Interview with Elizabeth Shipp and Nancy Keenan on NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC Endorses Sen. Barack Obama for President

Hi everyone! Thanks for joining us. Let's get started!

My experience as an elected official taught me that politics is about making choices. NARAL Pro-Choice America is the political leader of the pro-choice movement and our organization’s role is to galvanize pro-choice voters – men and women, Republican, Democratic, and Independent alike – to go to the polls this November and elect a pro-choice president. Both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton have mobilized millions of new voters, many who represent the next generation of our movement. We are facing a unique moment of opportunity with those individuals - and in order to reach them, educate them, and persuade them to join the pro-choice cause, we must speak to them now. To do so effectively, we must be for someone, not just against John McCain.

This is an historic election and we have often said that Americans have been fortunate to have two fully pro-choice candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination. Throughout this campaign, we have consistently praised both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton for their leadership in standing up for women’s reproductive rights, but only one candidate can advance to the general election. We believe that candidate is Sen. Obama.

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC endorses fully pro-choice candidates regardless of gender or party affiliation. We understand that other organizations have specific criteria regarding gender or party affiliation as part of their endorsement process. They have endorsed Sen. Clinton in this race – many of them doing so before the first primaries.

We respect the decisions they make and would hope that our friends would respect the decisions we make.

We may disagree about who the front-runner is in the Democratic race; we may have endorsed different candidates; but the outcome we seek is the same: to put a pro-choice president in the White House in January 2009 who will begin on day one to repair the damage done by the Bush Administration to women’s reproductive rights.

Our collective long-term goal as a pro-choice movement must be to advance the cause.

We understand how emotional, excited, and passionate people are about the Democratic candidates in 2008. NARAL Pro-Choice America is a political organization. Our PAC endorses candidates.

Just so you know, it isn't new for NARAL to be involved in presidential endorsements. For example, in 2004, we endorsed John Kerry when it was apparent that he was going to be the nominee, even though there were other fully pro-choice candidates still in the race. In 2000, we endorsed Al Gore over Bill Bradley in February.

So this isn't anything new for our organization, and frankly, politics is what we do.

As president emeritus of NARAL Pro-Choice America, we don't work together on strategy, so I cannot speak to why she made her decision.

Valhalla, you tell me. Am I sounding like a PR machine? :)

Sen. Obama has been a strong advocate for a woman’s right to choose throughout his career in public service. Since joining the Senate in 2005, he has worked to unite Americans on both sides of this debate behind commonsense, common-ground ways to prevent unintended pregnancy.

He is an original cosponsor of the Prevention First Act, a package of proposals that would, among other things, provide teens with comprehensive sex education, prevent pharmacies from denying women access to their birth-control prescriptions, and increase access to family-planning services.

Sen. Obama is also a cosponsor of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would codify the tenets of Roe v. Wade and protect the right to choose for future generations. And he is the author of legislation to fix the birth-control pricing crisis facing millions of low-income women across the country today.

The vast majority of voters still don’t know just how pro-choice Barack Obama is and how anti-choice John McCain has been during the quarter-century he has been in Washington, DC. Many voters who may be inclined to support McCain don’t know his positions on specific issues, particularly his consistent opposition to a woman’s right to choose. They believe instead that John McCain is a “moderate” and a “maverick” so assume he must be pro-choice.

Senator Obama needs an organization like ours to help close the identification gap with key voting constituencies before the fall campaign begins in earnest and people’s opinions are already formed about the two candidates. We can help ensure a pro-choice victory in November, but only if we act now.

Without a clear Democratic nominee, Sen. John McCain has been getting a free ride with the media, and a critical voting bloc that could very well swing the election: pro-choice Independent and Republican women. These women could very well make the difference between a pro-choice president in the White House and another four years of anti-choice policies from John McCain.

With our endorsement, John McCain’s free ride ends.

I think many people do equate being pro-choice as a "women's issue." NARAL Pro-Choice America does not endorse candidates based on gender or party affiliation. We believe that it will take men and women, people from all backgrounds - religions, races, ages - to join the choice movement to ensure that women's reproductive choices are always protected.

Access to birth control and condoms is as much a men's issue as a women's issue. It's about safe sex, preventing unintended pregnancy, preventing disease, and making sure we all have access to contraceptives.

We hope to receive their appreciation, but there was nothing offered or promised by the campaign or asked by NARAL Pro-Choice America for this endorsement.

Our decision to endorse Sen. Obama was made at this time because we believe, based on the current state of affairs in the race, that he will be the nominee who will face anti-choice John McCain in the fall. With so many voters for whom choice is an important issue not knowing that McCain is anti-choice, the time is now for us to define the differences between the pro-choice likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama and the anti-choice Republican nominee John McCain.

We have great respect for and have worked closely with Sen. Clinton over the years, and intend to do so in the future.

We are fully aware of Barack Obama's State Senate record. NARAL Pro-Choice America, like many other pro-choice organizaitons, endorsed Sen. Obama in 2004 during his run for the U.S. Senate.

I know that there have been charges leveled against Sen. Obama questioning why he voted 'present.' Planned Parenthood of Illinois confirmed that Sen. Obama's 'present' votes were part of a strategy they asked him to participate in for their overall strategy.

While he's been in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Obama voted pro-choice on parental notification laws like CIANA and also released a statement condemning the Federal Abortion Ban decision by the Supreme Court.

With respect to the 'so-called' born-alive bills, those bills were different from the federal bill, however, Sen. Obama has said he would have voted for the federal bill that passed the Senate unanimously.

