Abortion rights at issue in race

By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Heidi Behrens-Benedict has sided with advocates.

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A prominent abortion-rights group has taken aim at candidate Dave Ross, saying he isn't entirely aligned with them. Ross' two opponents, Alex Alben and Heidi Behrens-Benedict, have sided with abortion-rights advocates and hope their stance could give them an edge in the September Democratic primary.

The issue could become the "defining issue of the [primary] election," said Alben campaign manager Ben Vaught.

Ross, however, said he has found people more concerned about issues such as health care, education, the environment and Iraq.

	Dave Ross targeted by an abortion-rights group.

All three Democrats describe themselves as "pro-choice" and support a woman's right to an abortion, use of federal funds for abortions in places such as military bases, and making available the abortion pill RU-486. They also support the controversial procedure known as a "partial birth" abortion, and providing international aid for family planning organizations.

But Ross also has voiced support for measures requiring parents to consent to an under-age daughter getting an abortion. He also said it should be illegal under some circumstances to take a girl to another state to evade state consent laws. A bill now in Congress would bar such cross-border trips.

Because of those stands, the Washington chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), calls Ross' position "mixed."

Karen Cooper, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, said she expects that abortion rights could play an important role in the primary, because she sees few other major policy differences between the candidates.

Nevertheless, Ross calls his differences with abortion-rights advocates unimportant in the overall scheme of the campaign. "I think this is one of those meaningless differences," he said.

At the same time, Ross, a practicing Catholic, told people at a candidates' debate Tuesday night that he could appeal to people who are anti-abortion Democrats or independents who might otherwise vote against a Democratic candidate.

"If you can bring that kind of voter into the fold, you can have not just a victory in November, but an overwhelming victory in November," he said.

It's not clear how big a role abortion plays in voters' decisions. A recent poll found when it came to deciding how to vote, Democrats and independents in the suburban 8th District ranked moral issues such as abortion below topics including Iraq, taxes, the economy, health care, transportation and education.

	Alex Alben also agrees with rights advocates.

"The Democrats and independents are going to think there are a lot of more important things to be talking about," said Stuart Elway, the Seattle pollster whose firm questioned 200 people in the district.

Ross, who has two grown daughters, said he worries about a girl being pressured by someone such as an older boyfriend into getting an abortion without her parents' knowledge.

"I just want to make sure that there are safeguards so that parents who are good parents aren't in a situation of having no recourse when someone takes their daughter away," he said.

The other two Democrats condemned such measures as an encroachment on women's rights to decide whether to have an abortion.

"Parental notification is simply a method to reduce women's reproductive health choices," Alben said at Tuesday's debate.

Ross also said he was undecided on the idea of providing federal funding for ultrasound machines in pregnancy clinics that provide ultrasounds for free.

Abortion-rights groups oppose the idea, fearing that clinics opposed to abortion will use them to manipulate women into not getting an abortion. Supporters say it's an education tool to help women make a difficult decision.

Three of the Republicans running for the seat — Dave Reichert, Diane Tebelius and Luke Esser — say abortion should be illegal except in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's health is in danger. The other Republican candidate, Conrad Lee, said he felt abortion was wrong in all but those extreme cases, but didn't want to see a government ban on the procedure.

Ross' stances recently prompted NARAL's Cooper to send roughly 500 local leaders an e-mail criticizing his positions, headlined with the statement: "Candidate Dave Ross ... Pro-Choice?"

Alben also won the endorsement from the political arm of the abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood. Ross did not return a questionnaire from that group, said a spokeswoman.

Ross said that while he considered himself "pro-choice," he didn't feel compelled to agree entirely with the agendas of interest groups.

"I rarely line up 100 percent behind any one group because I'm not a robot," he said.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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