Top Pro-Abortion Group Endorses Senator Hillary Clinton for President

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 23, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Top Pro-Abortion Group Endorses Senator Hillary Clinton for President Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 23
, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — One of the top pro-abortion groups, which is also the wealthiest political action committee in the country, has endorsed pro-abortion New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in her bid for the Democratic nomination for president.

Emily’s List only supports pro-abortion women for political office and it endorsed Clinton even though all of the other Democratic presidential candidates back abortion as well.

The Clinton endorsement is the first presidential endorsement the group has made since past Democratic nominees who backed abortion were all men.

Emily’s List President Ellen Malcolm sees gains made in the 2006 election in putting more pro-abortion women in Congress as setting the take for a victory for the former first lady.
"Women are really moving up at all levels, which really sets the stage for the big enchilada, and we’re doing all we can to help Hillary Clinton become the first woman president," Malcolm told the Oakland Tribune. "We have a full plate for 2008."

The group will provide more than just money — it raised $46 million for candidates in 2006 — to Clinton. The group lends experienced campaign staff members and provides get out the vote help as well. That could be important in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

Malcolm will be at Clinton’s fundraiser Friday at San Francisco’s Sheraton Palace Hotel.

She told the newspaper she’s not afraid some of her group’s membership may be enamored with the "rock star" status of pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

"There are certainly some members that are on the fence and haven’t decided, and I would say, ‘That’s fine, go check out the candidates.’ I think you’re going to conclude that Hillary is the strongest candidate for Democrats to run in the general election," she told the Tribune.

"If there’s one thing Clintons know how to do, it’s win. And if there’s one thing we as Democrats need right now, it’s victory to take back the White House," she added.

Interestingly, pro-abortion leaders are split on the presidential candidates. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina recently received the backing of Kate Michelman, the longtime president of NARAL, another top pro-abortion organization.

Though it can help bankroll the Clinton candidacy, it can’t assure the abortion advocate it will help her win.

Emily’s List outraised and outspent every other political action committee on any issue during the 2006 elections, but it didn’t mean success.

Of the 19 competitive House races in which EMILY’s List backed and funded a candidate, only two won. This follows on the heels of the group’s 2004 performance, in which it went three for 13 in head-to-head contests against the conservative Club for Growth.

In 2006, the only successful EMILY contenders for Republican seats were state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) — who was heavily favored all along to win the seat of retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe — and New York attorney Kirsten Gillibrand, who won only after the late leak of a police report alleging that Rep. John Sweeney of New York had choked his wife.

Combined EMILY’s List contributions of $100,000 and independent expenditures worth $270,000 could not save the high-profile candidacies of Iraq War vet Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and child-safety advocate Patty Wetterling.

In New Mexico, Atty. Gen. Patricia Madrid (D) failed in her quest to oust perennial survivor Rep. Heather Wilson (R), despite $48,000 in contributions and $110,000 in independent expenditures from the group.

Other EMILY candidates who had high hopes — in Arizona, Washington State, Nevada, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nebraska — all lost, even as male Democrats rode the wave to victory on November 7.