New Hampshire Senate Candidate Jeanne Shaheen Gets Pro-Abortion Backing 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 21, 2007
Concord, NH (LifeNews.com) — No sooner did former Gov Jeanne Shaheen declare her candidacy against pro-life Sen. John Sununu then a leading abortion advocacy group endorsed her campaign. Emily’s List, the largest political action committee in the country, will likely puts hundreds of thousands of dollars and staffers behind her bid to knock off Sununu.
"A three-term governor, Jeanne Shaheen is answering the call of more than a thousand Granite Staters who signed a petition asking her to run against Sununu," the group said in its endorsement of her.
Emily’s List calls Sununu "radically anti-choice, even opposing embryonic stem cell research."
Sununu defeated Shaheen, the retiring governor, in the general election in the 2002 Senate race by a 50.8 to 46.4 percentage point margin.
Emily’s List touts Shaheen as a way to "strengthening our Senate majority" and solidifying its pro-abortion hold on the chamber and it said she "used her power" as governor to promote abortion.
Sununu has a 100% pro-life voting record according to the National Right to Life Committee.
He has voted against making taxpayers spend their money on abortions and embryonic stem cell research as well as helping pregnant women get medical coverage for their unborn children and avoiding abortions.
In May, embryonic stem cell research backers attacked Sununu.
The liberal political group Americans United for Change launched a serious of radio and television ads in the Granite State attacking Sununu.
"We’re talking about the endless and exciting possibilities of stem cell research," Michael Brunelle, the group’s representative, told AP. "Senator Sununu holds the key to opening that door. There is a major showdown on the horizon."
But the senator says the ads are misleading and noted that Americans United for Change is a "very liberal special interest funded by union bosses. It is disgraceful that they distort the facts on such an emotional issue for partisan politics."
Sununu told the Associated Press that he supports stem cell research, especially the kinds using adult stem cells from a variety of sources. He also has supported a bill that would look into ways of obtaining embryonic stem cells without destroying days-old unborn children.
"I voted for legislation that that would allow additional research on new embryonic cell lines created under existing guidelines," Sununu said.
He pointed out that, unlike the use of adult stem cells, "after years of [embryonic stem cell] research not a single therapy has been approved for clinical trial."
