Letter to the editor: Casey's abortion flip-flop may cost him

Like father, like son? Maybe not any longer.

Bob Casey Sr., a Democrat and governor of Pennsylvania from 1987-95, was an avid Catholic and strong voice for issues involving children’s health and well-being. He was an anti-abortion advocate and was successful in getting abortion-control legislation enacted in Pennsylvania. He was sued by Planned Parenthood, but the law was upheld by the Supreme Court, with but a single exception dealing with parental consent. At the 1992 Democratic National Convention, he was denied the opportunity to present a minority plank on his anti-abortion views to the gathering.

Bob Casey Jr., a Democrat and senator representing Pennsylvania since 2006, is also an avid Catholic, and like his father, had a reputation as a strong advocate for issues related to children. Early in his political career, he was known to be a minority yet strong pro-life voice among party Democrats. But after his first decade as a senator, his position on abortion appears to have undergone a significant change.

Most recently, Casey toed the party line and voted “yes” on a procedural vote to move an extreme pro-abortion bill to the Senate for adoption. The law went well beyond the provisions of Roe v. Wade and reportedly permitted abortion up to near the time of birth. His vote likely leaves Senate Democrats with a single anti-abortion voice, that of West Virginia’s Joe Manchin. Will the senator’s apparent flip-flop on abortion affect his standing with his Pennsylvania constituency? Time will tell. Casey is up for reelection in 2024.

Ken Mowl

Derry