NARAL backs Chafee after forcing Dem out of the election

[ArtVandaley]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/5/20/141314/072

From Kos:
snip
Remember how NARAL helped drive Jim Langevin out of the senate race in Rhode Island? The argument was that we needed to have a pro-choice nominee. Well, Langevin is no longer in the race and guess what? NARAL turned around and endorsed Linc Chafee. So much for NARAL. Thus, as Ezra Klein points out, the Dems had nothing to lose in nominating Langevin. And, as he goes on to note, abortion rights would not have suffered even if he had won.
snip

[cestpaspossible]

1. Good illustration of why organizing around issues is counterproductive

Partisanship works.

[ulysses]

8. yes - it worked so well

for the working poor in 1996. :eyes:

[cestpaspossible]

9. Clinton's no partisan,

in fact he singlehandedly, through actions such as the one you allude to, has done more to destroy our party than probably anyone else. To Clinton, everything was about Clinton, not the party.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. NARAL has always been a single-issue organization and has endorsed

pro-choice Republicans who meet their criteria. Whether this is naive or not, considering the phenomenon of party-discipline, I can't say. But to NARAL's way of thinking, it is always better to have a pro-choice candidate--regardless of party--than an anti-choice one. It isn't about proving independence from party. They have been doing this for years.

[stellanoir]

3. This is such BS

and has nothing to do with the issues we face or that oue nation faces.

Chafee faces Whitehouse and Brown. I've met both of them. Whitehouse is a total intelliectual. Brown is the dude next door. It should be interesting.

But this interference is insufferable. Langevin has not been strong. But he's a parapalegic who took a bullet during police training for God's sake.

As i said it should be interesting. But we mostly have optical scans here so go figure.

[Crowdance]

4. NARAL should have supported no candidate in this race

NARAL was correct to work against Langevin's candidacy. His anti-choice position made him an undesirable candidate out of the gate. However, ALL Republicans are anti-choice by virtue of the Republican party platform. Chafee, though he professes to "personally" support choice, has thrown his lot in with the hypocrites; he deserves no support of any type.

I absolutely disagree that the Dems had nothing to lose in Langevin. The anti-choice strategy has been to chip away at reproductive rights until they can easily take the step of eliminating them. Every single anti-choice "Dem" contributes to that slow anesthetization that will lead to the destruction of women's human rights.

[tx_dem41]

19. Chafee has a 100% rating from NARAL in 2004....

and a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood. I'm not sure how that makes him only "personally" pro-choice. Sounds like he walks the walk to me. I say this, because I know that NARAL is an issues-based organization, not partisan. Since I respect the issue, I'll respect the organization.

Now, if his opponents can prove a stronger (or as strong) pro-choice record, then NARAL ought to side with the Democrat, IMO.

[Warpy]

5. Democrats who want reproductive slavery can't win

and it's about time the DLC figured that out.

No candidate can win without the party's women.

[wyldwolf]

7. You mean "pro-life" or "anti-choice" Dems can't win?

How about Harry Reid?

Kucinich won by being "anti-choice" or "pro-life."

By the way, the DLC is pro-choice. Just so you'll know for future reference.

Disclaimer: I'm pro-choice.

[democracyindanger]

10. K

I hope there won't be much complaining when the rabidly, overwhelming anti-choice GOP gets its way, steamrolls its handful of pro-choice members and gets the Supremes and legislation to kill reproductive choice as we know it.

[dsc]

14. Both of Chaffee's opponents were pro choice

thanks to their interference. Then they pull this shit. I hope they enjoy all the Bush nominees, every last one of which Chaffee voted for BTW, when they gut abortion rights.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Isn't Chafee pro-choice?

Looks like NARAL got what it wanted, a pro-choice Senator.

[DaveinMD]

11. Chafee

is so pro-choice, he votes each session to enable the extreme right wing leadership. Until we act just as partisan as they do, we'll lose. Chafee needs to be defeated. He's always there for the Republicans when they need him.

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. The NRA does the same thing

The support pro-gun Democratic incumbents even when the they are challenged by pro-gun Republicans.

[dsc]

13. Tell that to Jack Brooks

[Idioteque]

22. NRA endorsed Coburn over Carson in an open race...

...even though both were 100% pro gun.

[Mass]

15. There is at this point NO other candidate in RI

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20050520_naral20.255208c.html

Rather than weird diaries on kos referring to bloggers themselves referring to bloggers, here is the Providence Journal piece on this subject

Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee has won the endorsement of the nation's leading abortion-rights group, a coup that could have been of help to his prospective Democratic challengers.

But Democratic candidates Matt Brown, the Rhode Island secretary of state, and Sheldon Whitehouse, the former attorney general, quickly made clear that they view the abortion-rights issue as up for grabs in the 2006 Senate race. Both attacked Chafee's record of supporting some federal judges deemed "anti-choice" by the lobbying group itself, NARAL Pro-Choice America. (The acronym stands for the National Abortion Rights Action League.)

Both attacked Chafee for voting to seat at least three federal judges that NARAL lists as "anti-choice." But a look at the Rhode Island Senate race -- widely expected to be one of the nation's toughest -- underlines the fact that the "pro-choice" banner covers a variety of sometimes-conflicting positions on abortion.

Remember that NARAL is not democratic group, but an issue advocy group, and that, when it comes to the issue they care about, Chafee is rather good.

[dsc]

16. No he isn't

He voted for every single judge Bush put up. He voted for all of the judges that we are filibustering now.

[Mass]

17. How could he have voted for these judges that are filibustered?

He is not on the judiciary comittee.

As for the judges that NARAL judged anti-choice, how many Dems voted for them?

The question is NOT whether we support Chafee or not. I dont because he is a Republican.

The question is to know what NARAL is about. NARAL is about reproductive issues. Some (generally men) have decided that women can wait (as kos). Dont expect women to do the same thing.

[dsc]

18. He voted against each and every filibuster we had on those judges

which is as good as a vote for those judges since that was the only way we could stop them.

[tx_dem41]

20. Why would NARAL give him a 100% record on their scorecard..

in 2004, then?

http://vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BRI43231

[dsc]

21. I have no idea

you would have to ask them.