As we all know by now, Thomas Alito, Jr, was the author of a plan (written in 1985) to slowly dismantle Roe v. Wade piece by piece, rather than outright overturning the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in 1973. (For more on Alito’s anti-choice rulings and dissenting opinions, have a look at ConnecticutMan1’s 12 Days of Justice Diary on the subject.)
Arlen Specter, the senior senator from Pennsylvania who also happens to be Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee claims to be pro-choice. So, clearly, he won’t be voting to replace Sandra Day O’Connor, the moderate swing vote on the court for the past 2 decades, with a right-wing extremist male who would happily outlaw a woman’s right to choose, will he?
Well, let’s take a closer look at Arlen’s words and his actions.
Here’s the link to Arlen’s 2004 NPAT responses. As you can see, Arlen has indicated that:
(1) Abortions should always be legal
(2) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape
(3) Abortions should be legal when the life of the mother is endangered, and
(4) That he would prohibit dilation and extraction procedures (also known as a “partial birth” abortion ban).
Next, Arlen Specter’s voting scorecard from Planned Parenthood can be found here. Surprise, surprise, he has only a 60% pro-choice voting record, having voted with the anti-choicers on legislation regarding sex education, the abortion ban, comprehensive family planning, and fetal rights.
I also found a Chester County Press letter to the editor on file in which Specter states:
“While I am personally opposed to abortion, I do not believe it can be controlled by the Government. It is a matter for women and families with guidance from ministers, priests, and rabbis.” (Chester County Press, 5/21/97).
It’s time for Senator Specter to decide whether he’s really pro-choice, or just likes to say that he is. A senator who supports choice would vote NO! on Alito…and we’re watching.