Yesterday I reported that NARAL is mobilizing in support of three Obama nominees–David Hamilton, Kathleen Sebelius, and Dawn Johnsen–who’ve been targeted by the right, at least in part, for their pro-life views.
Today, I spoke with NARAL’s policy director Donna Crane, who gave me a bit more detail about the nature of their campaign. “We have emails going out [to members of Congress] almost every day,” Crane said, “[and] we’re doing phone banking for targeted senators.”
Those targets won’t come as much surprise. Crane says, “in general the senators we look at for these kinds of issues are the two senators from Maine, [Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins] pulled one way by their party and another by their values.” She adds that “Sen. Specter…is somebody we’re looking at very closely.”
NARAL’s reportedly also targeting some pro-life Democrats, though there’s considerably less concern that they’ll oppose any of these nominees.
Below the fold, a copy of a direct mailer NARAL issued as part of their efforts.
Dear Friend,
Right-wing news magazines, the grassroots of the anti-choice movement, and even anti-choice elected officials are launching outrageous attacks with words like “ethical depravity” and “deranged” to describe a nationally acclaimed constitutional scholar nominated by President Obama to a post at the Department of Justice.
The nominee is Prof. Dawn Johnsen, and along with fellow nominees Judge David Hamilton and Gov. Katheleen Sebelius, she’s being attacked by anti-choice senators simply because she’s pro-choice. Some senators are even threatening a filibuster to block Johnsen and Hamilton.
Write your senators today to fight anti-choice senators’ attempts to block these highly qualified nominees.
We must call on the U.S. Senate to confirm Judge Hamilton for a federal appeals court judgeship; Gov. Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services; and Prof. Johnsen, a former legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, for a post at the Justice Department without the delays of back-room politics and sneaky maneuvers.
The use of the “f” word – filibuster – when referring to any of these nominees is unacceptable. We won’t let this threat go unanswered. We must make it clear to our senators that derailing nominees for critical positions in the Obama administration and in the federal courts is not an option.
We will keep up the pressure until we go “three for three” and see these distinguished, well-qualified nominees confirmed by the Senate.
Make sure your senators hear it from you: “Confirm Hamilton, Sebelius, and Johnsen without delay.”
Anti-choice groups only have to block one of these nominations to score a major victory toward their pledge to wage “guerilla warfare” on a woman’s right to choose.1 We must win every single time. Help us go “three for three” on this first test. Take action today.
My best,
Nancy Keenan
Nancy Keenan
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
