Pro-Abortion Political Groups Reunite to Defeat President Bush

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 8, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Abortion Political Groups Reunite to Defeat President Bush

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 8, 2004

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Two venerable abortion advocacy groups are reuniting for the 2004 election cycle with a common goal: remove pro-life President George W. Bush from office and replace him with pro-abortion Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).

Voters for Choice and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund have doled out millions on behalf of pro-abortion candidates and they announced at a press conference last week that they plan to unite their efforts this election cycle.

"We’re stronger than ever," Parenthood Action Fund President Gloria Feldt said regarding the announcement "On the day that the current Administration launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign, we are also announcing an aggressive teaming of not only two politically powerful organizations."

Voters for Choice head and feminist icon Gloria Steinem and actress Kathleen Turner were on hand for the announcement. Turner serves as National Chair of Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Board of Advocates.

"To my knowledge, there has never been an administration that has been more hostile … to reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right, and has acted on that hostility," Steinem said of President Bush.

"In addition to their clear drive to criminalize abortion, there has been no opportunity of which I’m aware that they have not taken to restrict women’s rights and to oppose reproductive freedom."

According the Center for Responsive Politics, a leading campaign finance watchdog group, Planned Parenthood reportedly spent anywhere from $7 to $10 million during the 2000 presidential election on negative advertising blasting Bush’s pro-life position.

Planned Parenthood spent $1.5 million on television ads supporting pro-abortion Vice President Gore during the last two weeks of the election. That amount was slightly more than was spent by the Democratic Party itself — or any other political organization — during that time period.

Planned Parenthood’s 13-state media blitz featured more than 6,100 advertisements.

Hollywood celebrities have drawn criticism for supporting the abortion advocacy groups. For example, movie director Steven Speilberg directed $5,000 to Voters for Choice this year.

The announcement brings Voters for Choice back to the Planned Parenthood fold as the nation’s largest abortion business played an integral role in forming the pro-abortion political group.

"Joining with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund is very important because they have 900 local representatives, so to speak — 900 local organizations. So it will greatly increase the ability of Voters for Choice to reach beyond the media, around the media, and get to individual voters," Steinem explained.

In February, NARAL announced it is launching a campaign to raise $25 million to defeat pro-life President George W. Bush and elect pro-abortion candidates to Congress. The money would be used for advertising, a well as voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts.