October 2004 Archives

Former NARAL Pro-Choice America President Kate Michelman spoke out today in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on women’s rights and the ever-nearing election.

The future of women's rights, our lives and our health are at risk in the presidential election. Over the past several decades, women have made significant progress toward the goal of full equality, but since taking office George W. Bush has endangered that progress.

I would say not only has he endangered that process, he’s fucking chipped away at it for four years!

So check out Women's rights mandates vote for Kerry, for the scary stats on Bushie and some inspiration to get your ass in gear on Tuesday!

In a disturbing editorial this morning conservative author Paul Kengor reminds us that, "In Pennsylvania, the votes of pro-life Democrats may prove a powerful force on November 2." In fact, according to Kengor, there are more anti-choice Democrats in Pennsylvania than in any other state. (sigh). His editorial, Abortion: the swing issue?, provides a walk down memory lane with Bush's frightening war on reproductive rights.

It starts in 2001, with Bush signing the Global Gag Rule on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, effectively prohibiting any U.S. money from going to international organizations that perform abortions or provide post-abortion counseling. Fast forward to Bush's signing of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act in August 2002 and the "Sanctity of Life" bill in January 2003. Oh, and we can't forget his signing of the partial-birth abortion ban last November. Now, that's *a lot* of rollbacks for four years. And then there is the alternative...

Kengor discusses Kerry's appearance at a NARAL Pro-Choice America dinner last year, where Kerry referenced his freshman speech in Congress. In 1994 Kerry woke up the Senate floor by proudly proclaimed that: "The right thing to do is to treat abortions as exactly what they are -- a medical procedure that any doctor is free to provide and any pregnant woman free to obtain. Consequently, abortions should not have to be performed in tightly guarded clinics on the edge of town; they should be performed and obtained in the same locations as any other medical procedure.... [A]bortions need to be moved out of the fringes of medicine and into the mainstream of medical practice." AMEN!!!

I would love to have a president that could free up some of my Saturday mornings from clinic defense work. I would love to have a president that didn't make me feel like I needed to create a mass stockpile of my birth control pills. I would love to have a president that unabashedly supported my right to make decisions about my body.

While Kengor's editorial seemed intent on frightening, I choose to read it as a call to action. He states his claim pretty clearly, "Among the left, a John F. Kerry victory would be viewed as not just a win for Democrats but a huge victory for legalized abortion, just as a Bush re-election would be a continuing triumph for forces allied against legalized abortion." If you're still uncertain about whether or not you're going to vote on Tuesday, *please* think again...

Any *pro-choice* Pennsylvania voters out there with thoughts on Kengor's editorial?

While it’s easy to get caught up in the brouhaha of the presidential election, it’s amazingly important that we don’t forget about remaining active locally.

For those of you in California, make sure you’re paying attention to Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.

According to a release by NARAL Pro-Choice California, Prop 71 will “support stem cell research at California hospitals, medical schools and universities, to develop life-saving therapies and cures for diseases that could save the lives of millions of California children and adults, reduce state health care costs and provide a boost to regional economies and the state at large.”

Prop 71 would allocate $300 million per year over ten years for stem cell research. As we’ve reported before, this amount of money is pretty much what is being spent now by the federal government on embryonic stem cell research.

So get to it, CA!

For more information go to YesOn71.

While Election Day drawing near, one must be informed of the voting process and her/his rights. One should do this especially considering the talk of shiesty shit (try saying that 5 times fast) being pulled, and our votes ultimately not being counted. A great resource for updated news on voting rights and the election is VerifiedVoting.org. Their mission statement is consisted of three parts as follows:

-To inform the public of the problems with relying on electronic voting machines to record and count our votes, without the backup of a voter-verifiable audit trail.

-To provide a list of actions voters can take, and to encourage them to act on their own behalf to ensure that all their votes count accurately in future elections.

Check out their Action Center that gives you tips to ensure reliable voting where you live, and to take action against the possible threats to our rights as voters. As they quote Kevin Shelly, California Secretary of State:

“The core of our American democracy is the right to vote. Implicit in that right is the notion that that vote be private, that vote be secure, and that vote be counted as it was intended when it was cast by the voter. And I think what we're encountering is a pivotal moment in our democracy where all of that is being called into question.”

Word. Now let’s do something about it.

