Davis' reaction to ruling further proof of fine political line

Sen. Wendy Davis catapulted into the national consciousness this summer with a nearly 13-hour filibuster against tighter state restrictions on abortion.

On Monday, she would not even say the word.

Davis, whose filibuster propelled her into a run for governor, issued a three-sentence statement in reaction to a federal judge striking a key provision of Texas' controversial abortion law. As in her speech announcing her gubernatorial run earlier this month, nowhere in the statement did she use the word "abortion."

"Texas families are stronger and healthier when women across the state have access to quality health care," the statement read. "I'm not surprised by the judge's ruling. As a mother, I would rather see our tax dollars spent on improving our kids' schools than defending this law."

Closures main concern

Asked whether the reference to health care in the first sentence includes abortion procedures, Davis spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña said, "No."

"That referenced the health clinics that were going to be shut down across the state that provided other services," Acuña said, emphasizing that those closures were Davis' primary concern about the legislation.

The Monday ruling will keep dozens of abortion clinics open across the state at least until the case is resolved in the courts. Attorney General Greg Abbott - Davis' presumed Republican opponent - already has appealed the judge's ruling.

Political observers say Davis' statement is indicative of the fine line she must walk on abortion.

"This whole topic is a difficult one for her because, at one level, this was the issue that vaulted her onto the national stage and kind of pulled her into the governor's race and it's one that's very important to a portion of her base support, so she can't ignore it completely," said Rice University political scientist Mark Jones. "At the same time, she realizes her position is not an especially popular one with as many Texans as she needs to win over if she's to run a successful governor's race."

A University of Texas/Texas Tribune online poll released in June, days prior to Davis' filibuster, found that 46 percent of Texas voters think abortion never should be permitted or only in the case of incest, rape or when the woman's life is in danger and that 62 percent supported or strongly support banning abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy - one of the provisions in the law that was not a part of the lawsuit decided Monday.

A 'tight spot'

GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak agreed with Jones that Davis' statement is "a perfect example of the tight spot" that she is in politically but also criticized her for not talking about an issue that jump-started her gubernatorial run. "I think every instinct she has tells her that she wants to celebrate today, but she knows that politically she can't," Mackowiak said. "Her view is not a mainstream view in Texas no matter what she says now."

Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said the suggestion in Davis' statement that money be spent on education rather than an appeal to the ruling is "fine, but it doesn't make a lot of sense" given that it is the state attorney general's job to defend laws passed by the state Legislature.

As for her decision to avoid the "a" word, Jillson said that when Davis talks about women's issues, her core supporters "understand her to be talking about abortion, as do her opponents, but it doesn't give her opponents a cudgel to beat her with."