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CNN Live At Daybreak

Roe Versus Wade 30th Anniversary

Aired January 22, 2003 - 06:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in the United States, the subject of abortion may be one of the defining issues of the next presidential campaign. Today is the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling which gave women the right to an abortion.
A leading abortion rights group invited the six potential Democratic candidates for president to speak at a Washington dinner last night. All accepted the invitation and said the right to abortion is now under attack from Republicans and the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: And never in my years in the Senate have the rights of women been at such risk and never have women been assaulted in their citizenship here at home and in their womanhood around the globe as they have been by this administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Both sides of the abortion issue are planning demonstrations across the country today.

Our national correspondent Bob Franken is in Washington.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It's unusual for politicians to accept such invitations, isn't it?

FRANKEN: Well what has -- what has happened is is that the Democratic Party's candidates all appealing to a large part of its constituency. They're of course trying to fight for who's going to be the candidate in the next president election. All are saying that they support the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which is that women have a limited right, an implied right to privacy to have an abortion.

On the Republican side, President Bush says that is not the case. And of course the issue in campaigns always is will the Supreme Court have new justices who possibly would overturn Roe v. Wade. That is a debate that has been around now for 30 years, ever since the 1973 decision. But it's interesting because it is really now one that everybody has about memorized.

The question is does a woman have that right? Is it the woman's right to choose what she does during the pregnancy or does the right of the fetus, is that a living person, is that right the one that overrides? And of course that is the fundamental issue, but it has gone far field (ph).

We now have technology that's gotten in the act. First of all, the Supreme Court decision was based on the concept of viability. But with medical advances, viability continues to be redefined. And of course there are other issues, fetal tissue research, stem cell research, cloning, all of them really line people up on the pro and anti-abortion sides, the right to choose and those who say that there is not a right to choose. It really comes down to, Carol, a really fundamental question when all is said and done and that is what is the definition of life?

COSTELLO: Got you. Tell us about some of the demonstrations going on in Washington today and across the country.

FRANKEN: Well it's going to look like it has just about every year for the last 30 years, we're going to have both sides out. We're going to have those who vehemently oppose the Roe v. Wade decision, who would like to see it overturned, demonstrating in huge numbers. On the other side, we'll have those who argue that Roe v. Wade should be maintained and they believe that there is a real danger to that decision that it could be overturned. Both will be out in force, both will be holding demonstrations, which you will see will look very much like they have looked for the last 30 years. Many of the participants will be younger than the Roe v. Wade decision will never have experienced the United States where there wasn't their legal right to an abortion.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's been 30 years.

Bob Franken, many thanks to you. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 22, 2003 - 06:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in the United States, the subject of abortion may be one of the defining issues of the next presidential campaign. Today is the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling which gave women the right to an abortion.
A leading abortion rights group invited the six potential Democratic candidates for president to speak at a Washington dinner last night. All accepted the invitation and said the right to abortion is now under attack from Republicans and the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: And never in my years in the Senate have the rights of women been at such risk and never have women been assaulted in their citizenship here at home and in their womanhood around the globe as they have been by this administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Both sides of the abortion issue are planning demonstrations across the country today.

Our national correspondent Bob Franken is in Washington.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It's unusual for politicians to accept such invitations, isn't it?

FRANKEN: Well what has -- what has happened is is that the Democratic Party's candidates all appealing to a large part of its constituency. They're of course trying to fight for who's going to be the candidate in the next president election. All are saying that they support the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which is that women have a limited right, an implied right to privacy to have an abortion.

On the Republican side, President Bush says that is not the case. And of course the issue in campaigns always is will the Supreme Court have new justices who possibly would overturn Roe v. Wade. That is a debate that has been around now for 30 years, ever since the 1973 decision. But it's interesting because it is really now one that everybody has about memorized.

The question is does a woman have that right? Is it the woman's right to choose what she does during the pregnancy or does the right of the fetus, is that a living person, is that right the one that overrides? And of course that is the fundamental issue, but it has gone far field (ph).

We now have technology that's gotten in the act. First of all, the Supreme Court decision was based on the concept of viability. But with medical advances, viability continues to be redefined. And of course there are other issues, fetal tissue research, stem cell research, cloning, all of them really line people up on the pro and anti-abortion sides, the right to choose and those who say that there is not a right to choose. It really comes down to, Carol, a really fundamental question when all is said and done and that is what is the definition of life?

COSTELLO: Got you. Tell us about some of the demonstrations going on in Washington today and across the country.

FRANKEN: Well it's going to look like it has just about every year for the last 30 years, we're going to have both sides out. We're going to have those who vehemently oppose the Roe v. Wade decision, who would like to see it overturned, demonstrating in huge numbers. On the other side, we'll have those who argue that Roe v. Wade should be maintained and they believe that there is a real danger to that decision that it could be overturned. Both will be out in force, both will be holding demonstrations, which you will see will look very much like they have looked for the last 30 years. Many of the participants will be younger than the Roe v. Wade decision will never have experienced the United States where there wasn't their legal right to an abortion.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's been 30 years.

Bob Franken, many thanks to you. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com