Clinton embarassed on choice issue yesterday

[BeyondGeography]

==From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Describing it as a press conference gone awry would be putting it mildly. Before the start of the NPR debate yesterday afternoon, the Clinton campaign arranged for Ellen Malcolm, the head of Emily's List, to hold a press conference with reporters.

Malcolm took the podium and argued that Clinton was the only candidate in this race who had stood up when it was tough, especially on women's issues. She said that Clinton -- standing up to the Bush Administration -- had led the fight to get the FDA to approve the Plan B contraceptive. She also cited the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts as a time when Clinton had been the strongest voice against his nomination, taking the floor and giving a passionate speech on why his nomination threatened Roe vs. Wade.

But the minute Malcolm stopped speaking, she was hit by questions from reporters armed with info sent out by the Obama campaign. Malcolm hadn't mentioned Obama by name, but she said that those who vote "present" at tough times don't show a true commitment to leadership -- referring to Obama's "present" votes on some anti-abortion measures while serving in the Illinois state Senate. But reporters asked Malcolm why the head of the Illinois Planned Parenthood had said in the Los Angeles Times that Obama was getting in trouble for a "present"-vote strategy that the pro-choice group had devised. Malcolm repeated the quote from the Chicago Tribune, which said that Obama's seat had not been in jeopardy unlike other vulnerable Democrats.

But she didn't have an answer for what came next.

Referencing the battle Planned Parenthood had waged in South Dakota to repeal a law that had banned all abortions in the state, Malcolm was asked why Clinton had done nothing to help support that effort. Obama had sent money and written a letter in support of the group. The head of the South Dakota Planned Parenthood had called Clinton's silence on the issue "mystifying."

Malcolm sidestepped the question, raised Clinton's speech on the Senate floor again, and said that her example then had shown true leadership. Obama only had one sentence on Roe in his floor statement in comparison on Roberts' nomination, Malcolm said. Both senators voted against confirming the chief justice. Obama's campaign followed up on the press conference by circulating a letter Obama had received from Malcolm praising him for his keynote speech at the 2006 EMILY'S List Majority Council Conference and a list of pro-choice activists willing to speak on behalf of Obama's commitment to women's reproductive rights...==

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/05/497101.aspx

[rinsd]

1. Again, how many other IL Democrats followed this PP devised strategy?

And why did Obama have to follow along considering his safet seat in the legislature?

[BeyondGeography]

4. PP says it was a strategy to depress support for bills designed to make Democrats look bad

In other words, voting 'present' wasn't just about Obama:

=="He came to me and said: 'My members are being attacked. We need to figure out a way to protect members and to protect women,'" said Sutherland in recounting her conversation with Obama. "A 'present' vote was hard to pigeonhole which is exactly what Obama wanted."

"What it did," she continued, "was give cover to moderate Democrats who wanted to vote with us but were afraid to do so" because of how their votes would be used against them electorally. "A 'present' vote would protect them. Your senator voted 'present.' Most of the electorate is not going to know what that means."

..."Obama made sure those bills got as few votes as possible for passage," said Sutherland."==

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/obama-abortion-.html

[rinsd]

10. BG, I did some tedious research

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3797351&mesg_id=3797351

[BeyondGeography]

11. Noted

[blm]

2. Hillary and Schumer also argued AGAINST Alito filibuster in Dem caucus and after

activists kept the phone ringing at her office did she change her position to supporting filibuster.

What Hillary advocates behind closed doors of a Dem senate caucus reveals the true Hillary far more than her primary race positions.

[AtomicKitten]

3. How soon they forget, eh?

ClintonCo has a long and distinguished history of being on the wrong side of issues.

[MonkeyFunk]

5. Clinton has never been on the wrong side

of the abortion issue.

[Buzz Clik]

6. How can one be on the wrong side when you're on both sides?

Any clever politician knows exactly how to perform such a stunt.

[AtomicKitten]

7. my personal favorite:

Hillary voted YES on Kyl-Lieberman and then rushed to sign on to Jim Webb's bill to neuter K-L. When asked about this, Webb just laughed at the obvious triangulation.

[MonkeyFunk]

9. When has Clinton ever been anti-choice?

She's been a strong advocate of abortion rights her whole career.

[zulchzulu]

8. Smack, meet your buddy Down

I love it. A taste of Hillary medicine for the one attacking Obama.

[BeyondGeography]

12. And they're still out there pushing the "present" votes

dumb.