[From the diaries by susanhu.] I knew something was gnawing away at my brain today. All the sudden attention to the Democrats for Life agenda, and the legislation they are offering this summer just was not sitting right. I was not sure why.
One reason was the way the Catholics and Baptists in our area knocked an openly gay candidate out of the primary waters here. The candidate who was endorsed by the Democrats for Life was totally incapable of running a campaign. However he was more pro-life than our very conservative GOP congressman.
SO I did a little research. Finally I came up with this.
Florida Democrats Unable to Endorse Kerry
MORE BELOW:
Florida Democrats for Life of America, Inc. (Florida DFLA), an affiliate of Democrats for Life of America, Inc., would like to offer our “Top Ten” reasons why we cannot endorse John Kerry for President of the United States.
- Florida DFLA is committed to advancing the right to life in the Democratic Party. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry is the first presidential candidate ever to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund which boasts that “John Kerry’s support for a woman’s right to choose has never wavered.”
- Florida DFLA is committed to advocating for pro-life legislation and government policies. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry says he personally believes life begins at conception, but an “article of faith” should not translate into public policy.
- Florida DFLA is committed to preserving the dignity of the human person. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry has promised to reverse regulations that prevent the National Institutes of Health from funding research on “cell-nucleus-transfer techniques” (in other words, human cloning for the purposes of biomedical research).
- Florida DFLA is committed to promoting public awareness of all issues surrounding fetal tissue research. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry voted against the ban on fetal tissue research from abortions and the disclosure of fetal tissue research from abortions.
- Florida DFLA is committed to reducing the number of abortions by ensuring that parents have the right to know when a minor child is seeking an abortion. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry has voted at least three times against requiring parental notification.
- Florida DFLA is committed to promoting positive assistance to developing third world nations which helps to lift families out of their poverty. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry has promised to reverse the Mexico City Policy as his first Executive Order. This action will provide organizations with taxpayer money to promote abortion, birth control, and forced sterilization in nations where America wishes to “control” population growth.
- Florida DFLA is committed to supporting the appointment of judges who will interpret the Constitution without first having to submit to the Roe v. Wade litmus test. John Kerry is not. Proof: John Kerry stated he would only support nominees who pledge to uphold Roe v. Wade.”
There are more of this reasons given, and they just make me livid.
But this is the most outrageous of all, and I say kudos to John Kerry and shame on Florida Democrats for Life. Talk about one issue? Tell me these folks are really Democrats!
Here you go, and I can’t wait to see folks come out of the woodwork to excuse this.
“Florida DFLA is committed to identifying and promoting Democratic candidates and electing officials who support the right to life. Because of his past voting record and public pronouncements regarding, but not limited to, all the above issues, John Kerry has disqualified himself from receiving our endorsement. Florida Democrats for Life of America, Inc., can only remain true to its convictions by urging Floridians to vote “ABK” – Anybody But Kerry!”
I had forgotten this until they starting pressuring Howard Dean. This is inexcusable. This group helped give us the worst president ever. Shame on them.
Can you see what I wrote!!?? This group who wants to get the control of the party’s agenda…..said ABK. Anybody but Kerry.
Am I mad? You bet.
Is this a freak rebel group? Or are other state groups of Democrats for Life like this one? If so, dear lord.
It is hard to find endorsements this far along. I remembered that one because we worked our butts off for this guy, DFA and our DEC worked together on it. Then very covertly the community religious groups got the opponent registered the last day…..and they came out in force.
They preached it in the pulpits, too.
I am going to do some searching at the state websites.
floridagal… I am following your diaries on DFL and FFLA too. thank you for them. Very important.
The earlier fluffing of DFL, when they introduced 95/10 I spent some time at the site. I get a heavy waft of MI Catholicism (lasped Catholic here myself)… and the head is a former lobbyist for National Right to Life. The Democratic Leadership should be DISTANCING from this group. Strikes me now and did when I first looked it over as TROJAN HORSE.
Instead, from the article today in The Hill REID and PELOSI are reaching out to this group. Silly: meltdown.
Liberal Street Fighter
I have made no secret of being a recovering Southern Baptist. They took my church right out from under my nose in the guise of more piety.
Something is wrong here. I can’t put my finger on it. I know Howard Dean is trustworthy on women’s issues, but I also realize pressure is being applied.
