McCain is not a moderate on women -- spread the word

Suburban women swing voters still aren't getting the message. But when they do they say they're less likely to vote for John McCain because of his anti-choice policies and his congressional votes against women's and children's healthcare. McCain has said that Roe v. Wade is one of the wost decisions ever to come down from the Supreme Court. And if he's elected, he will appoint ultra-conservatives to the Court. Excerpts from a new article in In These Times follow.

First, in a February Planned Parenthood poll:

Forty-six percent of women supporting McCain said they'd like to see Roe v. Wade upheld -- though McCain says he supports overturning the decision. When they learned of his position on Roe, 36 percent of women who identified as both pro-choice and likely McCain voters said they would be less likely to vote for him.

So spread the message! Another excerpt:

[McCain voted] in favor of legislation to amend the definition of those eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to include the unborn -- while voting against legislation to expand SCHIP's coverage to low-income children and pregnant women at least six times.

Didn't George Carlin have a joke about that? All this fussing over the unborn, "but once you're born you're on your own!" As I recall he included a rude arm gesture with the joke, which is impossible to reproduce here.

To continue:

[McCain] has voted to require parental consent for teenagers who want access to contraceptives, and against an amendment to the Senate's 2006 budget that would have allocated $100 million for the prevention of teen pregnancy by providing education and contraceptives.

Of course, there's more, and this one's been covered on video, too (Planned Parenthood):

[McCain] also voted against a measure that would require insurance companies to cover prescription contraception, despite the fact that many currently fund male reproductive pharmaceuticals, such as Viagra.

Next, he's against minors getting abortions without their parents' consent . . .

In July 2006, McCain voted for legislation that would fine and/or imprison physicians who perform abortions on out-of-state minors if there are parental notification requirements in their home state.

. . . unless it's his own daughter:

In the 2000 primary, he was asked what he would do if his daughter Meghan, then 15, became pregnant. McCain said it would be a "family decision."

"The final decision would be made by Meghan with our advice and counsel," McCain said, referring to himself and his wife, Cindy.

You know, saying that his daughter would have the "final decision" as to whether or not she terminates a pregnancy sure sounds like a pro-choice position to me. In fact, it sounds like what I'd do if my own daughter got pregnant and she decided to tell me. I'd give her "advice and counsel," and she'd make up her own mind. This is not the Republican party line. But apparently McCain is OK with making other (low-income, minority) women and minors to jump through Casey hoops to get an abortion. His campaign has stated that he won't try to alter the Republican platform at the convention in September. So, even though he's clearly not as conservative as the rest of the party when it comes to abortion, or at least Casey-type rules for minors in his own household, he won't use his leadership position to bring the party extremists around to a more populist view. What a maverick!

Finally, even pro-choice Republicans won't endorse him:

[Republican Majority for Choice] isn't going to endorse McCain . . . [Co-Chair Jennifer Stockman] says she doesn't really understand where McCain's is coming from, since he's not outwardly religious, nor has he displayed a desire to pander to social conservatives on other issues.

When women swing voters hear about this nonsense, they swing right back over to the candidate who really reflects their values. Don't let John McCain's propaganda machine fool you into thinking he's the only option now that Hillary Clinton is out of the race. Spread the word: he's anti-choice, anti-contraception, anti-woman, anti-girl.

Oh, and you already heard that the so-called PUMA group was founded by a McCain donor, right? It's a fake organization. There's almost literally no such thing as a Hillary Clinton supporter who won't vote for Barack Obama.