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Massachusetts Senator-Elect Scott Brown Supports Abortion Rights
Newly-elected Republican Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts stated that although he opposes federal funding for abortions, he thinks women should have the right to choose whether to have an abortion or not.
Senator Brown told ABC's "This Week" that he disagreed with the Republican Party’s position that the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion should be overturned. In other words, Brown supports Roe versus Wade.
Brown stated that the abortion question is one that's best handled by a woman, her family and her doctor. He also said that more effort needs to go into reducing the number of abortions in the U.S. This has been Republicans For Choice PAC position since its founding in 1990.
Ann Stone, Chairman of RFC, was pleased to hear Senator Brown’s comments and hopes that he will help the Party finally return to its original principles of protecting all individual rights – not just some.Ms. Stone went on to say that “for years the Republican Leadership has told us they want to help us find common ground but then the antis refuse to meet us halfway. It’s all or nothing for them.”
Senator Brown has warned the GOP not to take his vote for granted on every issue. Although Brown states he's fiscally conservative, he is more moderate on social issues.
Senator Scott Brown was the big winner in the very hotly contested Senate seat long held by the late liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy. Kennedy died last summer after a long fought battle against cancer.Republicans For Choice welcomes our newest ally Senator Scott Brown in our efforts to preserve women’s Constitutional right to choose.
FINALLY – JUSTICE FOR THE COLD-BLOODED MURDER OF DR. GEORGE TILLER
The verdict is in! On January 29th, 2010 the Sedgwick County, Kansas jury’s decision convicted Scott Roeder of first-degree murder in the cold-blooded, premedated assassination of our dear friend Dr. George Tiller.
On May 31st, 2009 Dr. Tiller was shot as he served as an usher in his Church for that Sunday's service. On that day America lost a very courageous physician and ally in the fight to protect women’s reproductive rights.
Roeder’s conviction sends yet another loud and clear message to those zealots in the anti-choice movement that these kinds of terrorist actions will NOT be tolerated. Roeder isn’t the first stalker and murderer to be convicted of heinous crimes against healthcare physicans and workers who put their lives on the line to defend women’s Constitutional right to choose.
Perhaps now Jeanne Tiller and the family can take some small comfort in knowing Roeder was found guilty of his horrendous, heinous crime and can finally find peace.
Scott Brown WINS 52% Martha Coakley 47%
Congratulations Scott...job well done!!
Who is Scott Brown -- the newest US Senator?
Scott Brown has a long history of public service in Massachusetts. The 50-year-old native of Wakefield, Mass., began his political career in 1992 and has served in America’s National Guard for 30 years.
His political views don't fit in a box. Brown calls himself “fiscally- conservative and socially-conscious.” Translate that to conservative on defense and fiscal issues, but a social moderate.
He has nuanced views on abortion. Brown accepts Roe v. Wade as “the law of the land,” and reaffirmed that in the debates. He opposes the so-called partial-birth abortions and believes in parental consent and a strong parental notification law. Scott opposes gay marriage, but supports civil unions.
Here are some personal and professional highlights:
Born Sept. 12, 1959. His father was a city councilor in Newburyport, Mass. Brown, a high school basketball star, graduated from Tufts University and then Boston College law school.
His first election victory was in 1992 for assessor in Wrentham Mass. Brown was elected to Wrentham Board of Selectmen in 1995, to the State House of Representatives in 1998 and to the State Senate in 2004.
Scott joined the National Guard at the age of 19 and has served in Kazakhstan and Paraguay. He received the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in homeland security after 9/11. And, he won several awards in triathlons which will serve him well in the endurance needed in the Senate!
Scott Brown opposes Democrats’ healthcare bills, but supports Massachusetts' healthcare plan of 2006. Scott supports President Barack Obama’s plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. He strongly believes suspected terrorists should be tried by military tribunals, not by civilian courts.
Scott Brown opposes Obama’s proposed tax on banks and he generally supports tax cuts to stimulate job creation and economic growth.
Scott is married to TV reporter, Gail Huff, and they have two wonderful daughters.
______________________________________________________________________________
Pro-choice Republican poised to replace Ted Kennedy -Election is Tuesday January 19th.
Victory is by no means assured but Scott Brown has surged in the polls.
Scott Brown is a socially-inclusive, fiscally-conservative Republican.
