John McCain: Radical Conservative on Birth Control, Choice
With any degree of credibility, no one can claim John McCain to be a "moderate" on social issues, and his record on birth control, health services for women, and a woman's right to choose is profoundly disturbing. Ole "Maverick" McCain has voted against funding for overseas abortion services, funding for birth control for poor women, and voted repeatedly for legislation that would chip away at abortion rights, including labeling the fetus a person. His stances on these important issues should ensure that any woman concerned about reproductive rights (or anyone at all supportive of them) should be deeply concerned about McCain's fundamentalist stances on these issues.
Take a look at the McCain file on women's issues, and prepare to be shocked by his fundamentalism -- and by the fact that it isn't someone like Santorum's instead:
http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf
Could John Edwards Be Obama's Vice President?
This week, something happened that made me nearly pinch myself because I thought I was dreaming: John Edwards was brought up as a potential vice presidential candidate by congressional allies speaking with Barack Obama's vice president search committeee. The thought of having an Obama-Edwards ticket is one that is incredibly attractive to me, as Edwards was my original choice for president, and I see him sharing many of the same values and initiatives, including reform of the status quo in Washington, as Obama.
Edwards would help shore up a shaky Democratic base for Obama: white working-class Democratic-leaning voters, many of whom supported Clinton in the Democratic primary. A recent poll taken by SurveyUSA shows that an Obama-Edwards ticket would win the swing states of New Mexico and Ohio very comfortably for the Democrats, all but guaranteeing victory for them in November. Edwards would be able to go into Appalachia and speak directly with voters there about their economic concerns and pocketbook issues -- and do so with authenticity.
This is a dream ticket for me; I hope that other Democrats agree with my assessment and see the wisdom of having these two together on the Democratic ticket.
South Jersey Needs to Support Frank Lautenberg
To be sure, it would have been better for South Jersey had Rob Andrews won the Democratic primary over Frank Lautenberg. But that was not to be. It is also hardly worth disputing that Sen. Lautenberg needs to be more responsive to South Jersey needs and be more active in this part of the state. That said, I have little doubt that Lautenberg would be a superior alternative to Dick Zimmer, the N.J. GOP senate candidate, in terms of helping South Jersey. Besides getting earmarks for this part of the state, Lautenberg helped secure federal funding for the Coastal Heritage Trail, which comprises a wide swathe of the southern part of the state, as well as procuring federal funding, with Andrews' help, for a Rowan program.
It troubled me to learn that one of the first post-primary polls showed Zimmer leading Lautenberg in South Jersey, when Lautenberg, rather than the ex-lobbyist Zimmer, would be the better choice for South Jersey concerns, from federal funding for public transportation to environmental preservation to support for homeland security funds for South Jersey. The Democratic primary is over: It is time for Andrews' supporters, and South Jersey in general, to unite behind Lautenberg.
