Is Miers anti-choice?

[converted_democrat]

During Miers' tenure as head of the Texas Bar Association she was a leader in the campaign to reverse the American Bar Association's pro-choice position on the right to choose. Had this campaign been successful, which it was not, the ABA would have been returned to its former position of neutrality.


http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/files/portal/media/pressreleases/pr-051003-miers.xml


edit- To change pro-life to anti-choice. Sorry, I used the wrong terminology. After my daughter was born this has become a bigger and bigger issue with me. I'm still learning. Thank you for politely correcting me.

[julialnyc]

1. she is anti-choice

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4958710&mesg_id=4958710

[butchcjg]

2. so is Reid

[julialnyc]

3. personally

but he hasn't tried to change it like she has

[butchcjg]

19. His wikipedia entry

Says that he tried to convince Bush to put in anti-abortion GOP leaders to replace Sandra Day.

He has also voted along GOP party lines on most abortion bills (making it a crime to injure a fetus, banning abortions on military bases, banning 3rd term abortions, etc)

[converted_democrat]

4. I was hoping that I was reading it wrong. n/t

[nvliberal]

16. Conjecture,

not fact.

Remember the christo-fascists being upset with her. They wouldn't if she were truly anti-abortion.

[converted_democrat]

21. She was a leader in a campaign to reverse the ABA pro-choice position.

How is that conjecture? And since when have the freepers been right about anything? Why would you base anything on anything "they" say?

[ozarkvet]

5. Church

She is apparently deeply involved with a fundamentalist church.

I would be suprised if she was not anti-abortion rights.

[DefenseLawyer]

6. Playing devil's advocate,

perhaps literally, it might be argued that she pushed for a neutral position simply to keep pro-lifers and their money in the fold at the bar association rather than because she was a true believer on the issue. If she was head of the state bar association, if my experience is any guide, she was probably more concerned with memberships and money than with grassroots politics. Not a defense, since obviously I have no idea what her motivations were, just throwing out a theory.

[SteppingRazor]

9. But wouldn't that position do more harm than good?

Sure, we're talking about Texas. But we're also talking about lawyers, people who generally respect the law as it stands -- well, maybe respect is a poor choice of words, but you get the idea.

That idea being -- wouldn't embracing a pro-life stance as a member of the ABA do more harm than good?
On the other hand, her coalition in 1993 was filled with some heavy hitters, so it's not as though the vast majority of big-gun lawyers are pro-choice, which seems to be a commonly accepted myth.

P.S. Nice avatar.

[DefenseLawyer]

15. My understanding,

and it is only from what I have been reading today, is that she didn't advocate embracing a pro-life stance so much as she called for abandoning their position supporting Roe, and returning to taking no position whatsoever on the issue. If that were the case, it could have been less ideological and more about not alienating wingnut members, or potential members, and their cash. Obviously if she was advocating that the ABA take a pro-life stance, that is a different thing all together and it would be difficult to propose a non-wingnut reason for.

P.S. Thanks HST RIP

[SteppingRazor]

18. You're right...

It was an advocation of a return to neutrality, not calling for a 180-degree reversal of the ABA's stance on abortion. However, given the pro-lifers who sided with Meirs in the argument, the idea that this was based on a real desire to remain neutral in the argument is a little disingenuous.

[Cloister]

23. The way I heard it

She thought that if the ABA was going to take an official stance on controversial/contentious issues like this, it should be put to a vote of the membership instead of being decided by the leadership.

[julialnyc]

13. Miers gave to a staunchly anti-abortion rights candidate

http://www.slingshot.org/?p=124

[nvliberal]

17. And she's given to Democrats.

The fact of the matter is, NOBODY knows where she stands on anything.

Which is why Bush picked her.

[butchcjg]

20. al gore..

wasn't al gore anti-choice back when she gave?

[VOX]

7. The "pro-life" handle is a right-wing lie. Please don't use it...

Liberals and progressives are far more "pro-life" than any so-called "compassionate" right wingers. (I no longer call them conservatives, as there is nothing conservative about those extremist radicals.) Liberals and progressives, however, **are** pro-choice, pro-women's rights, and pro-keep the hell out of my reproductive organs.

Please do not fall into the trap of using the right-wing "pro-life" handle, you just further cement a lie by doing so.

Thanks.

[karlrschneider]

11. Ding ding! You said it right. There are probably not 200 humans who

are not "pro-life."

Pro life and pro choice are NOT mutually exclusive.

[SteppingRazor]

12. Indeed. In this instance, the liberal wordsmithing is closer to the truth

Pro-choice vs. anti-choice is closer to the actual facts than pro-life vs. anti-life.

The latter doesn't even make any sense, but then again, when you're talking about religio-crazy Jesus freaks, what does?

[calico1]

8. I prefer the term "anti-choice."

"pro-life" is a term used by the right to paint supporters of choice as pro-abortion in that they run around trying to talk people into having abortions that WANT to have their babies. Let's not use their term. You can be pro-life and pro-choice too.

[timber84]

10. Off topic kinda is Cheney pro-choice?

[Beelzebud]

14. It doesn't matter to some people. This is a victory, remember?

[converted_democrat]

22. The biggest thing that bothers me about this.....

She's anti-choice, Reid is anti-choice, I just have a bad feeling about this. I really hope Reid has a plan, but I have a bad feeling about this.

[The Sleeper]

24. She's pro choice alright...

whenever any choice comes up, she's pro Bush and "anti" everything else.
She's the BFEE ringer that takes care of any pesky issues that might come up...she's done LOTS of scrubbing for her boy....