Brown is pro-choice, but he supports parental notification/consent. As recently as this week, he reaffirmed his support for Roe vs. Wade in the last debate in the campaign televised on Cspan. He wants to work on positive ways to reduce the need for abortion -- something Republicans For Choice (RFC) has always advocated.
Perhaps more telling is the fact that Brown has stated time and time again that too much time and energy in politics is spent on divisive social issues. He believes government should be focused on creating jobs and opportunity and working towards real solutions for economic recovery.
Last minute contributions to this campaign should be given directly to them online at
http://www.brownforussenate.com/
ANTI-CHOICE DEMS STILL THREATEN ABORTION COVERAGE
FOR WOMEN
Despite all the Democrats secret backroom dealings on the House and Senate Healthcare Reform bills, just as RFC had predicted, the federal funding of abortion is one STILL one of the major wrinkles that needs to be ironed out before these Healthcare bills can be merged and that battle is heating up!
While Speaker of the House Pelosi only has a small margin of votes to spare to help sneak through their secret compromise, there are over 11 Members who may flip their vote from a previous “aye” to a “nay” if the Stupak language is NOT included in the House Amendment to the Senate bill. According to the Republican Whip’s office, these individuals may include (in alpha order):
1. Rep. Jerry Costello (IL)
2. Rep. Kathleen Dahlkemper (PA)
3. Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN)
4. Rep. Steve Driehaus (OH)
5. Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN)
6. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH)
7. Rep. Dale Kildee (MI)
8. Rep. Daniel Lipinski (IL)
9. Rep. Jim Oberstar (MN)
10. Rep. Bart Stupak (MI)
11. Rep. Charlie Wilson (OH)
Ann Stone, Chair of Republicans For Choice, had predicted this very scenario right after the November 2008 elections in correspondence with RFC members. In fact, her exact words were, “Don’t think for a minute just because the Democrats have won majority control of both houses of Congress that now a woman’s right to choose is safe. There are several anti-choice Democrats who will work just as tirelessly as anti-choice Republicans to deny women this Constitutional right.”
Stay tuned! This battle is far from over and it will be interesting to see if Pelosi, Harry Reid and President Obama will sacrifice women’s rights to pass an extremely flawed and inadequately vetted Healthcare Reform bill just to claim victory!
Come next November, abortion issue or not, they will pay the price for rushing through Healthcare Reform the majority of Americans feel is still full of monumental problems.
The Impact of Stupak
Stupak is bad for patient choices...and clearly for a woman's right to choose.
If the President signs a bill with provisions like those proposed in the Stupak Amendment, it would change how health insurance companies handle abortion coverage. Over time it would lead to completely eliminating abortion coverage in insurance plans.
Currently, most employee-based insurance plans cover abortions. The Stupak amendment bans abortion coverage in any plans within the exchange that accept federal money. This applies even though coverage would be paid for personally or by employers in separate premiums. People who do not get subsidies will be able to buy plans which do cover abortion for now. The likelihood that plans which offer abortion coverage will actually exist in the exchange is unlikely, according to insurance company experts.
There are currently 5 states that prohibit private insurance from covering abortion: Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota and Oklahoma. In those states no supplemental abortion riders exist for purchase at this time.
Whether or not the intention of the bill was to severely limit abortion coverage in this country, it will.
The bottom-line is if this language passes, abortion coverage will go from being normally covered by insurance companies to abortions being normally excluded from coverage. There is no similar exclusion for any condition facing men and their reproduction...so how is this equality before the law??
Women face extra hurdles to insurance
Gender rating discriminates. Gender rating is a process of making distinctions between men and women when deciding who to cover and for how much.
The National Women's Law Center has done an in-depth and important study on Women and Insurance which can be found at :
http://nwlc.org/reformmatters/NWLCReport-NowhereToTurn-WEB.pdf
The Center found that among insurers who gender rate, the majority charge women more than men until they reach around age 55, and then some though not all, charge men more.
More disturbing was evidence that women were denied coverage for C Sections as a "pre-existing condition" or victims of domestic violence who were denied any insurance coverage. None of this is acceptable. Take a look at this study and then call your Member of Congress and tell them to stop this abuse of women.
Election Results Affirm Republicans for Choice Mantra
When Republicans fight each other we lose....
When we stick to our core values we win....
This November's elections show a clear path for Republicans if we are not too blind to see it.
