Any country that has reduced its rates has done so by charting the middle territory--abortion up to 12 weeks, no questions asked, and after 12 weeks for exceptional health-related circumstances. These restrictions must be paired with easily available contraception, including Plan B, and sex education. And they work. 

All attempts to similarly restrict abortion here by "common ground" projects have failed because of both sides--the termination-at-any-time folks and the termination-at-no-time folks (the Right to Life movement falls under the latter inflexible category). I agree with the basic sentiment of the editorial, but both sides can be recalcitrant when it comes to actual reform. However, I agree that positions on the subject are used as a purity test for all sorts of things--whether you're a feminist, whether you're a Christian, whether you're a Catholic--and that this is destructive and discourages conversation about solutions.