Stand up and give a hand for abortion: Is Darcy Burner gutsy or gauche?

Darcy Burner has run three times for Congress. She lost to Republican Rep. Dave Reichert in 2006 and 2008, running in the 8th District. She's now running in the newly rejiggered 1st District. Darcy Burner has run three times for Congress. She lost to Republican Rep. Dave Reichert in 2006 and 2008, running in the 8th District. She's now running in the newly rejiggered 1st District. Photo: Karen Ducey, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Photo: Karen Ducey, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Stand up and give a hand for abortion: Is Darcy Burner gutsy or gauche? 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Abortion is usually viewed as a private, at times agonizing decision for a woman and loved ones. Not, apparently, by congressional candidate Darcy Burner, who had a memorable -- some would say, memorably off-putting -- moment before a national progressive bloggers meeting last weekend.

The three-time U.S. House hopeful from Washington created a kind of tent revival scene in reverse.

"If you are a woman in this room, and statistically this is true for about one third of the women in this room, if you're a woman in this room who has had an abortion and is willing to come out about it, PLEASE STAND UP," Burner said in a voice that could open a wall safe.

A moment later, as some women in the Providence, R.I., Netroots Nation audience rose, Burner doubled down with a second message: Give 'em a cheer.

"Now, if you are willing to stand with every woman who is willing to come out about having had an abortion, please stand up," she told Netroots Nation. The result was a loud ovation with a few staying seated with quiet misgivings.

What was Burner trying to do?

Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy. Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy.

"This is how we change the stories in people's past," she told the crowd of 3,000 attendees. "We need to make it OK for women to come out about the choices they make."

Burner was leadoff speaker in the "2012 and the War on Women" panel. She is a director of the Netroots Foundation and a regular at the annual conference. And this year she found herself on a power panel with Massachusetts Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren and Hawaii Rep. Mazie Hirono.

The contrast with her fellow speakers was striking.

Warren was hoarse, but hit on themes that made me wish that she -- and not Burner -- were running in Washington's newly rejiggered 1st Congressional District. She talked about health care reform, the Lily Ledbetter Act (women's right to sue for pay discrimination) and the financial community's role in the Great Recession.

"We stand for accountability and an even playing field so nobody steals the power of the purse on Main Street or your pension on Wall Street," Warren declared. Hirono was charming as she described how her mother emigrated from Japan -- out of an abusive marriage -- and made a life in Hawaii even though she couldn't speak English.

The three talks can teach a basic lesson of politics. Don't get in the voter's faces, but try to reach their hearts and appeal to their minds.

Abortion is an issue that brings out ugly extremes in American life. Some who talk about getting government out of our lives would plant it in our bedrooms. They would move private decisions into the public square.

The Idaho Legislature, last year, passed a bill banning all abortions after 20 weeks, with "the hand of the Almighty" guiding lawmakers in the words of sponsor State Rep. Brent Crane. What of a rape or incest victim? Crane gave them an answer: "His ways are higher than our ways. He has the ability to take difficult, tragic, horrific circumstances and then turn them into wonderful examples."

The pro-choice movement, however, shows an absolutism of its own: It can't seem to appreciate that many Americans are conflicted, and seeking recognition of life to go along with respect for choice.

The echo chamber of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and Planned Parenthood lunches isn't reaching the folks with lucid, reasonable arguments. "Pro-life" sentiment is growing in polls, despite the obtuse counsel of Rep. Crane and male legislators imposing requirements of Ultrasound tests.

In the 1st District, Republican hopeful John Koster is an anti-abortion absolutist. Burner comes across as an abortion cheerleader. The vast majority of voters are between those two poles.

Democrats, many recognizing only Burner's name, should take a look at other Democrats -- Suzan DelBene, Laura Ruderman, Steve Hobbs and Darshan Rauniyar. A liberal blogger at Netroots Nation, on the Balloon Juice website, wrote this after observing the main "War on Women" panelists:

"Pay close attention to Warren's body language if you do watch the speech. She's open and inviting to her audience. When she gestures to make a point, she never points her finger at us. Darcy Burner's most-used gesture during the Q & A was a pointed finger because she was lecturing us how it should be. Darcy Burner says 'You Must' while Elizabeth Warren says 'We Can'."

As a Northwest Washington native, I can't see our citizenry responding to finger-pointing lectures, or standing up to give abortion testaments in Grange halls or technology company conference rooms. They're going to want input, and not just be asked to ratify a candidate's national agenda.

Balloon Juice delivers a kind of warning to those seeking quality representation: "Warren's voice is hoarse because she was at parties talking to actual human beings . . . Burner's voice is crystal-clear, as it will be next year when she attends Netroots to lecture that group about her next sure-to-fail run for office."