In an article in the Post-Standard yesterday titled, “Chocolate Chunks Sway Voters”, you can only guess what that means. That’s right, it’s a Candidate’s Wives Cookie Bake-Off! You have got to be shitting me.

No, unfortunately not. Apparently the newspaper took a poll of Central New Yorkers on their preference between Teresa Heinz Kerry’s pumpkin spice cookies and Laura Bush’s oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies.

“The cookies were educational projects for schools, classes and social agencies. The idea was to have fun and focus on the events of the presidential election. The cookie votes were cast strictly on taste. More than 400 people took the time to let us know what their taste buds selected.”

Wow. I’m all for getting involved in fun ways to “focus on the events of the presidential election”, but then why, please, tell me why cookies?? Ugh. I can't think of a worse way to trivialize the two women. Yet I wouldn’t be surprised if Laura was thrilled, especially when she found out that her cookie won the poll. Should we be surprised she won in a bake-off anyway?

As we’ve reported before, there’s only one choice next Tuesday when it comes to equal pay for women.

Women’s Enews took a look at the candidates recently, showing how each one could potentially hurt—or help—their pocketbooks.

The article notes that working women represent almost 65 million votes, yet these women still earn less than men in every state.

The wage gap for women (contested by a freaky few) is still at the very sad 76 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

Women’s Enews author Robin Hindery makes the very good point that despite Bush’s W Stands for Women nonsense, Bush “makes no mention of the wage gap in his official platform.” Huh. Imagine that.

Hindery also notes that a raise in the minimum wage—which Kerry has vowed to bring up to $7 per hour—would disproportionately benefit single working mothers. That’s an advantage I could get behind…

What about Bush?

Bush opted not to address the minimum wage issue in the debate, and shifted the conversation instead to the importance of education. He also does not discuss the issue on his campaign Web site.

During his 2000 campaign, Bush told The Associated Press that he supported a $1 increase in the minimum wage, but only if states could opt out. However, he has rejected all wage-increase proposals since being elected.

So ladies, even if you’re not thinking about the amazing amount of reproductive rights-related reasons to vote for Kerry next week, don’t forget about your pocketbooks. Cause I know I can’t afford Bush for another four years.

Check out the Chicago Tribune today for a piece on the candidates’ wives, and how both Bush and Kerry are using “strongest supporter to get out his message.”

Weirdest line?

Part of the reason the women are so visible is to help humanize their husbands.

I think that a presidential candidate should be human enough by themselves, thank you very much. I just hate when folks put forth the idea that women somehow “soften” a candidate’s image. As if they have nothing else to offer….

From the Sun Sentinel in south Fla.—most disturbing opening paragraph of an article, ever:

First daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush came to Miami on Monday with a new twist on a familiar plea: vote for my dad because he has been good to women.

Yeah, Bush has been great for women. He takes those pesky reproductive rights off your hands, and makes sure that you’re not bothered by the annoyance of things like equal pay and affordable child care. Cause who needs those bothers?!

Jenna went on to say that her dad “is open-minded...He also listens to us and gives us room to develop our own ideas and opinions.” But not your own choices, Jenna. Those are for the men-folk to decide, silly!

Are we really supposed to buy this crap?

NARAL Pro-Choice New York is taking action against state senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset), sending out 20,000 postcards calling him out for being "a dinosaur on women's health" issues.

NARAL NY’s deputy director Robert Jaffe said that the mailing is a response to Marcellino’s backing of a state bill "that would send doctors to jail for providing safe abortions even in cases of rape, incest or when a mother's life is at risk,” and for "blocking a bill making it easier for women to obtain and afford birth control."

I’m from NY, and while it’s a fairly progressive state, actions like these serve as all too important reminders that no matter where you live your reproductive rights are in danger.

Click here to find out what the repro rights laws are in your state…

NARAL Pro-Choice America’s interim president Elizabeth Cavendish spoke out yesterday about Justice Rehnquist’s illness:

Like all Americans, we wish Justice Rehnquist well. He and his family are in our thoughts.

If President Bush were to nominate Supreme Court Justices in the mode of judges he has named so far, the right to privacy and right to choose would be doomed. Americans who believe in choice will show up in record numbers next Tuesday to make sure that does not happen.

Cavendish was also quoted in the Columbus Dispatch, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Philadelphia Daily News on the importance of future Supreme Court nominees.