KINDER'S COMMENTARY: WITH CARNAHAN'S RECORD, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND REASONS FOR MEETING

The agreement of Gov. Mel Carnahan to meet next week with Lou DeFeo, longtime lobbyist for the Missouri Catholic Conference, to discuss differences over the bill banning partial-birth infanticide is interesting on several levels. First, it is hard to imagine that the governor is making this move from a position of strength. As one newspaper account noted this past week, the two will meet in a couple of days despite having spent much of the summer "lobbing verbal grenades at each other." Some observers may argue that it is good for a lobbyist supportive of House Bill 427 (The Infants Protection Act) and the governor who vetoed it to get together and talk, and they may be right.

Still, it is hard to see anything much coming out of such a meeting. The two world views are as close to irreconcilable as one could imagine. Lou DeFeo fights alongside those of us who keep trying to protect innocent unborn human life, especially in the second and third trimesters, from this gruesome and wholly indefensible form of infanticide. Mel Carnahan, on the other hand, isn't simply pro-choice when it comes to abortion. Like President Clinton, to whom perceptive observers often compare him, Mel Carnahan is incontestably the most pro-abortion governor in Missouri history. His actions in vetoing every piece of pro-life legislation to reach his desk in seven years in office make that abundantly clear.

Consider his vetoes of other harmless, permissive pro-life bills passed by Democratic sponsors in the House and Senate. State Sen. Harry Wiggins, D-Kansas City, and state Rep. Patrick O'Connor, D-St. Louis, sponsored and passed simple bills in the last session. Among other things, the identical bills allowed Missourians who chose to do so to pay $25 for the privilege of having an auto license plate featuring the words "Choose Life" on it. The bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, only to be met with the governor's veto pen.

What kind of governor vetoes something like this? It is very sad. This writer has encouraged both sponsors to make the motion to have these vetoes overridden.

Meanwhile, statehouse halls are more rife than ever with hard rumors about high-paying state jobs being offered in exchange for voting with the governor on the override. Keen observers will recall that the U.S. attorney and the FBI opened a criminal investigation into the location of the new state prison at Licking in Texas County last year. It would appear that regardless of the views of certain lawmakers, the federal authorities regard the business of possible trading of votes for favors as a serious matter indeed.

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A boost with prayer

Prayer vigils are being organized to support those of us trying to override the governor's veto. One is set for Cape Girardeau County Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Cemetery of the Innocents alongside I-55 south of the Route K intersection. Those of us who are trying again to do what I fell one vote short of doing two years ago this month need all your prayers. This vigil, and others scheduled throughout Southeast Missouri that weekend, are open to the public and should draw substantial crowds. See you there.

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Profile in courage

Quietly, largely without notice, a profile in courage has been written by the House sponsor of the Infants Protection Act, state Rep. Bill Luetkenhaus, D-Josephsville. Luetkenhaus has taken enormous abuse from the Carnahan camp for his courageous stand in favor of life. Honor to him.

~Peter Kinder is assistant to the president of Rust Communication and a state senator from Cape Girardeau.