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Bob Kerrey's Cornerstone: A More Responsive Government
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19907 |
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CURRENT ISSUES
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4 / 1992 |
2,051 Words |
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J. Jennigs Moss
Jennigs Moss is a political and congressional reporter for the
Washington Times |
One by one, the five Democratic presidential hopefuls took to the podium to reassure pro-choice elite that they believed in a woman's right to an abortion.
The others eased into their remarks with a joke or by recognizing someone who had attended the National Abortion Rights Action League's dinner on January 22.
Not Bob Kerrey.
His two minutes on the small stage brought into focus what the Nebraska senator has been doing since he announced his quest for the White House on September 30. Without intending to, Kerrey is chipping away at the personality cult that has built up around him during his brief political career. The charisma that pundits ascribed to the 48-year-old rising Democratic star is nearly gone while he pushes the serious message he thinks the country needs to hear.
At the NARAL gala, Kerrey immediately ticked off his positions as though reading from an outline: legislate abortion rights, appoint a pro-choice Supreme Court justice, enact a health care plan that pays for abortions, and oppose parental notification.
"Let me pay tribute to, in particular, the women in the United States Congress and others who have fought for the right, particularly with people like myself who come into politics without a great deal of knowledge and sensitivity to the fears that women face," he said. He was alluding to his transformation during his successful 1982 Nebraska gubernatorial campaign, when he switched from being pro-life to pro-choice.
Kerrey's survival chances in the presidential race are slim. New Hampshire voters ranked him third in the February 18 primary, clumped in a tight pack a second tier of candidates, far behind former Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. Kerrey won 12 percent of the vote while Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin took 11 percent, and former California Gov. Jerry Brown earned 7 percent.
"What this campaign is about is not just putting people back to work. It's not just about getting people off the streets and giving them hope again. It's not just about creating an environment where, when you walk into a doctor's office [and] the doctor says ' where does it hurt,' not 'how are you going to pay for it.'… We can make a difference. There is a historic opportunity. Peace lies before us if we will just
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