Both Gubernatorial Candidates for Virginia and New Jersey ran issue oriented campaigns that emphasized GOP core values that all Republicans from both the Right and the Left agree upon:
Limited Government, Lower Taxes, Fiscal Sanity and Private Sector Job Creation...
Bob McDonnell who is a candidate from the Far Right ran a very centrist campaign. The word abortion never willingly came from his mouth. When he was attacked for having written a fairly female-demeaning thesis he had several moderate women come to his defense including a prominent African American Democrat! He ran away from what he had written and emphasized the strong and independent women in his own family not the least of which is one daughter who has served in Iraq.
His campaign was for the most part positive and issue oriented...but not social issue oriented.
He has promised to govern at the Center as he ran his campaign. We hope that is a promise he will keep! We will be watching.
Chris Christie in New Jersey is a moderate Republican who used to be solidly pro choice. Now he is personally pro-life but would not "shove his views down the throat of his constituents" which makes him pro-choice in practice. The Far Right tried to stop him from getting the nomination instead of their preferred social conservative candidate. That candidate never could have won statewide in a moderate pro-choice state like New Jersey.
Strongly pro-choice former GOP Governors Tom Kean and Christy Whitman campaigned heavily for Christie. Other pro-choice activists in the State also did their part. Christie was able to bridge between the two sides of the Party and take the GOP to victory for the first time in over a decade, overcoming a third Party moderate who tried to draw votes away from Christie.
Elsewhere the message again rang true in upstate NY. There in a hotly-contested Congressional campaign the Far Right who backed Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman, harassed and drove the pro-choice candidate Dede Scozzafava out of the race.
Hoffman then went on to lose to the Democrat Owens in a district that has been held by the GOP for over a century! Hoffman's message of social conservatism and extremism did not sit well with the district's voters. Owens went on to Congress to vote for Obamacare giving the Democrats one of their two vote victory margin in the House. Way to go Far Right!
Yes, when Republicans fight each other we lose and so does the whole country!
Guttmacher Institute report on impact
of restrictions on abortions
The Guttmacher Institute located in New York recently released a study showing the impact of Access Impediment laws across the country on women and abortion.
Access Impediment laws are restrictions meant to add roadblocks to a woman's access to abortion. Many of these laws are misportrayed as ways to inform women about the procedure and options available. In actuality they are barriers and attempt to trigger guilt and other emotions to confuse individual choices.
Guttmacher set out these stats on the different forms of these laws across the United States:
- states have laws requiring informed consent.
- 10 states require simple informed consent that mirrors what other informed consent requirements are for similar medical procedures.
- 24 states require informed consent to include "counseling", where women are often given information that is based in emotion, not in science and encumber their access to abortion services by forcing them to undergo this counseling prior to the procedure. This so called "counseling" can consist of a call into a phone line, visiting a website, or an actual visit to the doctor prior to the surgery.
Most states require this information to be given 24 hours prior to the surgery; and in the few states that require face-to-face counseling, women would have to take multiple days off work and potentially plan for multiple days of travel which disproportionately impacts low income women.
- 13 states require counseling to include a woman having the option and information given on receiving an ultrasound before the procedure.
- 5 states require that ultrasounds be given and the option to review it. Oklahoma
has the most invasive law of all- women that undergo an ultrasound must be given details of the image by the provider and she has the option to look away from the image. This law is being challenged in court. Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wyoming have considered similar laws.
The study found that despite all of these efforts to impede women's access, the only major effect the laws have is to delay the abortion. They do not change women's minds.
The most heavily impacted group was low income women who simply could not afford to incur the extra expenses associated with two days of appointments or actually get the extra time off work.
The study also found finances are one of the major reasons women decide on abortion. 73% of women selected this as one of their reasons to terminate.
They also found that 6 in 10 women consulted with their partner on their decision, and providers said most of their patients came in with their minds made up - so that these emotional appeals to try and change their decision did not work.
WHAT THE HECK WAS HE THINKING? OBAMA BLOWS IT BIG TIME!!
Our friend Frances wrote the best piece we have seen on this travesty so we will let her words speak for us...we agree...this appointment by a pro choice President makes no sense and is dangerous to the future of family planning...awful!
Excerpts from an article written by Frances Kissling our longtime friend:
"President Barack Obama's appointment of Alexia Kelley, founder of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, as director of the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives took the pro-choice movement by surprise.
