Biden hit for abort flip-flop
Dems chide him in switch on fed-funding ban
Joe Biden is trying to flipflop his way out of his first major policy gaffe of the campaign — and the jury’s out on whether it will fly.
The Democratic frontrunner made a hasty U-turn and declared he now opposes the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment after rivals in the crowded field ganged up to slam him.
“I can no longer support an amendment that makes [women’s rights] dependent on someone’s zip code,” said Biden in a carefully worded statement that pointedly avoided the word “abortion.”
He also sought to frame his switch as a response to the Republican-led effort to impose draconian new curbs on abortion in red states including Alabama and Georgia, a push that has inflamed Democratic anger on the issue.
“Circumstances have changed,” Biden explained at a speech to black Democrats in Atlanta.
The backtrack came just days after Biden’s spokeswoman reiterated his continued support for the amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions.
Democratic candidates jumped on the flip-flop to take pot shots at Biden, who has a huge lead in polls but whose support is considered soft.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (DMinn.) told MSNBC that she was “not surprised” by Biden’s change of heart.
“I think it would have been a big problem for him,” she said.
Rep. Seth Moulton (Dp Mass.), who is polling g near the bottom of the 24-candidate field, gave Biden a backhanded compliment for having the “courage to admit when you’re wrong.”
But he added that Biden should do the same thing by clarifying his support for the Iraq War.
Although it seems like political ancient history, Biden and other mainstream Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, went along with George W. Bush’s rush to war with Saddam Hussein. He later admitted the vote to authorize the conflict was a mistake but cited Bush’s manipulation of the measure not the law itself.
Mayor de Blasio, another campaign trailer, also made hay out of Biden’s reversal on abortion rights, an issue that commands overwhelming support among Democratic voters.
Beyond the issue of abortion, the reversal suggests Biden’s well-documented history as a poor campaigner may be rearing its head. Despite being well-liked by Democrats and revered for his role as Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden is viewed as prone to gaffes and self-destructive moves, some of which stem from his unsubtle attempts to move to the left after a long history as a prominent moderate Democrat.
The first test of Biden’s staying power will come in just 21⁄2 weeks when Democrats face off on in the muchanticipated first debates, a forum in which lagging candidates may seek to stand out from the pack by attacking him.