NY Times repeated falsehood about why Casey was denied speaking slot at 1992 Dem convention

Written by Jeremy Holden

Published

A New York Times article echoed the oft-repeated myth that Gov. Bob Casey Sr. was forbidden to speak at the 1992 Democratic convention because he opposed abortion rights. In fact, other Democrats who oppose abortion rights spoke at the 1992 convention and at every convention since then. Moreover, the Times itself reported in 1996 that White House officials “have always said that had [Casey] not declined to endorse Mr. [Bill] Clinton in 1992, he would have been allowed to speak to the convention.”

In an August 7 New York Times article, reporter John M. Broder echoed the oft-repeated myth that late Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey Sr. was forbidden to speak at the 1992 Democratic convention because he opposed abortion rights. Broder wrote: “Sixteen years ago, the Democratic Party refused to allow Robert P. Casey Sr., then the governor of Pennsylvania, to speak at its national convention because his anti-abortion views, stemming from his Roman Catholic faith, clashed with the party's platform and powerful constituencies.” In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, other Democrats who oppose abortion rights spoke at the 1992 convention and at every convention since then. Further, the Times itself reported in an August 1, 1996, article that White House officials “have always said that had [Casey] not declined to endorse Mr. [Bill] Clinton in 1992, he would have been allowed to speak to the convention."

From the August 7 New York Times article:

Sixteen years ago, the Democratic Party refused to allow Robert P. Casey Sr., then the governor of Pennsylvania, to speak at its national convention because his anti-abortion views, stemming from his Roman Catholic faith, clashed with the party's platform and powerful constituencies. Many Catholics, once a reliable Democratic voting bloc, never forgot what they considered a slight.

This year, the party is considering giving a speaking slot at the convention to Mr. Casey's son, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who like his late father is a Roman Catholic who opposes abortion rights.