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January 7, 2008
McCain: Not a Choice for Pro-Choice Independent Voters
Nancy Keenan is president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
By most accounts, independents will constitute 45 percent of voters in the New Hampshire presidential primary - and that’s why this important audience should know that Sen. John McCain is not (nor has he ever been) pro-choice.
You think that’s common knowledge? Think again. A poll taken by Fox News showed 52 percent of voters were unaware of McCain’s position on choice. And we know from our research that McCain’s self-described “moderate-maverick” rhetoric gives people the impression that he doesn’t share the far-right Republican Party’s harsh anti-abortion stance. Wrong.
NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Congressional Scorecard on Choice documents how McCain has voted for attacks on legal abortion, birth control, and a wide range of reproductive-health issues. Check it out here.
McCain also joins Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson among the candidates who have called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
New Hampshire voters are overwhelmingly pro-choice and oppose political interference in women’s personal, private medical decisions. In 2006, Granite State voters reelected pro-choice Gov. John Lynch and elected two new pro-choice members of Congress, Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter. Voters also returned the state legislature to pro-choice hands, thus opening the door for the successful repeal of a dangerous and divisive anti-choice law in the 2007 session.
You can see why anti-choice candidates like McCain want to downplay their opposition to a woman’s right to choose in New Hampshire - but, if you know any pro-choice independent voters who are still on the fence, make sure they have the facts about McCain’s hostile record against women’s freedom and privacy.
Posted by Bush v. Choice at January 7, 2008 2:06 PM
Comments
First of all let me begin my stating that I am coming to you as an opponent from the opposite side of this issue. I hate Abortion and I have been a member in the past and have given to the NRLC, and hate NARAL.
I especially hate Third Trimester Abortions.
Having said that the reason I am rebutting this article about John McCain. The NRLC endorses Senator Fred Thompson for President due to his 100% Pro-Life voting record. They did not endorse Senator John McCain due to his voting record that the NRLC has. On Abortion issues Senator John McCain does not vote very often, and when the Senator does vote it is not all Pro-Life. Senator John McCain, according to the NRLC, in the last 7 years has voted 22 Pro-Life and 15 Pro-Choice votes in the Senate, and has not voted a fair amount of times.
He is considered weak to Pro-Life voters on the subject of abortion. In fact, Senator McCain is not being controlled by NARAL or NRLC, he has always had an Independent mind. The above article is just looking at it through the eyes of a person who is a Pro-Abortion Robot. The fact is that Senator McCain looks at every issue carefully regarding abortion and goes from there.
Posted by: easeltine at January 15, 2008 8:15 PM
Senator McCain is not your NARAL Pro-Choice Abortion Robot, nor is the Senator your NRLC Pro-Life Anti-Abortion robot. The fact is that the Senator, according to the NRLC, has voted 22 Pro-Life, and 15 Pro-Choice in the Senate on issued regarding Abortion during the past 7 years. He has several No Votes also.
That Senator McCain has been rejected by both NARAL and NRLC shows you that the Senator is an Independent. He will probably be running with Senator Lieberman as his running mate!
Posted by: easeltine at January 15, 2008 8:30 PM
...And now South Carolina, Senator McCain continues to get and will continue to get the "Independent" voters. When enough Pro-Life people are out of the race the numbers will solidify towards a real Pro-Life Candidate. Not one that votes Pro-Life only 68% of the time. Senator McCain gets some of the Pro-Life voters because he says, "NARAL has always given me a 0% rating." The truth is that NARAL is helping Senator McCain seem Pro-Life because NARAL is so EXTREME on their views of Abortion.
Senator McCain should say to NARAL, "NARAL, for all you do this Buds for your."
Posted by: easeltine at January 19, 2008 9:57 PM