NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      AUSTIN (CWNews.com) - Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the leading potential Republican contender for the presidency in 2000, on Monday said he would support a constitutional amendment to ban abortions if more voters supported the idea, according to The Associated Press.

      In an interview with AP, Bush called himself a "pro-life person," but added: "America is not ready to overturn Roe v. Wade because America's hearts are not right. And so, in the meantime, instead of arguing over Roe v. Wade, what we ought to do is promote policies that reduce abortions." The US Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalized most abortions on demand.

      Bush announced this week the formation of an exploratory committee for a potential run for the White House next year. He has been criticized by some pro-life groups for failing to take a strong stance against abortion. At a Sunday news conference, Bush would only say there should be a "pro-life tenor" in the Republican Party and avoided questions on first-trimesters abortions as hypothetical.

      In the AP interview on Monday, Bush clarified his position by saying that all abortions -- except in circumstances regarding the life of the mother, incest, or rape -- should be banned in all three trimesters. But he added that there is not the political will in America to accomplish that so shorter goals must be pursued, including parental consent laws and a ban on partial-birth abortions.