i've probably said this before, and i preface by saying that i am uncomfortably in favor of abortion rights. but the common ground on which obama (and his ilk) want to meet the other side is this: "we all agree that we want to reduce the number of abortions." (i just heard kerry kennedy say the same on morning joe). ok: why, exactly? taking abortion seriously as a moral quandary, which obama does explicitly, is not compatible with pro-choice dogma: that it's a matter of a woman's control over her own body, or that it's adequately framed as "the right to choose" (a truly empty focus-grouped formulation). these positions are calculated to project the idea that abortion is morally equivalent to, you know, having a mole removed or preferring bud to coors. once you allow that there is, actually, a moral issue, you've left the basic repertoire of pro-choice rhetoric.