McCarthy Took Anti-Abortion Stand in 1980

Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy, who is running for reelection as an advocate of abortion rights, filled out a questionnaire a decade ago taking several anti-abortion positions and voted at least once in 1981 to oppose government subsidies of the medical procedure for poor women.

In a 1980 questionnaire collected by the California Pro Life Council, McCarthy wrote that he supported legislation limiting state-financed abortions to those women whose lives were endangered or who were the victims of rape or incest. And as Assembly Speaker in 1981, McCarthy voted against state funding for Medi-Cal abortions.

Although his Republican opponent says these actions prove he has “flip-flopped” on the divisive issue, McCarthy says they merely reflected his personal ambivalence on the abortion issue in the 1970s and early 1980s.

“I don’t feel any ambivalence on this issue now and haven’t for the best part of a decade,” McCarthy said. “I am unequivocally pro-choice.”

Marian Bergeson, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, disagreed. “The issue is consistency and he is a flip-flopper on this issue,” said Bergeson, who holds a staunch anti-abortion position. “The public needs to know where we stand on the issue and where we are going to stand 10 years from now.”

Bergeson points to a July 31 fund-raising letter from the McCarthy campaign that says: “I unequivocally oppose any efforts to restrict freedom of choice, and have done so since the first key Medi-Cal funding vote back in 1978.”

The Republican’s campaign said it has found at least 10 other anti-abortion votes cast by McCarthy between 1971 and 1977. “It is a case of Leo deliberately misleading the voters,” Bergeson said. “It is a blatant disregard to the truth.”

But McCarthy said in an interview that he became an abortion rights supporter after struggling with contradictory views as a practicing Catholic and a public official. In the early 1980s, he said he reconciled the dilemma by personally opposing abortion, as is required by the Catholic Church, but diverging from the church on public policy matters.

“I am a Catholic who passionately believes in the separation of church and state,” McCarthy said.

As for the vote in 1981, McCarthy said he has tried to figure out why he voted against Medi-Cal abortions once in the middle of other votes in support of state-financed abortions. “It seemed to contradict several other votes,” McCarthy said. “It must have been a mistake.”

Brian Johnston, executive director of the California Pro Life Council, said that when he heard that McCarthy was writing off his 1981 vote as a mistake, he ordered his staff to pull its old records. The search turned up the 1980 questionnaire that has McCarthy, under his own signature, explain several anti-abortion positions--including restricting Medi-Cal abortions.

McCarthy also wrote on the questionnaire that he supported limiting abortions by law, requiring a 24-hour “cooling off” period for women after they are fully informed “about the effects and consequences of an abortion.” In addition, he checked the “yes” box, agreeing that unmarried juveniles should receive parental consent before obtaining an abortion. McCarthy said he no longer holds those anti-abortion views.

Robin Schneider, director of the Abortion Rights Action League’s Southern California office, said she was aware of McCarthy’s earlier “qualms about legal abortion.” Nevertheless, she said, her group plans to make McCarthy’s reelection a top priority.

“We welcome politicians who generally changed to pro-choice positions,” Schneider said. “It’s funny how they always switch in our direction.”