NARAL endorses Obama
There are endorsements, then there are endorsements. And this one has to hurt Hillary Clinton.
The National Abortion Rights Action League's Pro-Choice America political action committee, which has steadfastly backed Clinton throughout her political career, gave its blessing today to Barack Obama.
The Associated Press is reporting that NARAL's political committee board was divided between Clinton and Obama supporters, but eventually voted unanimously to support the Illinois senator.
NARAL officials said they were not snubbing Clinton, who is seeking to be the first female president, but rather an acknowledgement that Obama is likely to be the nominee and that there is a growing rift between black voters and white female activists, the AP reported.
NARAL president Nancy Keenan said in a statement: "Today, we are proud to put our organization's grass-roots and political support behind the pro-choice candidate whom we believe will secure the Democratic nomination and advance to the general election. That candidate is Senator Obama."
UPDATE: "There are few more tireless defenders of women’s rights in this country than NARAL Pro-Choice America and I’m proud to accept their support," Obama said in a statement. "For decades, they have worked in the courthouse, in the legislature, and in the streets to make sure that women have the right to choose. This is a fundamental civil right that I've fought to protect in Illinois and in Washington, that’s being threatened by Senator McCain, and that I'll be fighting in the months ahead to make secure today, tomorrow, and always."
UPDATE: Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said he was surprised by the NARAL endorsement, the AP reported. And another key abortion rights group criticized NARAL's decision.
Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, which raises money for like-minded female candidates, issued a statement: "I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton - who held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade - to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them."
Yeah,yea,yea,NARAL? These people are nuts anyway.
They also endorsed Lieberman over Lamont- They are toast for women-
As an Obama supporter, I do not put much stock in interest group endorsements. The Human Rights Campaign endorsed Susan Collins in Maine. A woman who, while supporting gay-rights issues, is a Republican who rubberstamps all of Bush's policies and appointed judges that are against gay rights. Therefore, she did not deserve the endorsement.
Left-leaning interest groups need to work together to elect inspirational progressive candidates period. Lamont over Lieberman. Allen over Collins. Obama over Clinton.
However much you knock them, I think Hillary and Harold Wolfson would have grabbed there hands off for the endorsement!
Well at least some feminist are using their brains instead of their emotions. Now if we could just get those uneducated white folks headed in the right direction we could have a land slide in Novemeber.
Who cares????
Give the woman one more thing to cry about over her corn flakes. Poor Mrs. Clinton. The world's a tough nut to crack, huh sister?
Great story! Now we just need the uneducated to get onboard and Obama will be unstoppable. BTW Whay arn't you blue collar workers offended by Hillary calling you the countries uneducated white people? If your too dumb to realize it I would understand. I will be offended for you.
OBAMA 08
Kate Michelman came out for Obama a long time ago. NARAL is following her lead. Michaelman's endorsement, published in the Huffington Post, is, frankly, embarrassing. She sees Obama as a messiah figure. I know this will sting, but this is typical of Obama supporters (followers, really): it's about how Obama makes them feel not whether he's right on the ideas or whether he can be elected. When Obama's handlers were test marketing their product, they knew right away they had a shot at the prize when they recorded the emotional way liberal Democrats were responding to the glittering generalities the Obama campaign were pitching (they even test marketed and devised a logo fit for armbands and banners). Clinton has all the right ideas for Democrats, but she doesn't make them feel good. Hard-nosed, practical people often lose out to the vacuous and charismatic (charisma is a manufactured essence). To be blunt about it, the Obama candidacy is a personality cult. Those who will put McCain in the White House (likely with a mandate) are impervious to the manufactured magic of Barrack Obama. The bottom line is that we need a smart and experienced politician with the best ideas, not an "extraordinary leader" who makes us feel good. One would think that there are enough scary analogs in history of politicians supposedly worthy of unquestioning devotion, the most recent example of which is George Bush. I guess I should be happy Obama won't win, but that means McCain will, and a McCain presidency will be a disaster for working people, minorities, and women. I can't be happy about that.
Her own SISTERS......HEH1HEH!HEH!
Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, which raises money for like-minded female candidates, issued a statement: "I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton - who held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade - to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them."
Ms. Malcolm should say what she really means, because what she said in this statement does not fly. In particular, the last sentence. Obama is an elected leader who stands up for reproductive rights. What exactly is disconcerting about the choice community standing with him over Hillary? Why is she owed this courtesy over Obama? The sense that she is owed something, entitled? God forbid someone knock her off the pedestal. And Ms. Malcolm calss herself a feminist? Funny. :)
Yeah, well what do you expect - go with a looser or go with a winner? Duh....
Right-On FL_Voter, See! There really is hope for those who are intellectually undernourshied and swim to the left of the Bell Curve. Today Obama! Tomorrow Pro-life!
NARAL ought to be ashamed of themeselves they protect womens rights and then turn on a woman candidate for president...I can see how pro woman they are...
yes, naral ought to be ashamed. i am disgusted and disappointed to see this stab in the back to someone who has inspired others and worked tirelessly for this organization. i am outa naral.
Hillary's list of "people to screw over when I get a chance" just got a little longer. And they better believe she'll be checking it twice.
It's a funny thing how murderers and liars turn on their own. You'd expect them to be... I don't know... honorable? But then they act like... well, like the murderers and liars that they are.
Never again! Never again will I support or give money to National NARAL.
Obama has a consistent history of supporting reproductive rights. He still gets support of Cassey and other democrats who are pro-life.