On Thursday, the day that news of the appointment leaked out, Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center and a quintessential Washington insider, told me that she "hadn't heard anything about it till today, and we are trying to get to the bottom of it."
What Greenberger and others will want to know is why the post, which includes oversight of the department's faith-based grant-making in family planning, HIV and AIDS and in small-scale research into the effect of religion and spirituality on early sexual behavior, has gone to someone
who both believes abortion should be illegal and opposes contraception.That's right -- Kelley's group of self-described progressive Catholics takes a position held by only a small minority, that the Catholic church is right to prohibit birth control. Were there no qualified religious experts who hold more mainstream views on family planning and abortion, views that are consistent with those of President Obama?
The HHS budget for family-planning services grants to faith-based and community groups is more than $20 million. Can pro-family-planning religious groups expect a fair deal from a director who believes that birth control, even for married couples, is immoral?
Will programs that provide contraception to adolescents get funded? Obama's Feb. 5 Executive Order establishing a new Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships gave the office and its 11 satellites in federal agencies a policy role on the issues that are at the core of HHS's sexual and reproductive health work: addressing teen pregnancy and reducing the need for abortion.
How can an opponent of the single most effective way to do both -- contraception -- lead that effort in HHS enthusiastically and effectively?
Through Catholics in Alliance, Kelley has sought to narrow the interpretation of common ground on abortion to efforts to reduce the number of abortions by providing women who are already pregnant with economic support for continuing the pregnancy and making adoption easier.
While pro-choice advocates have been in the forefront of efforts to increase funding for women and children and for pre- and postnatal care, few researchers believe that if pregnant women get the level of support common grounders are talking about, they will jump at the chance to have babies. If one is really serious about making it possible for women to avoid abortion, contraception is the single most important component of any program.
Kelley and other moderately progressive Catholic and evangelical groups owe their pull in the Democratic Party to the disappointment of 2004. They seized on the Democratic defeat in the 2004 elections as a means to push the party to the right on sex and reproduction. Democrats, stung by their near miss in Ohio, desperate to attract swing voters, eager to prove that they were "sensitive" to religion, took the bait.
With support from George Soros and Michael Kieschnick, the founder of Working Assets and Credo Mobile, groups like Sojourners, Faith in Public Life and Catholics in Alliance entered the electoral arena. Catholics in Alliance and its sister organization, Catholics United, were active in voter registration and organizing Catholic voters in swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania in 2006 and 2008. Presenting themselves as more Catholic than the pope -- faithful to church teachings on contraception, abortion and everything else the majority of Catholics have long rejected -- the groups insisted in press release after press release that good Catholics could vote for pro-choice candidates, so long as those candidates were also working to reduce the number of abortions. After all, they admitted, it was simply not possible in the current environment to make abortion illegal, so the next best option was pushing the numbers down.
In part, Kelley's appointment is the usual political payback. Catholics and evangelicals including Kelley provided abortion cover for the president and for candidates like Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. A Democratic governor from a red state famous for the ferocity and electoral strength of its social conservatives, Sebelius won a second term in a landslide in 2006. Catholics in Alliance campaigned for her reelection. Though she faced heavy fire from the religious right when she was nominated, Sebelius is now the HHS secretary.
Kelley is a distinguished advocate of healthcare reform and the rights of poor people. For almost a decade, she worked for the Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Campaign for Human Development, a grant-making program roundly condemned by conservatives as too progressive. She entered electoral politics in 2004 when she served as the DNC liaison to the religious community. In 2005, she founded Catholics in Alliance. She has much to offer in government -- but not at HHS. There are 10 other government agencies that have faith-based offices.
A far less controversial placement could have been found at Labor, Housing and Urban Development, or the Department of Education.
Once Again the Far Right Loses its Grip....
Just before Chris Christie claimed victory in the Republican Primary for New Jersey Governor, Politico newspaper printed an article claiming the race between Christie and Steve Lonegan was a classic moderate versus conservative battle:
"The contest pits two wings of the Republican Party against each other, with Christie widely viewed as the moderate conservative with more general election appeal in a Democratic state like New Jersey and Lonegan framed as the more orthodox conservative."
The article also highlighted the Lonegan strategy of trying to frame Christie as a “moderate” in hopes of gaining traction among traditional, conservative Republican primary voters.
Guess what -- it did NOT work!
