In a move distancing himself from many Democratic abortion groups, Senator Barack Obama says that “mental distress” should not be a qualifying reason for a woman to receive a late-term abortion. In an interview with the Christian magazine “Relevant”, Obama said any limitation on late-term abortion should contain “a strict, well defined exception for the health of the mother” but added “Now, I don’t think that ‘mental distress’ qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term.”

This position puts him at odds with NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights group that endorsed Obama. NARAL released the following statement reaffirming their support of Obama:

“Sen. Obama has consistently said he supports the tenets set forth by Roe, and has made strong statements against President Bush’s Federal Abortion Ban, which does not have an exception to protect a woman’s health,” the organization’s statement said.