If Roe were overturned tomorrow would it take as long as the end of the month for the federal ban of abortion to pass at least the House and possibly the Senate since the few Republican "moderates" there have shown a consistent willingness to cave into the Bush administration on almost every issue?

I have just posted a long post about my interview with an Indiana Right to Life group.

I certainly hope Roe v Wade is overturned. I think each of the fifty states should make their own laws about abortion.

Mike Sylvester

I certainly hope Roe v Wade is overturned. I think each of the fifty states should make their own laws about abortion.

Be careful what you hope for, Mike. I'm fairly certain that the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Right to Life Committee, and people like Nellie Gray, Rep John Shadegg, and Sens Tom Coburn and Sam Brownback will see to it that when what your wish comes true, what you think should happen, never will.

JohnS,

It would depend how the Court overturned Roe. I could see them declaring it an issue for each individual state to legislate, thereby heading off the federal abortion ban.

That said, I think there's enough clever individuals working at the federal level to find a way around even an explicit states-rights decision. I could see them making a ban on abortion a condition for federal funds of some type.

What interests me is that the Republicans have been running the country for quite a while now but have not proposed an amendment rolling back Roe. Why do you think that the Republicans want to cut off a source of campaign contributions?

An abortion amendment has not been proposed because it would not have the support of a 2/3 majority in both houses (or in either house, as far as I know; also, if it is true that 20 states would leave abortion legal, if given a choice, then the amendment would not have the support it needs from the states). It would also energize its opponents more than its supporters, because it is easier to inspire people through fear of something implausible than through hope for it.