in western civilization, 
		been considered an abomination, an abhorrent act, and 
		there's a reason for that, Jack.  It is that it has always
		been considered the the destruction of an innocent life 
		of an unborn child, a dise...uh, a deed that was done in 
		the back alley because that is where it belongs; those 
		kinds of deeds should be done in back alleys.  And I
		believe that that abortion is the deliberate destruction 
		of an innocent, unborn human life.  In other words, 
		this is not something you're doing to yourself like a 
		woman, say, having, it's none of my business if they go 
		to a plastic surgeon, have all these things done.  I 
		might say that's foolish, but you are dealing with 	
		yourself then, but when you're dealing with an unborn 	
		child, you're dealing with another human being.  And, 
		read the Declaration of Independence.  Uh, Jefferson, 
		calls it in there, these are inalienable rights that come 
		from our creator, and first among these is the right to 
		life.  And, so I think you are dealing with another human 
		being there, and if government has any role at all, it
		is to protect innocent human life.  So that is the difference
		I see, with regard to right to life and abortion, and a, and
		a woman for example choosing to do cosmetic surgery. 


Heath:		Are there are situations where you feel abortion, uh, would
		be just?


Buchanan:	No, I don't...


Heath:		None...


Buchanan:	No.


Heath:		Raping...none...


Buchanan:	Well, see, because look.  In the case, let's take, abortion,
		Jack, is the death penalty for an unborn child.  In the case
		of rape, I do believe in the death penalty, but the death 
		penalty should be on the guilty, murderous rapist; not on the
		unborn child who did nothing.  All he's doing is trying 
		to live; it's his only offense, and you can't put someone
		to death for that.


Heath:		So, you would expect a woman to carry a baby full term.


Buchanan:	No, I would, I would understand the situation, uh, you know
		don't believe that any woman who undergoes this, because I
		think the woman's a victim in an abortion.  I don't believe
		any of them should be put in jail or punished or chased 
		around or get in their face or anything.  My goal is very
		simple - don't do it, save lives.


Heath:		A lot of people running for public office don't want to talk
		about abortion.  Uh, they feel that it's not a winnable issue,
		they get nervous on saying because they offend, if they say
		they are this, they offend the other side.  It's such an emotional
		issue that's still debated, obviously, in this country.  
		If you were elected President, how many Supreme Court 
		nominations do you think you would even get, if any, and 
		do you feel that too much is made in the political process
		or do you feel not enough is made on the issue of abortion?


Buchanan:	Well...


Heath:		I mean, when you look at the polls people say, "jobs matter
		to me," "my family's income," "keeping my home."  Do you 
		think, you politicians make too much of these social issues 
		or do you think that's what it's all about?   


Buchanan:	No, I don't think that.  The truth is that, that political
		figues couldn't create, there have been issues created, 
		the missile gap was a phony issue; it was created by 
		politicians.  Right to life and abortion is not created 
		by politicians; it comes up from the grass roots.  Uh, 
		the uh, what's going on in schools, I mean, you go and 
		you suddenly you make a statement and the place explodes.  
		That issue is out there; you just revealed the fact to 
		yourself that it's there.  Right to life and these cultural, 
		social, moral issues are what people are talking about.  
		You know, you're doing a talk show here.  I did a radio 
		talk show, three hours a day, we do "Crossfire."  You know 
		that show.  And, those are the issues that engage people, 
		those are the issues that the ratings sore...


Heath:		That's what they're passionate about...


Buchanan:	Because they are concerned about these things.  And, I 
		think that political figures who say, "well, I don't want
		to talk about that, I want to get back to the budget
		process," they're ignoring what's on the minds of the 
		country; and they are disserving people by not addressing
		their concerns about these issues.

Pat Buchanan on Abortion from Campaign Literature and Web Page
   
          Abortion - "We must reverse Roe vs Wade, persevere in
the fight for life, and restore to ... the freedom to clean up
the cultural pollution poisoning the hearts and minds of our
children. The presidency must become a bully pulpit for
traditional values, not gays in the military. We will keep the
Republican Party solidly in the pro-life camp, and get the U.S.
government completely out of the abortion racket".
          From: "On the Issues" by Pat Buchanan
          
          Defund the Abortion Industry -"Not one dime of taxpayer
money will go to Planned Parenthood. Not one dime to UNFPA. Not
one dime to fetal-tissue research (which over the years my      
opponents Senators Gramm, Dole and Spector have all supported).
And not one dime to research that uses human embryos".
          Hearings on when human life begins -"In the 22 years
since Roe v. Wade, the technology has developed to dramatically
demonstrate the humanity of the child originating in the womb.
Our Republican Congress must hold hearings, using this
technology, and calling on biologists, doctors and ethicists,
to teach America the truth that every abortion stops a beating
heart".
          Abortion victimizes women- "We must hold hearings on
women victimized by abortion. Congress must listen to their
stories.  We neeed to hear from the women who have suffered
depression, had suicidal tendencies, taken to alcohol -- after an
abortion.
          And we need to investigate the health consequences for
these women -- the illnesses, the infections, the likelihood of
breast cancer".
          From: "Contract with the Unborn" by Pat Buchanan

FROM CABLE TELEVISION INTERVIEW CMUR'S "YOU MAKE THE 
CALL" ON MAY 15,1995
Question from caller: 

Don't you think it's better to have a little bit of control over
the abortion issue rather than going to back alley abortions. 
Abortions abhor me as much as it abhors you.  But if you have a
little bit of control over it at least it might be safe.

Buchanan's Answer:

Well, what I see my friend you are talking about 4000 unborn
children done to death every single day, every year 1.5 million, 30
million since Roe v. Wade.  That to me is a Holocaust, it's a
disaster of immense proportions, a tragedy, a terrible thing.  I'm
gonna do what I can to bring it to an end because I think it's
necessary to bring it to an end to make America the great country
we grew up in and I'm concerned about this culture which say, that
life, unborn children their an inconvenience, the old folks, their
sick their gonna die anyway.  Pull the plug on them.  You know my
concern Dr. Kevorkian is a cultural hero to some people. I'm
concerned about that.

Question from interviewer: 
Do you think abortion will be a major 1996 presidential issue?

Answer from Buchanan:
Jack it's a much larger issue in the primary and caucus state
than I thought it would be and I'll tell you why.  People want
clarity. Say what you mean. Mean what you say.  Take a stand one
way or the other. What they don't want is the mush and the
maneuvers. 

Question from interviewer:
Do you think their will be mushing and maneuvering among you and
others?

Answer from Buchanan:
Sure. Some are. Keyes is not. Bob Dornan is not.  Pat Buchanan
is not. And while I disagree with him and thing he is not, Arlen
Specter is not.