The darling of the Far Right crashed and burned so the GOP actually has a chance to retake the Governor's office in Trenton!
So why does the media still persist in claiming the Far Right has a stranglehold on the GOP?
DR. GEORGE TILLER WAS NOT AN EVIL MAN
We join with all those around the country who are in mourning for the brutal murder of late-term abortion doctor Dr. George Tiller. Our perspective is from a more personal vantage point.Ann tells us that they had the dinner at a private club since they needed to go somewhere that had the security. Dr. Tiller told her how his family was, and had been, personally harassed. As one example, his daughter had to change her wedding plans multiple times to find a secure location.Dr. Tiller was an early supporter and donor to Republicans For Choice. In 1991 he invited Ann Stone, our National Chairman, to join him and his family for dinner after she attended and spoke at a rally in Wichita, Kansas during the so-called Summer of Mercy demonstrations.
Those demonstrations were marked by sporadic bursts of violence by so-called anti-choice demonstrators. Dr. Tiller, and his clinic, was among the targets.She asked him why he continued his practice of providing late-term abortion services. He was one of only three in the country at that time that did so.His answer was swift and unconditional, "They had no where else to turn, I was their last hope...how could I turn away from them?" He then proceeded to lay out stacks
of notes he had received over the years from former patients and their families. They praised him for his courage and for being there for them when no one else would help. Some went on to tell him how their lives had improved as a result.Dr. Tiller was emotional as he talked about the agony these families had gone through in making these painful decisions. It angered him that anyone thought this was ever an easy decision. He wanted Ann to understand why this right remained so important to women and their families.Dr. Tiller left the GOP years later due to increasing pressure and antagonism from those on the Far Right in the GOP. But he had told us that Republicans For Choice (RFC) had a special part to play. Working within the GOP, to promote greater understanding of what this issue really means to women and their families, is no small task.
Great tragedies like the brutal murder of this brave man (while he was serving as an usher in his church) underlines how more needs to be done to bring the two sides together to make sure this kind of violence is stomped out once and for all.Dr. Tiller was not an evil man. He was not a baby killer. He was a dedicated physician who trusted women and their families to make the decision about this procedure. He simply remained steadfast and ready to provide this service to them if they so chose.Many of the women who came to him faced it as a life or death decision; for others it was a mental health question. Ann recalled one note from the mother of a pre-teen whose life had nearly been destroyed by her pregnancy. She wrote with great emotion of how he had saved her child when no one else would.There are two sides to the stories in the abortion wars. And both sides are quick to demonize and make examples of the most extreme cases. This is no way to find solutions or dramatically affect the abortion rate. Both sides need to think again about how the decimal level of this debate can be reduced and women and their families can benefit instead of being pawns in a public relations war.
Maybe this killing of a prominent figure who was so often demonized... a killing in his house of worship...can serve as a wake up call. Maybe some good can come of it...
and that Dr. Tiller will not have died in vain. We can only hope.
NOTE: Interestingly, Ann Stone and Dr. Tiller both belong to the same denomination, the Lutheran Church, ELCA. Their church recognizes a woman's right to choose but advocates
it as a measure of last resort. Dr. Tiller also saw it in that light.
This point is important for those who claim the moral high road and invoke religion on this issue. Many of the most mainstream religions in the US today also support this as the
woman's right to decide.
You would never know this from the mainstream media's coverage of this debate.More on Ann Stone's Views On Dr. Tiller -- http://www.womensradio.com/content/templates/?a=3729&z=62
Good News
Rush quits as "Head of the Republican Party"
We never asked him to take the job -- the media and the National Democratic Party tried to give it to him. But today, we have good news. Rush quit.
Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. He is not a political strategist. He is not a national fundraiser although he has raised money for some folks. He often agrees with Republican policy and has a platform to promote it. When he is on the same page as the GOP it is a perfect storm. When he goes way off to the Right he creates a perfect disaster. However, here it is in Rush Limbaugh’s own words:
"As any of you and all of you who have been paying attention to the Drive-By News Media the past number of months have heard, I am the titular head of the Republican Party. I have been anointed to this position by members of the Drive-By Media, and, of course, the Obama White House.
I have not been named the titular or any other head of the Republican Party by anybody in the Republican Party. And so I hereby, ladies and gentlemen, today announce that I am resigning. I am resigning as the titular head of the Republican Party. Clearly I am not the titular head of the Republican Party. It's not an office I sought. It was a position that was ladled on to me when I was appointed without my acquiescence.
