John Edwards has just emailed out his statement on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It's much shorter than Obama's. Here's what Edwards had to say:Roe v. Wade was an important step on the road to full equality, opportunity and dignity for women. On the 35th anniversary, it is important to reflect how far we’ve come as a nation, but more importantly how far we still have to go. I strongly support a woman’s right to privacy and reproductive choices. That right has been under attack though -- by President Bush and his anti-choice agenda and by the Supreme Court, which has been moving the right-wing's agenda faster than we've seen in decades. The hard right turn of the Supreme Court is a stark reminder of why Democrats cannot afford to lose the 2008 election. Too much is at stake - starting with a woman's right to choose. As President, I will guarantee the right to choose and ensure that women can make choices in their lives with dignity and can participate in our society fully, as equals.The two statements have a lot in common: They both talk about the Supreme Court's piecemeal handicapping of Roe, promise to reverse the trend, and situate reproductive rights within a greater struggle for gender equality. The difference is that Obama's statement focuses more on establishing strong pro-choice credentials, probably in response to the Clinton campaign's rather unfair attack against his Illinois State Senate voting record. Obama also reiterates a promise he's made before: to pass the Freedom of Choice Act if he becomes President, which would allow for federally-funded abortions for low-income women and would supersede anti-choice Supreme Court decisions. Edwards and Clinton are also on record as supporting the Freedom of Choice Act. And lastly, as Obama did in his appearance before Planned Parenthood last summer, he links reproductive rights to better work-family balance policies, such as paid family care leave and universal child care. In other words, he frames abortion rights as just one part of a parenting agenda, one that recognizes the right not to parent, but also aims to support parenting women. And that, of course, comes from the wonderful Karen Kornbluh. --Dana Goldstein
