In Virginia, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, trailing pretty badly, is turning to the abortion issue.

Some note that this appears to violate a pledge Deeds made that he wasn’t going to focus on social issues; Michael Barone thinks this is near-suicidal in a year when voters are focused on their economic well-being.

I would just note that Deeds’s message is now, “my opponent is a pro-lifer . . . just like I used to be!” The not-too-distant past:

HB1154 read:
Prohibits partial birth abortions. The bill defines “partial birth abortion” as an abortion in which the person performing the abortion deliberately and intentionally delivers a living fetus or a substantial portion thereof into the vagina for the purpose of performing a procedure the person knows will kill the fetus, performs the procedure, kills the fetus and completes the delivery. The bill also provides for review, at the request of the physician, by a three-member physician committee to be known as the medical necessity advisory committee, of the doctor’s actions, with the results to be available as evidence at his trial. The offense is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 552.
The bill received 87-yea and 10-nay in the House, Democrats Creigh Deeds and Mitch Van Yahres voting yes.
Subsequently the bill was passed to the Senate, where the vote was 32-yea and 8-nay, Democrat Emily Couric voting no.
In June of 2000, the United States Supreme Court struck down Nebraska’s statute against so-called “partial birth abortion”. And in July of 2000, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted it’s ban on the procedure.
HB2899 read:
Abortion; minors; notification. Creates procedure requiring 24 hours’ (72 hours by mail) notice to a parent, grandparent, adult sibling, person standing in loco parentis or duly appointed guardian or custodian of an unemancipated minor or judicial order prior to performing an abortion upon the minor. Exceptions are provided for cases of suspected abuse and neglect and where medically necessary to avert death or serious risk of (i) substantial impairment of a major bodily function or (ii) substantial physical injury. Minor in this bill is not delineated and will, therefore, mean individuals under the age of 18.
The bill received 81-yea and 18-nay votes in the House, Democrats Creigh Deeds and Mitch Van Yahres voting yes.

So, opposing abortion is extreme, except when Creigh Deeds does it?