Is McCain TRYING to Lose the Women's Vote?

Definitely seems that way. This short exhange from last night's debate is fairly revealing when it comes to the GOP's attitude towards woman and abortion. Obama, by contrast, appears thoughtful and intelligent. The other side seems obsessed with punishing women. And, yet, after 30 years of promises, the Republicans have made no meaningful progress on ending legal abortion or overturning Roe v. Wade. Good lord, they've got seven justices on the Supreme Court, they've had the White House, and they've had both houses of Congress.

When will the "pro-life" crowd face up to the unpleasant reality that they're being used?

This, of course, refers to those who oppose abortion for moral grounds. Those who just seem in it to punish women - by restricting or banning contraception, or Palin's forcing rape victims to pay for thier own forensic tests - are in a whole different realm. I suspect this will be one front of the coming GOP civil war.

Anyway, here's the exchange from the debate:

OBAMA: We can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation. We should try to reduce these circumstances.

SCHIEFFER: Let's give Sen. McCain a short response...

McCAIN: Just again...

SCHIEFFER: ... and then...

McCAIN: Just again, the example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He's "health for the mother." You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health."