I don’t have an issue with being there for women who need help. I do have issues of doing it in the name of religion.
The statement by the Democrats for Life president about Judgement Day blew my mind, and people are still excusing it at some forums. Judgement Day? What she implied was very clear.
Yes, it is their Florida chapter. The website is fancier now than it was last year, but I followed this pretty thoroughly.
I wrote about it last year at another site, but no one paid any attention.
I hope you’ll cross-post this at other sites. It’s that important. And I hope you’ll include the comments you’ve made, which offer more key info.
I did put it in comments, but those diaries are way down the line.
You can feel share to share.
I doubt they’d ban you for this material. But, if you’re concerned, post it early tomorrow and BE SURE to give all of us the link so we can recommend you!
E-mail me and I’ll send it to my daughter, etc. who will recommend it too.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/27/0330/61249
I am still fuming about this.
Didn’t NARAL eliminate the only strong Democratic candidate for Senator in Rhode Island because the Republican Senator Chaffee is more strongly anti-abortion?
The fetus lovers don’t give a damned about anything that matters.
arose in another thread. I know little of Rhode Island politics, but I believe that, had he been home in Providence instead of in an ICU in Dallas, Dr. Pablo Rodriguez would have made a difference in the outcome.
We were running a anti-choice candidate against him.
Ooops. Sorry.
I still think Chaffee needs to go. Whatever his views, he votes wrong.
But I really detest the anti-abortion people. Randall Terry – Eric Rudolph, etc. I hate people who try to impose their religious fictions on the rest of us.
Convince? OK. But the desperation of the anti-abortion people is way over the line.
We are lucky that you got that little itch to do some research. Great work, Floridagal. So we have our own fundies that think they’re going to influence party platform on abortion. I hope they’re not real crazies. My head is going to explode. Oy.
And given that Kerry’s support for choice was rather lukewarm, that should tell you where these people want to go today.
I’d posted in an earlier thread about my suspicions concerning this group. Link here. Here was my remark.
I figured that because their language was so carefully constructed on the site that they were hiding a more insidious, anti-democracy agenda, (And what could violate the spirit of true democracy more than denying a person the right of control over their own body).
Many thanks to you floridagal for sussing this out.
I hope we’re all crafting messages to Dean and the DNC and to whoever else might be important urging them to keep these people out.
Crafting polite messages, please. Dean’s on our side (so far), and we don’t want to jump on him the way people did after Newswire’s lies were posted.
He is one of the truly pro-choice politicians we have. I think the others are using his position to get the job done on abortion.
When he speaks I know he is sincere…he says we need to let it be between a woman and her doctor.
Exactly. And he also says – and is absolutely right – that we have to reach out to people who self-ID as pro-life but oppose abortion criminalization and let them know that their beliefs and our beliefs aren’t incompatible.
Here’s the message I sent. (I had composed a longer one that was, of course, brilliant), but I had an attack by a delete gremlin before I sent it, so this shorter one evolved.
Why is it surprising that a Pro Life group would take a Pro Life stand? They’re a single-issue group, and if a candidate opposes their single issue then it wouldn’t make sense for them to endorse that candidate, would it? As a single-issue group? Agree or disagree with them but their failure to endorse Kerry should be about as surprising as NARAL’s inevitible refusal to endorse Bob Casey – he’s diametrically opposed to their single issue, never mind the possibility of returning Rick “Man-on-dog” Santorum to the Senate. Am I missing something?
They are one issue for sure, and yet all of their advocates have jumped all over the butts of anyone who questioned them. Bad NARAL, for being one issue…that has been the theme lately.
The Demoocrats are the party who stand for women’s choice. They are apparently trying to sneak in under the radar.
I said I would be interested in seeing this defended. You defended it because they are one issue. That’s one way.
Personally, I believe all single-issue groups should be faithful to their single-issue – that’s the point of single-issue advocacy – and I no more fault NARAL for not supporting Casey than do I fault FDFL for not supporting Kerry. I wouldn’t expect either of them to contradict their stated objectives.
Now I could address the notion of the Democratic Party being a big tent where everyone is free to advocate whatever position seems right to them (NAFTA or no NAFTA, capital punishment or no capital punishment, hawk or dove, etc.) seems to die whenever it comes to the issue of abortion, but that’s probably not worth getting into.
