Bradley: 'Always' Pro-Choice
The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the campaign commercials of the presidential hopefuls. Sean Richardson analyzes the latest effort of Democrat Bill Bradley.
ALWAYSsize=5>
The Ad: On Saturday, the Bill Bradley for President campaign launched a new 30-second ad in New Hampshire. The spot, titled Always, emphasizes Bradley's consistent record of support for a woman's right to choose.
Audio: Female Voice-Over: "Of the seven men running for president, only one candidate has been pro-choice for everyone, all the time. Bill Bradley."
Bill Bradley: "This is the kind of issue that you can't straddle. You can't be on both sides. You have to decide which side you're on. Are you anti-abortion or are you pro-choice? And I decided a long time ago that I'm pro-choice."
Female Voice-Over: "Bill Bradley for President."
Video: The spot begins with a black screen and a woman's voice stating: "Candidates ... One Man ... Pro-choice all the time." These words also appear on the screen in text. The ad then cuts to Bradley, wearing his customary V-neck sweater, sitting in a chair speaking to the camera.
Fact Check: As a member of the House of Representatives and Senate, Vice President Al Gore opposed federal funding of abortions. Prior to his 1988 candidacy for president, Gore wrote several constituent letters in which he stated, "In my opinion, it is wrong to spend federal funds for what is arguable the taking of a human life."
He also wrote, "It is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong. I hope that some day we will see a drop in the outrageously large numbers of abortions which currently take place."
Strategy: Since last Wednesday's Democratic debate in New Hampshire, Bill Bradley has taken the gloves off. He's abandoned his strategy of passive rebuttals and come out swinging. In this new spot Bradley is making a run for the female vote. He's attempting to highlight a portion of Gore's voting record in the early '80s when he opposed federal funding of abortions. Although he doesn't mention Gore by name, he suggests that his opponent once opposed abortion.
In response, Gore claims that he's always believed that abortion should remain legal, but in the early '80s he voted to prevent the government from paying for abortions in some circumstances.
Bradley is also using this ad in an attempt to lure Independents away from John McCain. He emphasizes that he's the only candidate running for president who has consistently supported a woman's right to choose.