So the only thing I can do to remain true to myself and to you is to resign this position that I never had in the first place. But because so many people think I am the titular head of the Republican Party today, I quit."
Resignation accepted! End of story.
New Gallup Poll Press Release Title Misleads Public
"More Americans Now identify Themselves as "Pro-Life" as the title of their press release on a new poll released 5/15/09 does not tell the whole story. Once again it shows that pollsters do not understand the issue or the implications of how they ask the questions about abortion and personal choice.This trend in self-labeling has been growing ever since the fight over the so-called "partial birth abortion." The anti choice forces scored a major public relations coup with their positioning on that fight and they have continued to build on that victory.But self-labeling is not the key in this issue when it comes to any action by government...it only indicates what they say their personal choice might be if confronted with an unintended pregnancy.Consistently the public has seen abortion as something they want to see discouraged,and more rare, but they also consistently believe this is a choice that should be left to the woman and her family and not one made by government.This position advocating a woman's right to be the one to choose continues to be held by Republicans as well. When asked the real question on the issue : "Who should decide...." just under 70% of Republicans say the individual should retain that right and with leaners we have seen it go up to 80%. That is in keeping with traditional Republican core values of getting government out of our lives.So Gallup poll...go back and ask that question...."Who should decide?"...then come back and give the public the full picture...While you are at it go back and read the 1992 book by award winning journatist, Roger Rosenblatt, Life Itself: Abortion in the American Mind...Rosenblatt carefully researched and outlines the paradox on this issue that has made finding common ground solutions the only real way to deal with this issue.... Americans strongly want abortion discouraged but ...by even higher numbers they want individuals to retain the right to make the decision.GOP are you listening? That should be your path on this issue...finding creative new solutions to prevent unintended pregnancy that would preserve individual rights...
(KCRW "To the Point": Radio download May 15, 2009) "GOP Identity ...
By womenpresidents
Ann Stone, Chairman Republicans for Choice, is on this show. She says very interesting things. (Including information on the fact that the Party elected Michael Steele not the socially conservative candidate to lead the party.) ...
Arlen Specter did not jump into the Democratic Party --he was pushed!
Before the more conservative elements of the Republican Party start their celebration over the departure of our good friend Arlen Specter, maybe they need a little reality check. They got what they wanted...or did they?
Now the Democrats will likely have a filibuster proof Senate; Specter will now likely vote against the secret ballot for union members (the so called card check); they will have lost one of the GOP's most shrewd negotiators and legislators ,or have they forgotten the number of really tough issues on which Arlen took the lead?
Do they remember his ferocious interrogation of Anita Hill (not one of our finest GOP moments) or his chart on Hillary Healthcare?
Some credit Arlen as the main reason the GOP was able to stop that government-backed healthcare plan back in the 90's. Who will lead that fight now and how effective will they be?
Another key point worth mentioning -- how do you get to be the Majority Party again through subtraction in your ranks?
Do Conservatives think driving out voters like Arlen, who agree with folks like me on the social issues will really help them win in the future?
Most folks who agree with me and Republicans for Choice on these matters of personal choice have been Republican longer that those "Republicans" who shout epithets at us and tell us to leave.
As Republicans we have a proud history of fostering independent thought. In fact it is at the center of our beliefs. We have battled each other when we disagree but in the end we have always pulled together to advance our core principles of limited government, fiscal conservatism, strong national defense and personal freedom.
Arlen was one of our champions of independent thought....can't wait to see how the Democrats handle that part of his personality.
Over the past couple of decades the GOP leadership has lost their way; trampled our principles and destroyed the Republican "brand."
In their anger at Senator Specter for his pivotal vote for the wasteful Stimulus Bill (clearly
not his best moment), they with the loud vocal help of the misguided conservative activists in Pennsylvania, finished pushing him out of the GOP. In the next few years I believe they will look back and realize he was much better as one of our members in the Tent than in the other camp against us.Our new RNC Chairman needs to help create an atmosphere immediately where folks like
our supporters will feel more welcome in the Party or he will risk having more follow Arlen.
OLDER INFORMATION
Michael Steele Wins RNC Chairmanship
NEW DAY FOR THE GOP!!
