McCains new abortion stance

last updated 8 January 2015

Spartanburg, S.C.

Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, wooing his party’s social conservatives, this week reversed his previous position and called for Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion in the U.S., to be overturned. The Arizona Republican made the comment in South Carolina, the site of an early presidential primary and a hotbed of social conservatism where he suffered a devastating loss to George W. Bush in 2000. In the past, McCain has identified himself as pro-life, but in 1999 said, “I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.” McCain also announced he would speak at the Discovery Institute, which advocates the teaching of “intelligent design’’ as an alternative to evolution.