Sandy, I understand that you're upset about our endorsement. That's fair.

Let me try to convince you again. Sen. Obama has brought nearly 2.5 million new voters into the democratic process. Additionally, historical numbers of Independent and Republican voters have changed their registation to support his candidacy. We need to start comparing and contrasting Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain with these voters TODAY to ensure they vote pro-choice in November.

They are already awake! We've already seen the attacks coming fast and furious against Sen. Obama, especially from right-wing anti-choicers attacking him because of his choice position.

We hope that our support of Sen. Obama makes clear how extreme McCain really is on choice - we know that Sen. Obama has a real opportunity to win over Independent and Republican voters, and choice can play a large role in attracting this constituency.

Yes. Jennifer, Sen. Obama leads overwhelmingly in the important markers leading to the nomination: pledged delegates, superdelegates, popular vote and cash on hand.

With only a handful of contests left before June 3, Sen. Obama needs fewer than 30% of the remaining delegates to win; Sen. Clinton needs to win more than 70%.

He is very likely going to be the Democratic nominee.

Hi Sue. Thanks for your great question. NARAL Pro-Choice America will be contacting pro-choice Independent and Republican women to encourage them to support Barack Obama against John McCain this fall.

We’ll educate them about Sen. McCain and contrast his anti-choice record to the fully pro-choice record of Sen. Obama. The sooner the better, since every day that goes by without this stark comparison, McCain continues the myth that he is moderate.

If you want to help spread the word, you can send this ecard to your friends and family: http://action.prochoiceamerica.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1421

Because of federal election law, the sole responsibility of federal endorsements rests with NARAL Pro-Choice America's PAC. Our affiliates weren't consulted because federal election law doesn't allow it. It's also important to remember that NARAL Pro-Choice America endorses federal candidates for office and the sole responsibility for endorsing state and local candidates rests with our affiliates.

So, if you're angry about our endorsement of Sen. Obama please make sure to contact us and let us know, but don't blame our affiliates.

Sue, in 2006 when we were facing an outright ban on abortion in South Dakota - one of the reddest states in the nation - Sen. Obama stood with us when very few others would. He spoke out against the ban and helped us raise the critical funds we needed to defeat the ban by a 12 point margin. Sen. Obama publicly helped us when the chips were down and women’s lives were at stake, literally.

I seem to remember that Sen. Clinton helped defeat the California parental notification ballot initiative that same year. She recorded robo calls, if I remember correctly.

Hi Rose Ann. As a political organization, we weigh a variety of considerations when we make an endorsement. Even after the West Virginia win, the numbers to win the delegate count were still out of reach.

As Beth said earlier, Sen. Obama leads overwhelmingly in the important markers leading to the nomination: pledged delegates, superdelegates, popular vote and cash on hand.

I believe that Sen. Obama is very likely going to be the Democratic nominee.

Lynne, not only do I THINK Obama can beat McCain, I KNOW Barack Obama is going to beat John McCain. Here's why: when voters find out just how extreme John McCain really is, there's no way they are going to support another 4 years of anti-choice craziness in the White House.

You might remember from our last web chat when I said that John McCain even votes against birth control. Now, do you really think women are going to vote for a guy who wants to take away birth control, give our kids unsafe ab-only programs in public schools, and eliminate birth control and cancer screenings for low-income women who rely on Title X?

Seriously??? This guy is too extreme for the mainstream. With a record like that, I have no doubt that Barack Obama will be our next president.

Absolutely. That's politics!

As a former elected official, I know that politics is about making choices... some of them that are really difficult. And no matter what decision you make, you have people that agree with you, and people who do not.

There are two things that come with political leadership: the courage to stand up and make the tough decisions and the knowledge that you did the right thing for women, this issue, and this country.

Nancy let you know about the backlash we received, but let me also say publicly to all the Obama supporters who have called, emailed, faxed, and blogged on our Blog for Choice site: THANK YOU!!!!

We have received literally hundreds of positive responses and we're so glad to have you with us.

Judy, you tell us: how we doin'?

Judith, the response that we've recieved from this endorsement has been mixed. We've lost some supporters, but we've gained some, too.

We've also seen folks linking to us and asking people to support us because of this endorsement.

Elizabeth, I hear you.

I know exactly how it feels when you support a candidate with your time, energy, and resources and at the end of the day, that candidate is not going to be the nominee.

I've been that candidate. I lost a congressional race and will never forget the morning my brother came into my house and hugged me and said, "I have a storm in my heart." Sen. Clinton has been a champion of reproductive choice her whole life and we are very appreciative. I trust women will come together in the fall in spite of their broken hearts and support Sen. Obama and ultimately support this issue.

Great! I'm going to let Beth take the last one.

Thanks, everyone, for the thoughtful questions!

Nancy, wow. Your question and remark really saddens me. I can't even begin to know why you'd risk putting someone like John McCain in the White House - a guy who could appoint two or more Supreme Court justices who most definitely would overturn Roe.

I can't even begin to know why you'd "take your chance" in the fall when you've got a guy like John McCain who thinks Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

And finally, I don't understand all the hate.

I know you may not want to hear it now, but Sen. Obama is a candidate who will work tirelessly to defend a woman's right to choose when he becomes president. If this issue is at all important to you, I strongly urge you to reconsider and think about what's at stake in November.

Joan, thanks a million. It really does mean a lot to all of us here to hear from feminists and friends like you.

Thanks so much everyone for your great questions. You can continue the conversation at our blog, www.BlogforChoice.com. Keep in touch, keep the faith, and keep it real. :) On to November!