CLINTON PRO-CHOICE SUPPORTER FLIPS TO OBAMA.

[babylonsister]

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=01&year=2008&base_name=clinton_prochoice_supporter_fl

CLINTON PRO-CHOICE SUPPORTER FLIPS TO OBAMA.


For many of us who closely watch the politics of reproductive health, it's been upsetting to see the issue become a wedge in this primary. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have 100 percent pro-choice voting records. But for months now, Clinton has been attacking Obama for seven "present" votes he cast in the Illinois State Senate on legislation that would have rolled back reproductive rights. The state's Planned Parenthood says it encouraged Obama to vote "present" -- over his own objections -- in order to preserve a pro-choice seat in the legislature. But that explanation hasn't stopped the Clinton campaign from hammering the "Obama is wobbly on choice" message home with a New Hampshire mailer, multiple press releases, and a conference call with journalists.

Obama has been using surrogates to respond, first with a New Hampshire robocall recorded by Wendy Frosh, board chair of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and now with web videos featuring Lorna Brett Howard, the former president of Chicago NOW and a current board member of New York NARAL. Howard is also a philanthropist with a history of supporting Democratic women running for office. Up until three weeks ago, Hillary Clinton was one of them; Howard even hosted a Clinton fundraiser in her Manhattan home. But now Howard says she is supporting Obama because of her disgust with Clinton's attacks on his pro-choice record.

The Obama campaign has released three videos featuring Howard: In the first, she explains why she switched teams. In the second, she reiterates that Obama is "100 percent pro-choice" and "100 percent honest;" she's clearly implying that Clinton is not honest. In the third, Howard discusses Obama's support for the pro-choice organizations that successfully mobilized to fight the South Dakota abortion ban in 2006. "Sen. Obama was the only U.S. senator to help in this effort," Howard says. "He wrote a letter, he raised money. Every pro-choice senator was asked and Sen. Obama was the only one to step up to the plate."

Needless to say, plenty of activists who were engaged in the South Dakoka fight do support Clinton, and believe she's the most committed, long-standing reproductive rights advocate in the field. It's good to see Obama defending himself against Clinton's unfair charge that he isn't committed to choice. But a pissing match over which candidate is the most pro-choice remains unseemly, as it obscures the Democratic field's unity on this important issue.

--Dana Goldstein

[maddiejoan]

1. -ahem-

http://www.illinoisnow.org/

Obama Was Present, But He Was Not There On Issues That Mattered to Illinois Women
In celebration of Women’s History Month, March 28, 2007, the National Organization for Women Political Action Committee, NOW PAC, announced its endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President (see article below).

Illinois NOW PAC supported the endorsement of Senator Clinton. “She is, after all, our native sister,” said Bonnie Grabenhofer, president of Illinois NOW. “We know from her record and in her heart she will be there for us.”

Senator Clinton has a long history of support for women's empowerment, and her public record is a testimony to her leadership on issues important to women in the U.S. and around the globe. She has eloquently articulated the need for full economic, political and social equality for women in every institution of society, taking action throughout her career — as a lawyer, community leader, First Lady, Senator and candidate for the presidency — to advance the civil and human rights of women and girls.

After looking at his record, Grabenhofer does not feel the same way about Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

During Senator Obama’s 2004 senate campaign, the Illinois NOW PAC did not recommend the endorsement of Obama for U.S. Senate because he refused to stand up for a woman’s right to choose and repeatedly voted ‘present’ on important legislation.

As a State Senator, Barack Obama voted ‘present’ on seven abortion bills, including a ban on 'partial birth abortion,' two parental notification laws and three 'born alive' bills. In each case, the right vote was clear, but Senator Obama chose political cover over standing and fighting for his convictions.

“When we needed someone to take a stand, Senator Obama took a pass,” said Grabenhofer. “He wasn’t there for us then and we don’t expect him to be now.”

For more information on the endorsement go to www.nowpac.org

[LandOLincoln]

4. Beat me to it. Thanks. n/t

[maddiejoan]

11. No problem

The original source for the incoorect assumption that Clinton is lying is from Steve Trombley, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Action.

Apparently Trombley has been a longtime Obama supporter throughout his career, and was called on specifically by Obama's camp to distort Obama's record.

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/illinois_now_for_clinton_with.html

Interesting post in the comments section:
<snip>

The point is in the record. Yes, Planned Parenthood thought of the strategy but then they also wrote and introduced a parental notification bill this year. Not exactly leaders for women's rights. Obama did vote present several times and explained it as an effort to help those who might be hurt by a no vote. Lorna Brett, a former local NOW chapter president from the 1990's, certainly knows that he didn't need to take that vote. She also knows that NOW has never supported such a strategy and if she worked with Planned Parenthood on it she did so for her own reasons against the policy of the state and national organizations.
Here's an even better explanation from the Chicago Tribune: Sen. Obama’s explanation for 'present' votes is questionable; 'few of the other Democrats who voted ‘present’ on abortion bills recall such a strategy' as Sen. Obama did. Sen. Obama "said he worked out an arrangement with abortion-rights advocates to encourage Democrats to vote ‘present’ on some bills if they feared a ‘no’ would look insensitive and endanger their re-election. But few of the other Democrats who voted ‘present’ on abortion bills recall such a strategy. And, like Obama, they weren't politically vulnerable."
This is about a presidential election. The idea that a coalition of pro-choice voters must somehow stick together no matter what is somewhat old fashioned. The pro-choice community I know has room for many opionions and no tolerance for shutting people up as both Steve and Lorna try to do.
Go Hillary!

<snip>

[geek tragedy]

5. Grabenhofer endorsed a wife-beater who ran against

Obama in 2004.

Some feminist leader . . . NOT!

The present vote stuff is bullshit, since he was doing it at the request of abortion-rights activists.

[Occam Bandage]

6. 100% Planed Parenthood rating. 100% NARAL rating. Each of the

"present" votes NOW is complaining about was explicitly authorized by Planned Parenthood. NOW is--as per usual with Clinton supporters--distorting the facts to try to score political points for their girl.

[rox63]

7. What part of this didn't you understand?

"The state's Planned Parenthood says it encouraged Obama to vote "present" -- over his own objections -- in order to preserve a pro-choice seat in the legislature."

[maddiejoan]

12. I understand the sentence

I also understand that is not NOW's stance.

[atreides1]

13. Did you miss this part

The state's Planned Parenthood says it encouraged Obama to vote "present" -- over his own objections -- in order to preserve a pro-choice seat in the legislature.


Planned Parenthood and NOW are two seperate organizations with different agendas, Obama supported Planned Parenthood in voting "present". Maybe these groups who have the same sympathies need to sit down and talk to each other so that they can work together to get things done.

[rodeodance]

15. "Obama chose political cover over standing and fighting for his convictions."

[rodeodance]

16. and just yesterday Obama said America needs a Pres to sticks by his principles.

[GodlessBiker]

2. Cool.

[angie_love]

3. Nice

Its sad that so many are unfairly taking Obamas votes out of context. This deserves a kick.

[IndianaJones]

8. I trust she made a prayerful decision.nt.

[KennedyGuy]

9. yeah..well when ya got just the one..3 vids are necessary..

[HeraldSquare212]

10. The Clinton strategy was so much more effective before the internet.

They must really hate Al Gore.

[Blue State Bandit]

14. I said it before, and I'll say it again...

When you assail an honest man who runs for President, your just begging for a liar-in-chief.

Oh yea, she also thinks that conducting her campaign like a Swift-Boat 527 will lead to a united

Democratic party in the general elections.

I hope you enjoy handing the White House to John McCain.