Making a Killing

President Clinton’s “no surrender” position on partial-birth abortion has mystified White House watchers. This usually malleable president will give no ground, despite criticism from both his own party and even some of the abortion industry. Several states have voted to ban the procedure. Senator Moynihan, a New York Democrat, says it’s “indefensible.” Yet Clinton is unmoved, and he continues to cite facts and figures that at least one abortion industry spokesman admits are bogus. The Washington Post may have put its finger on at least part of the answer to why Clinton so stubbornly supports this procedure. Last week the Post reported that one of the country’s most notorious abortionists, George Tiller—known as “Tiller the Killer” among pro-lifers—gave the Democratic National Committee $25,000 last year. Tiller offered this gift as a “thank you” for Mr. Clinton’s personal support of Dr. Tiller’s abortion practice—support that included a prolonged deployment of U.S. marshals to guard Dr. Tiller and his clinic at taxpayer expense. Well, this magnanimous gesture was returned in kind. Tiller was invited to one of the now famous White House coffees to meet the president. And there, according to the Post, Tiller shook the president’s hand and thanked him for his support. Indeed, Tiller has much to be thankful for. Not only has the president turned federal marshals into Tiller’s personal security force, he is aggressively supporting this gruesome procedure on which Tiller makes a half million dollars each year. This supports an elegant lifestyle, including an 18 room, 8,500 square foot personal mansion. Clinton continues to argue that these gruesome abortions are rarely used, and only in cases of fetal deformity or to save the life of the mother. Yet abortion-industry leader Ron Fitzsimmons went public to expose all this as a lie. No matter—the president sticks to his line. When the press raised the inevitable question of whether Tiller’s $25,000 donation had anything to do with the president’s veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, the White House swiftly denied it. Special counsel Lanny Davis told the Post: “We can state categorically that no government action ever resulted because of a campaign contribution.” Really? If anyone really believed that favors were not traded for contributions, people would stop giving campaign contributions today and stop payment on all checks sent yesterday. The purpose of contributing money is to influence policy. Mr. Davis wants us to believe that the president’s lonely stance on late-term abortion just happens to reflect that of a major campaign donor who just happens to make a killing providing late-term abortions. Now, I don’t want to be too cynical here, but this whole tawdry scene raises some grave questions. The president is in danger of further eroding his moral authority unless he can give some assurance that his position on late-term abortions has not been influenced by this despicable doctor. Imagine—having someone like this in the White House for coffee for any reason. The way I see it, President Clinton has only two choices. He can send back Tiller the Killer’s $25,000. Or he can prove he wasn’t influenced by this campaign contribution by signing the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. If he doesn’t, he’s going to have a hard time getting anyone to believe that he has other than the crassest political motives in supporting this procedure which the Holy See has correctly called infanticide.

04/7/97