The other day I had mostly kind words for both presidential candidates’ recent comments on abortion. Since then, Trump and Haley — and John McCormack — have reminded me that all praise of politicians is provisional. I had one additional thought about what Haley said.

Her claim that it would be lying to the American public to specify whether she would push for a federal 15-week ban on abortion, a 20-week ban, or something else is foolish because in the course of a campaign any candidate is going to endorse policies that can’t be guaranteed to get through Congress. Haley can’t guarantee that Congress will go along with requiring cognitive tests for federal officeholders. Was she lying to the public in calling for such legislation? I don’t think so. She was endorsing a policy goal and saying she would work to get it through Congress. Maybe there’s a reason to take a different approach on abortion. But that reason can’t be the one she has identified.