Pyrrhic Victory?

James Dobson hailed the decision in Gonzales v. Carhart.

We thank God for this victory that affirms the value of human life and puts an end to the Naziesque barbarism known as partial birth abortion.

Some are saying, not so fast, Jimmy. An open letter to Dobson from Brian Rohrbough, president of Colorado Right to Life, Rev. Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, Flip Benham, director, Operation Rescue / O.S.A. and Judie Brown, president of American Life League begins:

Dr. Dobson, we the undersigned grieve at your celebration of one of the most barbaric opinions ever issued by an American court. We plead with you to correct your misrep­resentation of the Gonzales v. Carhart Supreme Court ruling. You have led many people to trust in Jesus Christ, so it is with love and great sadness that we admonish you.

They then spend several paragraphs telling Dobson that the court hasn't changed a thing.

The Justices you called "pro-life" did not "affirm" the life of the unborn but upheld a mere "regulatory" law "under the Commerce Clause" (p. 36). These Justices you misrepre­sent as "pro-life" actually suggest other ways for abortionists to kill the fully intact, late-term child to comply with their regulation, such as "an injection that kills the fetus" (p. 34). Dr. Dobson, imagine the horror yet to come now that our greatest Christian leaders are willing to call good evil, and evil good.

If your head isn't spinning by now, it will be after you read Alan Cooperman's piece in this morning's Washington Post. In addition to examining the revolt of the purists, Cooperman observes that the pro-choice camp isn't exactly crest fallen over the Carhart decision:

"The Supreme Court decision totally galvanized our supporters" by raising the prospect that the court could soon overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 opinion that established a woman's right to choose an abortion, said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Both our direct-mail and online giving got a serious bump," she said.

Let us recap. Untold millions were spent fighting the long bitter battle over partial birth abortion. The anti-abortion forces finally won in the Supreme Court. Only then did anti-abortion supporters discover that taking away the procedure won't actually stop any abortions. The decision, however, has galvanized the pro choice forces.

Hey folks, do you think that it is possible we have all been hosed? Maybe the right to life purists are right to wag a finger at Dobson and the Republican establishment for pushing the partial birth abortion ban. All the battle seems to have accomplished is the election of some really cynical Republican politicians and the raising of a lot of money for guys like James Dobson. The national dialog on the issue hasn't moved one inch since Roe v. Wade. We seem to be stuck in 1973. At long last can we come together to discuss how we are going to make abortion both rare and safe?