Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate here in Michigan, is in a difficult position. He has a fairly long public history of being opposed to the availability of legal abortions. But now that it is neither a generally popular position nor a helpful wedge issue, he has attempted to distance himself as best he can.
Specifically, he says we should have no concern about his role as a senator and national abortion bans because it's a moot point in Michigan — it's "settled law." Of course, that's also the approximate assurance previously given by Supreme Court nominees for why there should be no concern about overturning Roe v. Wade. And then it was overturned.
I don't question Rogers' convictions on abortion. Or anybody else's, for that matter. It's a deeply personal issue. But politicians face dilemmas like this all the time — having to decide between core beliefs and what they think might get them elected. So the spin is understandable; it's just not admirable.
Editor's note: John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Public, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
