Republicans For Planned Parenthood: 'We're An Endangered Species'

[Heather MC]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/22/republicans-planned-parenthood_n_1823022.html

Posted: 08/22/2012 5:45 pm Updated: 08/23/2012 9:32 am


Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)


Kevin Curtis of Cazenovia, N.Y., a lifelong conservative and an elder in the Presbyterian church, describes himself as a "personal responsibility, personal freedom and personal decision-type Republican." He served as the co-chair of his local Republican party, read virtually all the same Ayn Rand novels as GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, and is now living off investments and paying for his family's health care -- the "take care of yourself" lifestyle people expect from conservatives, he says.

He's also on the board of the Rochester/Syracuse Planned Parenthood affiliate, and has financially supported the organization for nearly three decades.

"I feel sometimes like we're an endangered species," he told The Huffington Post in an interview. "There used to be more of us. It's interesting how the pendulum has swung in the direction of uber-conservative on social issues -- I don't think it reflects a big chunk of the party at all."

Curtis said he has remained relatively quiet about his involvement with Planned Parenthood, but Rep. Todd Akin's (R-Mo.) remark Sunday that victims of "legitimate rape" are unlikely to get pregnant inspired him to step out and speak his mind.

"I've written [the Republican National Committee] and expressed my utter disapproval of the platform being drafted," he said. "For them to include any kind of a personhood amendment -- a zygote is not a human being any more than a chestnut's a tree. And defunding Planned Parenthood is very bad economics -- it actually saves taxpayers money in future medical costs."

Randy Moody, national co-chair of Republicans for Planned Parenthood, echoed Curtis' sentiment. He was elected Republican County Chairman of Lancaster County, Pa, as a pro-choice Republican, but given the party's continued shift to the right, he doesn't think he'd have the same result today.

"Supporting abortion rights and reproductive health care is a traditional conservative philosophy, because it represents individual liberty and freedom of choice," he said. "But it's pretty hard now for anyone supportive of women's health and reproductive rights to hold a leadership position within the party. We have some officeholders who support reproductive rights, like [Rep.] Richard Hanna and [Sen.] Olympia Snowe, but I have to be candid and say that number has dwindled considerably."

[patrice]

1. "Endangered" because their party has been taken over by racist Tea Party who, no matter

what happens in November, will become stronger.

Evangelicals in my area follow a preacher who has preached Civil War II over women's choice and, of course, LGBTQ Civil Rights and racism are slip-streaming on their anti-choice base. Recall that Newt Gingrich was here courting Lou Engle.
http://www.advocate.com/latest-news/2012/05/05/lou-engle-spins-civil-war-metaphor-gay-rights

[Heather MC]

2. I wasn't there but I bet if we dig through the archives of history

we will find the same rants and screams were happening in the 1960's

This is the second coming of the Civil Rights movement not a second civil war, and if I recall correctly the Racist didn't win the first civil war, so if they want to repeat history I hope they have enough sinse to fast forward to the part where a peace treaty was signed in VA