Echoing a longtime, much-repeated falsehood, The Washington Post asserted that former Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. “was denied a speaking slot at Bill Clinton's nominating convention in 1992 because of his opposition to abortion.” In fact, others who opposed abortion rights were given speaking roles at the convention, so Casey's opposition to abortion rights alone could not have been the deciding factor in the decision not to give him a speaking role.
Wash. Post repeats falsehood about why Casey was denied 1992 convention speaking slot
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In an August 14 Washington Post article discussing scheduled speakers at the Democratic National Convention, staff writers Jonathan Weisman and Michael Shear asserted, “Also speaking that [Wednesday] night will be Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (Pa.), an antiabortion Democrat whose father was denied a speaking slot at Bill Clinton's nominating convention in 1992 because of his opposition to abortion,” echoing a longtime, much-repeated falsehood that former Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. was denied a speaking role at the convention because he opposed abortion rights. In fact, as Media Matters for America has documented, others who opposed abortion rights were given speaking roles at the convention, so Casey's opposition to abortion rights alone could not have been the deciding factor in the Democratic National Committee's decision not to give him a speaking role. As Media Matters has noted, Michael Crowley of The New Republic reported in 1996: “According to those who actually doled out the 1992 convention speaking slots, Casey was denied a turn for one simple reason: his refusal to endorse the Clinton-Gore ticket.”
From the August 14 Washington Post article:
Hillary Clinton will get a prime speaking slot Tuesday and is expected to speak of her historic bid to become the first female nominee of a major party, as well as the nation's economic challenges. She will share the stage with Warner, who is running for the Senate; Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer; and Sebelius, all of whom could be new faces for voters who last tuned in to Democratic politics in 2004. Warner is expected to stress how he won support in Republican regions of rural Virginia by listening to the needs and struggles of ordinary voters.
Also speaking that night will be Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (Pa.), an antiabortion Democrat whose father was denied a speaking slot at Bill Clinton's nominating convention in 1992 because of his opposition to abortion. Casey, who backed Obama over Hillary Clinton in his state's hard-fought primary, is not expected to speak about abortion, but Democrats conceded that his name alone speaks to the issue.
Wednesday's national security theme has stoked speculation that Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be moving up to the prime-time spot to accept his party's vice presidential nomination. But Bayh also has a speaking spot that day.