Republicans For Choice (RFC) is ecstatic over the election of both Michael Steele as Chair and Jan Larimer as Co-Chair of the Republican Party. Our heartfelt congratulations to them both.Mike and Jan are open-minded, moderate conservatives who believe in working with everyone in the Republican Party. Litmus tests are NOT a part of who they are. This is truly a new day for the GOP that holds real promise for the future.Keep tuned ....there is more to follow....
Republicans name an African American as their Party Chairman
Christian Science Monitor - Boston,MA,USA
Republicans wanted “a new face, they want[ed] to show that there is change in the Party,” said Party activist Ann Stone, a Steele supporter. ...
S.C. Republican leader loses bid to be national party head - Local ...
Steve Scheffler, head of the Iowa Christian Alliance, said Steele had ties to Republicans for Choice, Log Cabin Republicans and others at odds with party conservatives. "It's a whole group that is as far left as you can get," Scheffler ...
MyrtleBeachOnline.com: Local - http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/index.xmlThe GOP’s Last Chance | The Root
By Saaret
I spoke with many of them (people like Ron Kaufman, Sally Atwater, Ann Stone, former RNC Chair Jim Nicholson and others) and we talked about the old days, and I asked them how it felt to have a party now run by a black ...
Site RSS Feed - http://www.theroot.com/siterss/feed
From RFC Advisory Board member, Jan Nicolay, Co-Chair, SD Campaign for Healthy Families
The South Dakota State Health Committee just rejected Senate Bill 92, a measure that would have restricted access to abortion and would not have improved education or prevention programs in the state. Stopping SB 92 was a positive step, but there is still a chance a small group of legislators may try to force the bill out of committee since they are determined to re- ignite the divisive debate over abortion politics. Polling shows the people of South Dakota want constructive solutions, not restrictions.
Now their Legislature will consider Senate Bill 134, a measure that requires health insurance plans in South Dakota to include FDA-approved contraceptives as a part of any prescription drug plan. Providing insurance coverage for contraceptives would improve public health. It would also reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy and, thereby, reduce the need for abortion.
Contact these legislators today and encourage them to support Senate Bill 134!
- More than 80,000 women in South Dakota are currently in need of contraception services and supplies.
- During these tough economic times, passing contraceptive equity legislation will improve public health and provide cost-savings for employers - all without spending a dime of taxpayer money.
- Improving access to contraception will prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion in South Dakota.
ELECTION 2008 NEWSWhile Republicans were suffering loses all over the country, pro-choice Republicans were sailing through to re-election.
Let me add emphasize right upfront that we did re-elect all but one of our pro-choice House members -- great legislators like Mark Kirk and Judy Biggert who won even though they ran in Obama's home state of Illinois...no small feat.....and Mike Castle who ran in Joe Biden's home state of Delaware.
Then there is also Charlie Dent in Pennsylvania, Rodney Frelinghuysen in New Jersey, Brian Bilbray and Mary Bono Mack in California.All of these folks won in states the GOP lost. Only Shelley Moore Capito was re-elected in West Virginia which the GOP also won.
So the strength of our GOP pro-choice victories is even more impressive!!
While pro-choice Republicans lost one of our strongest allies, Chris Shays in CT -- we actually picked up 3 new pro-choice members in challenger races -- Leonard Lance in NJ, Lynn Jenkins in KS, and Steve Stivers in OH.
Most cheerful of all is the re-election of Senator Susan Collins of Maine after a very tough race.
But the best news of all....decisive ballot victories on all
4 state initiatives!!Let's be clear about this -- the pro-choice side on each of these initiatives won!
Now our challenge is to build on these victories and take the GOP back to its roots of fighting government interference in our lives... in the lives of both men and women!
Our membership asked that we concentrate on these issues even
to the detriment of diverting resources from candidates and our
efforts paid off:California Proposition 4:
Abortion restrictionParental notification - This measure would have amended the state constitution to require physicians to notify the parents or legal guardian of a pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion involving that minor.
The measure did not require that parent or guardian's actual consent in order to perform the abortion. Exceptions are provided in the cases of medical emergencies.
Also, an adult family may be notified instead if the minor fears abuse from the parent or guardian. Parents may also waive the notification requirement.
Colorado Amendment 48:
Fetus as Human Life from Moment of ConceptionFetus as Person - This measure would have amended the state constitution to define the term "person" to include "any human being from the moment of fertilization."
