Anti-abortion groups jolted by election defeats

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Reducing unintended pregnancies
One of those issues is contraception. Under a Democratic-led government, abortion-rights supporters will call on conservatives to join in an effort to reduce abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies. Anti-abortion leaders say they are unwilling to do this if it means abandoning their abstinence-only approach and supporting greater access to birth control for unmarried women.

"We have a totally different view from other side in how we look at sexuality," said Pavone. "That's where there's no common ground."

Although anti-abortion leaders have abandoned any short-term hopes for favorable legislation out of Congress, they are prepared to lobby intensely if Democrats try to push through a long-pending abortion-rights bill called the Freedom of Choice Act. It would likely override scores of state laws that place limited restrictions on abortion — including parental notification laws and mandatory waiting periods before an abortion.

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"We will do everything to be sure it fails — the damage it would do to the pro-life movement would be immeasurable," said Mahoney. "On the scale of 1 to 10, that's No. 11 of what our job is."

Another priority, Mahoney said, would be to insist that any health-care legislation emerging from the new Congress does not open the door to any federal funding of abortions.

Anti-abortion leaders appear undaunted
Within the abortion-rights movement, the election results were viewed as a comprehensive victory, and a repudiation of their rivals.

"The hardline, divisive tactics they've used have been resoundingly rejected," said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "We'll probably see some splintering within the conservative community. ...I'd hope some of the folks on the right, if their goal is to reduce the need for abortions, would link arms with us."

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But for now, anti-abortion leaders are eager to appear undaunted.

"Any time you have a loss like that, you have an opportunity to reassess and come back stronger," said Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. "If they want to see this as a big loss that will set us back, that's OK. Our people are very energized, and ready for Round Two."

To Alesha Doan, a University of Kansas political scientist who studies the anti-abortion movement, the feisty response and the vows of street protests make sense.

"I'd be shocked if the pro-life movement stopped protesting — that's been the area where they've had success in closing some abortion clinics," she said. "If you compromise, you lose the core of the movement."