NARAL's, LCV's, and Sierra Club's failed endorsement of senator McConnell (R)

[skipos]

(from dailykos.com)

Mitch McConnell is now the Republican Senate leader. On choice issues, this is how he stacks up:

2006 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 0 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100 percent in 2005-2006.
2005 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2005.
2004 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2004.
2003-2004 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100 percent in 2003-2004.
2003 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2003.
2001-2002 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100 percent in 2001-2002.
2001 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 0 percent in 2001.
2001 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2001.

And so on. I think the point is quite stark. The dude hates choice and is one of the Senate's fiercest critics of it. And McConnell's ascension to Republican leader status wasn't a surprise. He was the number two guy beneath the retiring Bill Frist in this outgoing Senate. His promotion to the top spot in his caucus was preordained.

So it's quite shocking that NARAL would endorse a Mitch McConnell-led Senate this past cycle.

How's that, you ask?

Had NARAL gotten it's way, and had their endorsed candidate in Rhode Island (Lincoln Chafee) won his race, Republicans would've held the Senate and Chafee would've voted for Mitch McConnell for majority leader.

Chafee's seat was the difference between a Choice-friendly Democratic majority, and a Senate led by one of the most anti-choice demagogues in D.C. That's the calculation NARAL made, and thankfully, their gambit failed. The people of Rhode Island bailed NARAL out of their own stupidity.

It's no thanks to them that we are where we are today.

more...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/22/17470/955

[rinsd]

1. The "choice friendly" Dems almost made their most anti-choice guy Maj leader

I see no problem with issue groups endorsing who they thought best represented them in individual races.

They also endorsed a few hundred Democrats. Does that not count?

[skipos]

2. Whitehouse is more progressive than Chafee on every issue

that I know of. They shouldn't have endorsed anybody, or endorsed Whitehouse.

We should always look at the big picture. Thank God RI voters were smart enough to ignore Naral, LCV and Sierra Club, and ignore the fact that Chafee is the least idiotic Republican in the senate. Chafee got voted out for all the right reasons, and women and the environment will be better off for it. America will be better off for it.

I wish Nader 2000 voters would have been able to look at the big picture the way RI 2006 voters did.

[rinsd]

3. I agree Whitehouse was more progressive.

I think it had more to do with this "the fact that Chafee is the least idiotic Republican in the senate".

But I still think Kos is being a bit over the top in his critique of these groups.