It seems to me though that if you are going to be single issue, you shouldn’t be within the imprimatur of a political party. Especially one that doesn’t tend to agree with you. Fair enough groups like NARAL or the Right for Life groups advocating their single issue and refusing to support candidates who do not, but they are not a Democratic or Republican group. The very nature of a group embraced by the leadership of a party should be the party over other issues as a general rule, not the other way around.
For example, the DLC may disagree very publicly with progressive groups and candidates (and vice versa) but they never suggest that people should vote for the opponent. That’s what being part of the party means and it’s where the problem exists here as far as I can see.
There is a difference between “not endorsing” and advocating the defeat of a candidate, and I would agree that FDFL crossed that line. The Tampa Tribune is about as right-wing a newspaper as they come – in the paleo-conservative way – and they would not endorse George Bush in 2004, yet they did not advocate his defeat either. Likewise, when Jim Blanchard snubbed Coleman Young in 1990 Coleman didn’t advocate Blanchard’s defeat, he simply didn’t endorse Blanchard or get his people to work for Blanchard. There is a way to “not endorse” without overtly advocating the defeat of a candidate on your side, and FDFL clearly crossed that line and indeed desreves to be called out for that.
I happened on this from last year. Betcha Kerry never knew what hit him in Florida last year.
DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
August 9, 2004
Ms. Valerie Mierzwa
Secretary/Treasurer
Florida Democrats for Life of America, Inc.
Palm Beach County, Florida
RE: DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE IS PROUDLY PRO-LIFE.
Dear Ms. Mierzwa:
The Board of Directors of the Democratic League of Miami-Dade County, the largest Hispanic-led Democratic Party organization in
South Florida, wholeheartedly supports Democrats For Life of America (DFLA), and urges the Democratic National Committe (DNC) to immediately grant this fine Democratic Party organization with a link on the DNC Web site.
The Democratic Party platform is one of INCLUSION, not EXCLUSION. Therefore, to be consistent with the Party’s platform,
the DNC should INCLUDE Democrats For Life of America in its list of official Democratic Party organizations, as well as in the DNC Web site.
Democratic League of Miami-Dade County looks forward to working with DFLA in demanding that the Party’s platform of inclusion and diversity be respected and implemented at all levels of the Party’s organization.
On the Right to Life issue, the Democratic League of Miami-Dade County unequivocally affirms that support for abortion in any way, shape or form is completely contrary to the ethical principles, social values, and the best interests of the Democratic Party and its members. If it is to be faithful to its core values, the Democratic Party should refrain from all support of abortion under any circumstance. Abortion is clearly the ULTIMATE child abuse. Every abortion results in two victims: one dead and the other wounded.
Motherhood is selfless calling to be socially exalted. Marriage is a basic institution to be legally protected. True Americans, regardless of their political party, are called to valiantly stand up for both because the very future of our nation depends on this!
Sincerely yours,
Sara P. Espinoza Rev. Julio E. Perez Miriam M.Gonzalez Jordanis Padron
> President Vice President Secretary Treasurer
http://www.democratsforlife.org/restore/democra2/National-%20Trish/demleagofmiamidade.htm
I just added this to the Kos post, and boy it is dropping fast tonight.
Crossposted
They did not endorse him, and they are going to force this party to be pro-life.
Now I see what Howard Dean has been struggling with. Sympathies to you, sir.
Democrats for Life refuse to endorse Kerry as a national group
As recently as six months ago, though, DFL members began to see signs of change. At the Boston Democratic Convention last summer, DFL elicited a promise from then-DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe that their representatives would not be banned from the podium. Moreover, Rep. James Langovin, of Rhode Island, who is a DFL National Advisory Board member, was invited to introduce Ron Reagan’s address at the party convention, one of the most high-profile slots of the entire meeting. Yet, even that step forward was ambiguous, as Reagan spoke in defense of stem cell research, which DFL opposes.
Democrats for Life did not endorse Kerry in the presidential election, and it found little to support in the party platform. Nonetheless, DFL leaders were pleased with the 2004 convention because they felt they gained a bit more respect. DFL also held a public rally at the national convention that, they believe, helped increase their visibility.
Let’s see Langevin, a DFL member of a group which opposes stem cell research, introduced Ron Reagan who spoke in defense of it. Lovely irony.
Thank you so much for your time and labor in pursuing this!