“I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women,” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said. “As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman’s medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient.”

Former North Carolina senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards also said he strongly disagrees with the “hard right turn” by the Supreme Court, adding that the move serves as a “stark reminder of why Democrats cannot afford to lose the 2008 election.”

“Too much is at stake — starting with, as the Court made all too clear today, a woman’s right to choose,” Edwards said.

Update: Check out Christy at Firedoglake on today's decision.