As I mentioned in my previous post, I contacted the White House this afternoon for an explanation of Vice President Biden's stunning remarks regarding China's odious one-child policy. Moments ago, I received the following on-the-record statement from Biden's press secretary, Kendra Barkoff:
“The Obama Administration strongly opposes all aspects of China’s coercive birth limitation policies, including forced abortion and sterilization. The Vice President believes such practices are repugnant. He also pointed out, in China, that the policy is, as a practical matter, unsustainable. He was arguing against the One Child Policy to a Chinese audience.”
This blanket condemnation of China's monstrous policy is laudable. Although millions of Americans harbor passionate disagreements with this administration's stance on abortion, every American should welcome the White House's clear and categorical rejection of "all aspects" of China's reproductive coercion. That being said, I still fail to see how publicly and proactively declining to "second guess" a policy that one finds "repugnant" amounts to "arguing against" it. If the Vice President's conviction is that China's policy is morally abhorrent, he should have said so when he raised the issue on Chinese soil. His thoughts on this question shouldn't require clarification, frankly, although the clarification is certainly appreciated.
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On a separate note, I'd like to acknowledge the attentiveness with which my inquiry was handled by the Vice President's office -- especially in light of Townhall's openly adversarial relationship with this administration. Ms. Barkoff's response was prompt and professional.
UPDATE - Once again, here's the clip of Biden "arguing against the One Child Policy to a Chinese audience." Do you detect any revulsion here?
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