This definition would have applied to all aspects of the state constitution, including the provisions that ensure that no person has his or her life, liberty, or property taken away without due process of law.
Thus, the measure would have essentially had the effect of banning abortion.
Michigan Proposition 2:
Pro-Stem Cell Research
Stem Cell Research - This measure would have amended the state constitution to permit human embryonic stem cell research with certain restrictions.The embryos must have been created for fertility treatment purposes; they must have been otherwise discarded; and they may not be used more than 14 days after cell division has begun.
South Dakota Initiative 11:
Abortion Ban - Deja vu all over again..
Abortion Ban defeated AGAIN - RFC worked on this in 2006 as well - This measure would have prohibited all abortions in the state except in cases where mother's life or health is at risk or in cases of rape or incest for pregnancies of less than 20 weeks.A similar measure that did not include exceptions for rape or the health of the mother was on the ballot in 2006, but was rejected by voters 44 to 56 percent.
The GOP may have lost the Presidency to the Democrats but there were major wins for the GOP pro-choice majority in the Party!
———————————————————————————
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 | info@republicansforchoice.com"This Republicans For Choice committee is a political action group and is not a part of, or affiliated with, Planned Parenthood."
ELECTION 2008 NEWS
While Republicans were suffering loses all over the country, pro-choice Republicans were sailing through to re-election.
Let me add emphasize right upfront that we did re-elect all but one of our pro-choice House members -- great legislators like Mark Kirk and Judy Biggert who won even though they ran in Obama's home state of Illinois...no small feat.....and Mike Castle who ran in Joe Biden's home state of Delaware.
Then there is also Charlie Dent in Pennsylvania, Rodney Frelinghuysen in New Jersey, Brian Bilbray and Mary Bono Mack in California.All of these folks won in states the GOP lost. Only Shelley Moore Capito was re-elected in West Virginia which the GOP also won.
So the strength of our GOP pro-choice victories is even more impressive!!
While pro-choice Republicans lost one of our strongest allies, Chris Shays in CT -- we actually picked up 3 new pro-choice members in challenger races -- Leonard Lance in NJ, Lynn Jenkins in KS, and Steve Stivers in OH.
Most cheerful of all is the re-election of Senator Susan Collins of Maine after a very tough race.
But the best news of all....decisive ballot victories on all
4 state initiatives!!Let's be clear about this -- the pro-choice side on each of these initiatives won!
Now our challenge is to build on these victories and take the GOP back to its roots of fighting government interference in our lives... in the lives of both men and women!
Our membership asked that we concentrate on these issues even
to the detriment of diverting resources from candidates and our
efforts paid off:California Proposition 4:
Abortion restrictionParental notification - This measure would have amended the state constitution to require physicians to notify the parents or legal guardian of a pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion involving that minor.
The measure did not require that parent or guardian's actual consent in order to perform the abortion. Exceptions are provided in the cases of medical emergencies.
Also, an adult family may be notified instead if the minor fears abuse from the parent or guardian. Parents may also waive the notification requirement.
Colorado Amendment 48:
Fetus as Human Life from Moment of ConceptionFetus as Person - This measure would have amended the state constitution to define the term "person" to include "any human being from the moment of fertilization."
This definition would have applied to all aspects of the state constitution, including the provisions that ensure that no person has his or her life, liberty, or property taken away without due process of law.
Thus, the measure would have essentially had the effect of banning abortion.
Michigan Proposition 2:
Pro-Stem Cell Research
Stem Cell Research - This measure would have amended the state constitution to permit human embryonic stem cell research with certain restrictions.The embryos must have been created for fertility treatment purposes; they must have been otherwise discarded; and they may not be used more than 14 days after cell division has begun.
South Dakota Initiative 11:
Abortion Ban - Deja vu all over again..
Abortion Ban defeated AGAIN - RFC worked on this in 2006 as well - This measure would have prohibited all abortions in the state except in cases where mother's life or health is at risk or in cases of rape or incest for pregnancies of less than 20 weeks.A similar measure that did not include exceptions for rape or the health of the mother was on the ballot in 2006, but was rejected by voters 44 to 56 percent.
The GOP may have lost the Presidency to the Democrats but there were major wins for the GOP pro-choice majority in the Party!
———————————————————————————
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 | info@republicansforchoice.com"This Republicans For Choice committee is a political action group and is not a part of, or affiliated with, Planned Parenthood."
