Planned Parenthood Will Spend $10 Million Pushing Pro-Abortion Candidates 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 22, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Planned Parenthood unveiled a new campaign on the thirty-fifth anniversary of Roe v. Wade to raise $10 million to use to promote pro-abortion candidates for the White House and Congress in 2008. The announcement is a signal to pro-life groups to get started immediately to organize and fund-raise for the elections.
Planned Parenthood’s action fund made what it called a "bold announcement" on Tuesday to try to bring one million pro-abortion voters to the polls in November.
Should the abortion business be successful, it would represent an unprecedented get out the vote effort and give the pro-abortion side a leg up on trying to wrest the White House from pro-life advocates.
Calling their program the “One Million Strong Campaign,” Planned Parenthood leaders outlined a grassroots effort to win the presidency and add to the pro-abortion majorities they have in the House and Senate.
Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, complained that abortion advocates have watched as President Bush appointed pro-life nominees to key governmental and judicial positions.
"And they’ve now seen the White House and the state governments pour more than $1.5 billion," into abstinence education programs, that apparently have helped reduce the number of abortions to historic lows.
“To keep our doors open and continue serving the millions of Americans that come to Planned Parenthood every year .. it’s clear that we need to step into the electoral arena," Richards said Tuesday.
"That’s why we’re going to bring one million voters who care about women’s health to the polls to change things in 2008,” Richards said.
Saying one in four Americans visit Planned Parenthood during their lifetime, the group hopes to connect its customers with election information throughout the year.
Planned Parenthood is working with pollster Geoff Garin, president of the polling firm Hart Research Associates, to identify pro-abortion voters and get them registered to vote and to the polls.
“Women and young people have proven to be decisive forces in the presidential contests so far, and health care remains a top domestic issue," Garin said. “Planned Parenthood has a unique ability to reach the voters that will decide this election and elect a pro-choice president.”
Combined with efforts from NARAL and Emily’s List, the pro-abortion side of the political spectrum could see as much as $30-50 million spent on pro-life candidates. The largest pro-life groups, while representing more people, typically spend just a few million combined during a presidential election cycle.
However, the money isn’t necessarily an indicator of success.
Planned Parenthood made its first presidential endorsement in 2004 by backing John Kerry, who eventually lost to President Bush as the president received a greater share of the votes of those voting based on abortion.
The abortion business plans recruiting events across the country to bring pro-abortion voters to the fold.
