For Obama, Unexpected Support

Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) holds bowling shoes, his birthday present from Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), at a campaign rally in Steelton, Pa. (By Jae C. Hong -- Associated Press)

Any attempt to play down the issue represents a marked change in a party for which abortion rights has been a defining issue. At the 1992 Democratic National Convention, Casey's late father, former Pennsylvania governor Robert P. Casey Sr., was denied a speaking slot after he refused to endorse Bill Clinton because of Clinton's support of abortion rights. His son shares the same convictions, and ran afoul of women's groups in his 2006 Senate race.

Roemer's antiabortion views have also shadowed his political career. Liberal bloggers and some party officials aggressively opposed his bid for chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee in early 2005, causing him to say: "I like a good fight. But don't put my arms behind me. Give me a chance to talk about my values. And don't litmus-test me."

Despite his opposition to abortion, Roemer said he has come to believe that the all-or-nothing approach that both parties have advocated over the years has created gridlock across the policy spectrum, from health care to international policy. He called the old style "tin cans on the back of a car." With Obama, Roemer said, "the first words out of his mouth aren't 'People should be free to do whatever they want.' He leaves open the possibility that there are other ways to address some of these issues."

Antiabortion leaders in Indiana and Pennsylvania were alarmed by the two endorsements, and were wary about the potential consequences. "We feel it's going to cause more confusion than influence," said Maria Vitale, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, referring to Casey's endorsement. "But it was notable." To provide clarity, the group's political office mailed a voter guide to 100,000 Democratic and Republican supporters in the state. "A lot of people aren't aware of Barack Obama's position on abortion," Vitale said.

The guide, posted on the group's Web site, notes that Obama voted against parental notification laws. When the Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 last year to uphold a 2003 ban on a procedure that some call "partial-birth" abortion, he objected to the ruling as representing "an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman's medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient."

But Obama supports legislation that promotes abstinence education and contraception subsidies, and he strays into conservative terrain by urging more federal support for those who decide to proceed with unplanned pregnancies. A "Pro Life for Obama" group has formed on his campaign Web site, a lively contingent described as voters "who oppose abortion, but feel that Obama's proposed policies will do a better job of preventing abortion than another four years of Republicans taking half-hearted pro-life positions."

Otherwise, the Web site does not refer to abortion, posing a challenge for voters trying to determine his position. During a town hall meeting in Lafayette, Ind., on Thursday, Obama was asked what type of Supreme Court justice he would appoint. His lengthy answer made no mention of Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion.

But threading the needle in a bitter election year is a different matter. In both Pennsylvania and Indiana, Democrats who oppose abortion could swing the outcome of the primary election. In Pennsylvania, the Democratic presidential contest is the only statewide race that will not feature an antiabortion Democrat on the ballot. In Indiana, two socially conservative freshmen, Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, face tough reelection battles in November, and neither has taken sides in the presidential race.

"I'm not sure how the Roemer endorsement can be justified," said Mike Fichter, executive director of Indiana Right to Life. "I find it beyond confusing." But he conceded: "It could be significant with people who are paying attention to Obama's sound bites, rather than what he has voted for. For people who are not really digging into the background, support from someone like Roemer could have quite an impact."