One of the hoariest of the many "Zombie Lies" is the canard that Bob Casey was banned from the 1992 Democratic Convention because he was "pro-life." This one was so ensconced in the public consciousness that even Atrios believed it until about 2003. In reality, Casey could not speak in 1992 because he did not endorse the Clinton-Gore ticket.
In 2004, Media Matters documented four instances of the lie appearing within weeks of the Democratic Convention, including opportunistic political chameleon and recent Elizabeth Warren victim Chris Matthews.
The Casey Lie was expanded to include the broader lie that Democrats have never permitted a "pro-life" speaker at their convention.
This broader lie has been embraced by beleaguered but still pandering NJ Governor Christie, as pointed out by Steve Benen this morning. Christie previously tried out the lie in March at CPAC Conference. It worked so well (and without any consequences) that he hauled it down to DC and unpacked it again for Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Conference:
Name me the one pro-life Democrat who’s ever been able and allowed to speak at a Democratic National Convention since Roe vs. Wade? Don’t strain yourself, because there’s never been one. Theirs is the party that is intolerant.
Without straining himself, Benen,
through Amanda Terkel, named a lot:
Democratic conventions have consistently had anti-abortion speakers. From a 2005 Media Matters article: Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Sens. John Breaux (D-LA) and Howell Heflin (D-AL), and five other governors who opposed abortion rights did address the convention in 1992, as detailed in a September 16, 1996, article in The New Republic on the Casey myth. In addition, anti-abortion speakers have spoken at every Democratic convention since 1992, including Breaux in 1996 and 2000, former House Democratic Whip David Bonior (D-MI) in 1996 and 2000, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in 2000 and 2004.
As FactCheck.org noted after Christie’s CPAC remarks, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) – whom The New York Times has called “the country’s most prominent ‘pro-life’ Democrat” – delivered a prime-time address at the Democratic convention in 2008.
In 2012, Democrats even invited a nun, Sister Simone Campbell, who opposes abortion rights, to also speak at the party’s convention, where she received a standing ovation.
As a newly minted victim of liberal and "liberal media" attacks, Christie has finally gained acceptance from the religious right. So why not pander to them with a Zombie Lie.
Unfortunately for Christie, as my grandfather would say, gornisht helfen.*