Leading Abortion Advocate Will Not Run for Democratic Party Chair

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 17, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Leading Abortion Advocate Will Not Run for Democratic Party Chair Email this article
Printer friendly page

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 17, 2005

St. Louis, MO (LifeNews.com) — Leading abortion advocate Kate Michelman, the former president of NARAL, says she will not be a candidate to become the next leader of the Democratic Party.

At a regional conference in St. Louis over the weekend, Michelman said she decided against seeking the top party post, but will work to persuade party leaders to oppose pro-life Democrat Tim Roemer, a former Indiana congressman who is a contender.

"I will spend the next month leading a vigorous effort to ensure that when the DNC elects its new leader, it selects someone who stands forthrightly for a woman’s right to choose," Michelman told CNN.

She also indicated she would work to convince party leaders that supporting abortion "is both a fundamental value of the Democratic Party and an essential component of our winning message."

However, post-election polls showed the abortion issue was a benefit to President Bush.

A post-election poll of voters by Wirthlin Worldwide showed a majority of Americans are pro-life and the abortion issue gave pro-life candidates such as President Bush a twelve percent advantage.

Some 42 percent of voters said that the issue of abortion affected the way they voted, according to the Wirthlin poll.

Those voters favored pro-life candidates by nearly a two-one margin with 25 percent of all voters saying they voted for pro-life candidates who oppose abortion and only 13 percent of all voters saying they backed candidates that favor abortion.

That twelve percent margin in favor of pro-life candidates no doubt helped the president win re-election in several battleground states.

Michelman worked with former chairman Terry McAuliffe to blast President Bush on abortion and his judicial picks during the 2004 presidential election.

She crisscrossed the country in an attempt to turn out the votes of abortion advocates and said Bush should be defeated because he will nominate pro-life advocates to replace retirees on the Supreme Court.