|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Was there any good news at the Platform Hearings in Minnesota for Moderate/Conservative Pro-Choice Republicans?Yah Sure You Betcha! But you didn't read about it or see it on TV.But the platform is still anti-choice and very anti-woman in many parts. So, how can we say there is any positive to be found?First, the McCain campaign did not have control over what ultimately would be finalized in the Platform. If they had their way they would have cut it down to just a few pages and stripped out most of the stuff with which we disagree. That was their original intent but there were not the votes on the Platform committee to get that done.
Many of the Delegates on that Committee were not McCain Delegates -- they were Huckabee and Romney et al Delegates.
Second, the McCain Platform staff writers, at our prodding, put in language into the Abortion Plank itself that talked about the need to work with those in the Party who disagree on this issue to find common ground.
This is the first time ever that any Presidential contender tried to tinker with that plank to add in language that recognized us.
This was not our first choice of what to put in -- but it was RFC's suggestion. The more extreme elements of our Party who were on the Platform Committee in abundance stripped that language out.
We may have been defeated in the subcommittee but Platform Chairs Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA) and Senator Richard Burr (NC) came through for us in the full Convention.They added and reworked language that we, at RFC, had submitted, into the Preamble! Not the appendix as had been done before -- sticking some pathetic and weak attempt to appease us into the back end which no one sees.
No instead they took our suggested language and made it stronger and put it right up front. It is the first thing you see when you open the Platform document!!This language welcomes us all as conservatives, moderates, libertarians,independents and even liberals who disagree with certain planks to join in and debate and discuss. And it makes the point that disagreements make us stronger and that no one is forced to conform to this Platform!
Yes!! Good thing about that non-conform language since several of the Planks (on health, immigration and abortion) do not conform to McCain's own position!!
It also states that we are a party of mavericks that together can come up with the best ideas and solutions to the Nation's problems.
Now let's see what we can do to help shape a McCain administration to make good on those words!!
McCain picks an anti-choice woman for VP Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska
We at Republicans for Choice (RFC) are strongly pro-choice so we should be upset by this pick who
is ardently anti- choice. Let me tell you why we are not. Being Pro-Choice does not mean we are against women who disagree with us. Her choice
is her choice.But let me make clear this is not an endorsement of Palin as a candidate...but a vote of support for what she represents for all women.First, Palin has a really strong record of accomplishment taking on Big Oil, the Party Bosses and other special interests -- fighting corruption and government waste. She has been a real maverick.She has more executive experience than Obama and more experience on Energy issues.
And in her 2 years she has gotten more done than Obama has in his entire career -- certainly in his US Senate career which is just slightly longer than her tenure as Governor. And Obama has only slightly more Foreign Policy experience than she does.
Therefore Obama's charges against her as inexperienced are just silly at best and misogynist at worst.
She has always been squeaky clean and no nonsense -- no sleazy, corrupt Rezko -- or Chicago Party Bosses to protect.
In fact, some minor "corruption" charges have been thrown at her recently but she has supported an investigation of them and it appears they are motivated in part by her sister's soon-to-be-ex-husband to get an advantage in his divorce.
Also, we are incensed by the petty and misogyny of the small- minded statement the Obama campaign released totally dissing her background! Couple that with Obama telling the Hillary
folks to "get over it" and I would think disenchanted Hillary supporters should flock to the GOP.We need to reach out to Palin and try to find common ground --social issues are not her front and center agenda. No nonsense, no BS -- Palin is a doer, NOT a talker, and NOT afraid to take the boys on.Did we mention she is a Feminist for life? Again, her position on abortion means we will never endorse her...but even her selection advances all women.The Democrats stood by while the media and others, including extreme elements in our own Party, trashed Hillary Clinton and did not speak up to defend her. Many were baseless attacks and jabs having to do more with her hairstyle or clothing than with her policies. That stops now.As Sarah Palin said when she thanked pro-choice Democrat icons Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton during her first speech upon being selected -- they led the way --but women are NOT finished yet and we will crash through the glass ceiling.What a way to celebrate the 88th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment this week which was led by Republican women -- and for this historic step to be taken by the Party that was the first to elect a woman to Congress.
John McCain Might Be Wondering Right Now....
"How do I keep those moderate and pro-choice voters in the Party and get them to vote for me?"
McCain should read Emory University's study of the 1992 election entitled "Its Abortion Stupid." It might hold the answer to that question. It should be required reading for the GOP.
We are a pro-choice group and we only ENDORSE pro-choice Republicans running for any office. In fact, in 1992 Ross Perot tried 3 times to get us to endorse him. We pointed out that we could have if he had still been a registered Republican but he was no longer -- so no endorsement.Our language below on McCain is not intended as an endorsement. We simply stated the facts that John McCain was the second choice, after Giuliani, of our membership.
We do support Rudy Giuliani's contention that given the folks left in the race after Rudy's withdrawal, McCain would be the best one for the Republican nomination.We just wanted to make sure our supporters did not remember the old Mitt Romney and vote for him by mistake. The old Mitt Romney is the one who used to support a woman's right to choose before he "evolved" in his position...Hey, one person's "evolved" is another person's opportunism. We did not want them to mistakenly reward Romney's reversal. Can't blame us for that!McCain is someone we think we may be able to work with.
Time will tell...
Antis are At It Again in South Dakota
Voters in South Dakota will face a second ballot initiative to ban abortions in the state. In November 2006 an abortion ban that allowed an exception only to save the life of the woman was rejected 56 percent to 44 percent.
The new proposal widens that exception to include rape and incest and to preserve a woman's health, the Associated Press reported Dec. 14.
Following the 2006 election, opinion polls indicated that about 55 percent of voters would approve an abortion ban if the exceptions were broadened. Only 39 percent of state residents approve of legal abortion rights, according to a November poll.
As written, the abortion ban would eliminate nearly all procedures currently performed in the state, which has only one abortion clinic. Last year, there were 748 procedures.Anyone who performs an abortion could receive a $20,000 fine and a 10-year prison sentence.
Supporters have until April to collect the required 16,776 signatures to put the proposal on the 2008 ballot.
The 2006 initiative was designed to serve as a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in the United States.Anti-choice proponents believed that the climate on the current court is ripe to roll back abortion rights, particularly with the April 2007 ruling in Gonzalez v. Carhart, which for the first time barred a specific procedure used after 12 weeks of pregnancy, regardless of the health consequences.
RFC Announces its position on Supreme Court Ruling
Quotes Worth Considering
———————————————————————————
You must look past the Party Label if you care about electing pro-choice officials!———————————————————————————
Click here for more news & press releases
Republicans for Choice |205 South Whiting Street, Suite #260 | Alexandria, VA 22304
(703) 212-0890 | gop4choice@erols.com"This Republicans For Choice committee is a political action group and is not a part of, or affiliated with, Planned Parenthood."
