The Republican party is tolerant of pro-choice views within its ranks, as the pro-life Bob Dole, among others, tirelessly points out these days.
Super-, extra-, ultra-tolerant, it turns out.
A grassroots campaign is now underway to promote a congressional override of President Clinton's April veto of the partial-birth-abortion ban. Sponsored by the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic church, the National Right to Life Committee, and a variety of pro-family groups, this campaign will contact almost 30 million Americans by mail in the next few months -- and ask them to write their congressmen in support of a veto override.
Anticipating this flood of constituent mail, Rep. John Boehner, chairman of the House Republican Conference, is eager to help his troops respond. Use this grassroots campaign as a "great opportunity for building your constituent database" of computerized names and addresses, he urges his fellows in a "Dear Republican Colleague" letter of July 1.
And make sure to answer those constituents! Attached to Rep. Boehner's note are two "sample constituent responses," one for the overwhelming majority of House Republicans who view partial-birth abortion as repellently inhuman and worthy of criminal sanction, and one -- who says the GOP is intolerant? -- for the handful of their colleagues who disagree.
Partial-birth abortions are "morally indefensible" and "particularly gruesome" procedures, a "large majority" of which are performed "for purely elective reasons," Rep. Boehner's form letter for ban proponents reads. No they aren't, either, Rep. Boehner's proposed response for ban opponents argues: Partial-birth abortion is a "necessary" and "acceptable medical practice" performed only in a "relatively small number" of cases "wherein the fetus has severe genetic anomalies or continuing the pregnancy has severe life-threatening consequences for the mother."
Whatever.