When Barack Obama was campaigning for president, he promised to enact legislation to prohibit states from limiting the right to abortion. Now that Obama is in the White House and solid Democratic majorities are ensconced in Congress, opponents of abortion rights have been bracing for that and other major changes to abortion laws.<\/p>\n
But there are indications that what those groups dread most and what some liberal voters eagerly anticipate as the rewards of victory may not come to pass\u201d\u201dat least not yet. Democrats on Capitol Hill say that while they are committed to reversing several Bush administration policies with regard to abortion rights and family planning, they may hold off on pursuing the kind of expansive agenda feared by social conservatives.<\/p>\n
Despite gains in the House and Senate in last year’s elections, there are still significant numbers of moderate Democrats\u201d\u201dparticularly in the House\u201d\u201dwho either oppose abortion altogether or are not in favor of sweeping changes and favor a more incremental approach. And any large-scale effort involving something as polarizing as abortion necessitates spending political capital, something the Obama White House needs in abundance to ensure the survival of its economic policies.<\/p>\n
“We deal in reality,” said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “You have to be pragmatic, realistic and, in the end, strategic.”<\/p>\n