Dissension in NARAL's ranks

A prominent abortion rights group's endorsement of Barack Obama last week is continuing to cause waves.

After NARAL Pro-Choice America's political committee announced its decision, several state affiliates, including the one in Massachusetts, made clear that they were not involved in the choice and were remaining neutral themselves.

Now, nearly 50 NARAL supporters in the Bay State, headlined by House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, Senate president Therese Murray, and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and also including other state legislators, have sent a letter to national NARAL leader Nancy Keenan to retract the endorsement.

"As strong supporters of NARAL in Massachusetts, we are dismayed that NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president when another candidate -- Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton -- has a much stronger record on the issues your organization espouses," they write.

"We are stunned you would endorse someone who, while in the Illinois Senate, showed his unwillingness to take a stand on reproductive rights by voting 'present' seven times on Republican anti-choice legislation," the letter continues. "More than anything, we are disappointed you endorsed a candidate with the above record over a candidate who throughout her career has exhibited an unwavering dedication to securing reproductive rights and enhancing health care for women worldwide."

The letter ends with a none-too-veiled warning:

"We believe NARAL’s endorsement was not only the wrong one, but entirely premature. We encourage you to retract your endorsement and -- at the very least -- wait until the Democratic nominee is clear. It is imperative we have a pro-choice President in the White House again. To do that, we need party unity. Your endorsement choice and timing do not further that cause."

UPDATE: NARAL this afternoon released a reply from Keenan in which she explains the reasoning and timing of the endorsement.

"My experience as an elected official taught me that politics is about making choices. (I know most of you faced some tough choices in your political careers so this is no surprise.) NARAL Pro-Choice America is the political leader of the pro-choice movement and our organization’s role is to galvanize pro-choice voters -- men and women, Republican, Democratic, and Independent alike -- to go to the polls this November and elect a pro-choice president. Both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton have mobilized millions of new voters, many who represent the next generation of our movement. We are facing a unique moment of opportunity with those individuals - and in order to reach them, educate them, and persuade them to join the pro-choice cause, we must speak to them now. To do so effectively, we must be for someone, not just against John McCain," Keenan writes.

"This is an historic election and we have often said that Americans have been fortunate to have two fully pro-choice candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination. Throughout this campaign, we have consistently praised both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton for their leadership in standing up for women’s reproductive rights, but only one candidate can advance to the general election. We believe that candidate is Sen. Obama.

"The timing of our endorsement was based on several factors. Sen. Obama leads overwhelmingly in the important markers leading to the nomination: pledged delegates, superdelegates, popular vote and cash on hand. With only a handful of contests left before June 3, Sen. Obama needs fewer than 30% of the remaining delegates to win; Sen. Clinton needs to win more than 70%. He is very likely going to be the Democratic nominee....Second, the vast majority of voters still don’t know just how pro-choice Barack Obama is and how anti-choice John McCain has been during the quarter-century he has been in Washington, DC. Many voters who may be inclined to support McCain don’t know his positions on specific issues, particularly his consistent opposition to a woman’s right to choose. They believe instead that John McCain is a 'moderate' and a 'maverick' so assume he must be pro-choice.

"Senator Obama needs an organization like ours to help close the identification gap with key voting constituencies before the fall campaign begins in earnest and people’s opinions are already formed about the two candidates. We can help ensure a pro-choice victory in November, but only if we act now," Keenan writes.