Clinton Mailer Offends Pro-Choice Voters
Yesterday in the mail I, and thousands of others, received a piece of mail from the Clinton campaign that Planned Parenthood of New England's Chair, Wendy Frosh, calls a "Swift Boat" attack on Obama. The mailer asserts that Obama is "unwiling to take a stand on choice" implying that he has voted against women's reproductive rigths and that only Clinton is trustworthy when it comes to reproductive choice.
Shame on Clinton for allowing this misinformation to be circulated. The comparison to the "Swift Boat" attack on Kerry is appropriate once you learn that Obama has not only been endorsed by the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, i.e. the same folks he supposedly turned his back on, but that he actually developed the voting strategy (the very one Clinton criticizes) in consultation with Illinois' pro-choice organizations. Clinton accuses Obama of casting a "present" vote rather than an outright "no" vote because he did not want to take a stand for choice. In fact, the "present" vote was a strategy developed by Planned Parenthood to protect pro-choice legislators who were being targeted by anti-abortion activists for defeat in the next election. As Pam Sutherland, President of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, said in a press release: "the tactic was about politics, not policy -- and Obama didn't let them get away with it." Planned Parenthood was very concerned with keeping their friends in office to continue to defeat anti-choice legislation and their strategey worked. Ms. Sutherland went on to say, "...Obama was a strong and consistent supporter of women's reproductive rights....Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area has proudly endorsed Barack throughout his entie political career."
Politics as usual seems to be Clinton's strategy this week. That's why I'm voting for honest change.
I am Confused-Is Deception a Good or a Bad Thing?Submitted by Brian on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 19:59.
I am confused. You chastise the Clinton Campaign for "misinformation" and deception about Obama's voting record, then you defend Obama by informing everyone that his "present" vote was a political move to deceive voters who are Pro-Life.
It shouldn't matter if a voter is pro-choice or pro-life. Aren't we the voters entitled to the truth about a candidate's position? Isn't this the basic principle of our democracy? You state you support Obama, and to quote your profile, "(I) was looking for a candidate who respected the power and value of the individual at all levels of society and in other parts of the world."
Is lying to the electorate "presidential? Are Clinton's and Obama's attempts to deceive voters respecting them? I think not! Let's have a little honesty and let the voters decide.