Pro-Abortion Hollywood Democrats Oppose Pro-Life Democrat Candidate

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 28, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Abortion Hollywood Democrats Oppose Pro-Life Democrat Candidate Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 28, 2005

Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) — Democrats are beginning the next phase of their internal abortion debate as pro-abortion activists complain that party leaders are wrongly choosing pro-life Democrats for top Senate races in 2006.

A group of wealthy Hollywood Democrats have announced that they are raising funds for a pro-abortion candidate to take on pro-life Rep. Jim Langevin in Rhode Island. Langevin has been recruited by party leaders to take on Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee, himself an abortion advocate.

Victoria Hopper, wife of the actor Dennis Hopper, has recruited 16 actors, producers and philanthropists to help her raise funds to support pro-abortion Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown, who will take on Langevin in a party primary.

"This is even more important than one precious Senate seat; it is a fight to protect women and families, and a fight for the core and soul of our party," Hopper wrote in a letter, according to a New York Times report.

"Unbelievably, some conservative D.C. Democrats have recruited Representative Jim Langevin, a radically anti-choice candidate," she wrote.

Hopper wrote that heavy fundraising could send a message to party leaders, who are also recruiting pro-life Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr., to run against pro-life Senator Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania.

Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told the Times that the party was simply looking for the best possible candidates in the two races "without applying any litmus test."

That is going over well with Kristen Day, the director of Democrats for Life of America.

"We are very pleased that the Democratic leadership is able to see beyond the abortion issue and support qualified and loyal democrats, such as Langevin and Casey, for Senate races," Day told LifeNews.com in response to the news.

"I am sure that other Democrats will soon realize that we need to focus on common ground if we are going to take the Senate back and become a majority party again," Day, director of the national pro-life group, added.

However, leading abortion advocates will support pro-abortion candidates in any inter-party primaries.

Martha McKenna of EMILY’s List says the pro-abortion political group will support former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer in a primary against Casey.

According to the Times, co-signers on Hopper’s fundraising appeal included Chris McGurk, vice chairman of MGM; Cindy Horn, wife of Alan Horn, president of Warner Brothers; actors Camryn Manheim, Christine Lahti, Kathy Najimy and Heather Thomas; Susie Tompkins Buell, a founder of the Esprit clothing company; and Callie Khouri, the screenwriter of "Thelma and Louise."

Related web sites:
Democrats for Life of America – https://www.DemocratsforLife.org