In 1997, Obama voted against SB 230, which would have turned doctors into felons by banning so-called partial-birth abortion, & against a 2000 bill banning state funding. "...these bills didn't include anything...to protect the health of the mother."
http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm
"The Republicans...loved to hold votes on 'partial birth' and 'born alive'. . . because they wanted to pigeonhole Democrats" said Pam Sutherland, the president and CEO of the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council. Obama said "My members are being attacked. We need to figure out a way to protect members and to protect women"
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/obama-abortion-.html
Sutherland convinced him to vote "present." A "present" was as good as an outright "no" because it kept the bills from reaching the majority needed to pass.
April 28, 2008: Obama Criticizes Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban - Claims dangerous procedure needed for women's health
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08042805.html
In 8 years in IL senate, Obama voted 129 times PRESENT out of 4000 votes cast. That is only 3% yet he passed over 800 bills!
www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html
Illinois legislators often vote "present" and for a variety of reasons. Sometimes blocs of lawmakers do it as a protest...in other cases, lawmakers do it to signal objections to the details of a measure that they support in principle.
This decision was made internally by NARAL Pro-Choice America, based in Washington D.C., and without the consultation of the NARAL state affiliates across the country,
FIRE THE DC STAFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So much for DEMOCRACY, right? So much for womens' rights!!!!!!!!!!
Clinton or Mc Cain in November
The timing of Naral's endorsement was absolutely stupid. If Obama is the probable nominee, why not wait until it's official? Did it think that its endorsement would bring more women into Obama's camp? Did it think that its endorsement
would induce Hillary to not compete in the remaining primaries? The most obvious result (look at Naral's own blog site) has been to outrage the many
Hillary supporters who also supported Naral. In my view, the endorsement
will make it harder for Obama to bring those women back into his camp come the general election, not easier.
That said, I would urge voters who support a pro-choice position to vote for the Democrat in November if only because McCain and the Republican Party have never been friendly to that position.
NARAL I will no longer support you financially or politically...shame on you for your support of Obama. I don't understand why the leading dems and womens groups are turning their backs on her...seriously what has she done to hurt anyone. She has been through hell due to the reps and she is still standing, she is a fighter and tough, what a great woman.
I tried on several occasions to find Obama's position on women's rights from his campaign website only to be told to 'click here' for women's issues which led me to a page which said, this page does not exist. I was doubting that he stood for any women's issues. I'm glad to see that he is pro-choice but I'm also extremely disappointed in NARAL for backing him over Clinton. I guess having a 'schmecky' seems to be what counts in this media driven world.
Another comment. Obama & Edwards appeared in Republican Grand Rapids to announce Edwards' support for his candidacy. Lots of money there too - too bad he didn't answer 'Sweetie' - those left with a job in Democratic Detroit would like to know where he stands.
Oh, yes, having a degree doesn't necessarily make you intelligent - look at Bush, Cheney & the rest of the deciderers in Washington.
To the poster of Comment 19,
You really ought to do yourself a favor and check the ages of the Supreme Court members. The 2 oldest members are liberals, the 3 youngest are conservatives. John Paul Stevens in particular would be 92 by the end of a McCain presidency.
If you want to vote for McCain over Obama in November then that is certainly your right. But you ought to think long and hard about whether you really want to be a part of creating a voting block on the Supreme Court consisting of Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scalia, and 1 or 2 McCain nominees.
I don't think that I'm exaggerating when I say that the court is on the cusp of shifting drastically to the right, and that would be an absolute disaster for the women's rights that you claim to hold so dear. Really think it over, that's all I ask.
I agree that it is disrespectful to Senator Clinton. She has worked so hard for womens and childrens issues througout her career. We seniors (and almost seniors) fought for the rights and priveliges that younger people have today. Heck! they can now run for president of the country or of a large company. Obama benefited from our struggles but still thinks that women are "sweeties"
When he called his grandmother who raised and no doubt sacrificed for him a racist to support a pastor friend I lost all respect for him. He has no family loyalty. He and his supporters don't realize that we gave him and his supporters these priveliges and we can take them back by voting for John McCain and giving him (John McCain) the freedom to pick his judges. Hillary has always been a fighter and even though she has been through hell she will always stand up for womens and childrens issues.
I agree that it is disrespectful to Senator Clinton. She has worked so hard for womens and childrens issues througout her career. We seniors (and almost seniors) fought for the rights and priveliges that younger people have today. Heck! they can now run for president of the country or of a large company. Obama benefited from our struggles but still thinks that women are "sweeties"
When he called his grandmother who raised and no doubt sacrificed for him a racist to support a pastor friend I lost all respect for him. He has no family loyalty. He and his supporters don't realize that we gave him and his supporters these priveliges and we can take them back by voting for John McCain and giving him (John McCain) the freedom to pick his judges. Hillary has always been a fighter and even though she has been through hell she will always stand up for womens and childrens issues.
As a pro-life Democrat am am saddened and appalled by all of these comments. If the Democrats won't protect the little ones, then who will? We all know one thing though..... Obama and Hillary think it's okay to pull al iving child out of it's mothers womb and crush it's skull. Hey no problem. Just another disposable human being.
SWEETIE. You endorse a male who talked down to a working woman?
I just can't believe it. Men will always rule over what happens to our bodies I guess.
Don't lose faith, men and women who support the cause for economic equality and reproductive choice. NARAL has lost the support of a majority of their members over this. Take a look at the 3,000 comments on their website of feminists who have removed their endorsement for NARAL. This was a decision made by very few people, and they will pay dearly for it.
Obama is not the right choice, and not because he is a man, but because his record is far too short to be meaningful to this issue. We mustn't give in to the romantic notion that a less experienced candidate is what we need for this country.
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