GOVERNOR BLASTS KINDER OVER STANCE ON ABORTION

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Mel Carnahan has accused state Sen. Peter Kinder of "opportunistic manipulation" over efforts to ban partial-birth abortions.

Kinder denied the charge and spoke out against the accusation on the floor of the Senate Wednesday during the Legislature's on-going special session.

His comments brought immediate criticism from state Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence.

"I am a little sick and tired of dishonesty, misrepresentation of the truth, self-propelling politicians and the extreme right," he said on the Senate floor.

Staples angrily accused Kinder of being a "phony."

Kinder said Staples launched into "a lengthy, agitated diatribe against extremists, hypocrites and phonies."

Said Kinder, "It would appear some folks in this debate are really, really rattled when they characterize the group supporting the bills as extremists and phonies."

Carnahan vetoed a bill by the Cape Girardeau Republican that would have outlawed partial-birth abortions because it didn't include exceptions for the health or life of the mother.

Kinder opposes such exceptions, arguing that the abortion procedure would never be done to protect the health of the mother.

The abortion procedure involves partially extracting a fetus, legs first; cutting an incision in the barely visible skull base, and then draining the contents of the skull so it will fit through the birth canal.

Staples was among a number of lawmakers who voted against the unsuccessful Kinder-led effort to override the veto.

In a letter delivered Wednesday to Kinder, the governor criticized the senator.

"Sen. Kinder, I am completely stunned by your lack of sincerity on an opportunistic manipulation of this issue," wrote Carnahan. "It may well prevent us from passing a ban this year," he said.

He said Kinder offered an amendment in May 1996 that included a health exception.

Kinder acknowledged that he made the amendment. But he said that was over a year ago. Since then, said Kinder, he has heard the testimony of medical experts who insist that a partial-birth abortion procedure is never warranted to save the life or health of the mother.

"I was wrong," Kinder said of his support for the 1996 amendment.

"To say that the language in an original bill just closes discussion on what we do today is absurd," said Kinder.

Kinder said lawmakers shouldn't be held accountable for initial versions of legislation.

Lawmakers are meeting in special session at the state Capitol. The special session began last week with a number of legislative matters on the agenda.

Carnahan expanded the special session last week to include the partial-birth abortion issue.

He has called on lawmakers to pass an abortion ban that includes the health exception.

Carnahan said the health exceptions are tightly drawn and warranted. "I believe it is constitutional and good public-health policy," he said.

Kinder said the governor has tried to write the abortion bill in ordering lawmakers back into session to consider abortion-banning legislation that would include the health exception.

"The governor does not write the bills," Kinder said. That authority rests with the Legislature, he said.

"He cannot under our constitution write a bill by the way he calls a special session," Kinder said.

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press.