Governor seeks to divert attention away from abortion veto

After his veto of a bill requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, Governor Tom Vilsack is urging the warring sides in the abortion fight to focus on improving adoption. The governor has been under intense pressure for his church as Roman Catholics lobbied him to sign the bill. The also asked for an explanation for his veto.Vilsack says he’s amazed Iowans can’t find a way to channel their passion on the issue into expanding the number of adoptions in Iowa.Forty-nine years ago today, Vilsack’s adoptive parents walked into an orphanage and chose to adopt him. The number of Iowa children being adopted is increasing. In 1999, almost 21-hundred Iowa children were adopted. That’s almost 500 more than in 1997. The numbers do not take into account children outside of Iowa who were adopted and brought back to the state.