More Pro-Abortion Women’s Groups Back Barack Obama, Slam Sarah Palin

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 17, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

More Pro-Abortion Women’s Groups Back Barack Obama, Slam Sarah Palin

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 17
, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — More pro-abortion women’s groups are getting behind Barack Obama and they’re simultaneously attacking John McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin. The endorsements are as much an attack on the Alaska governor because of her pro-life position as they are an endorsement of Obama.

Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, is one of the leaders of six pro-abortion groups to back Obama.

She told the Associated Press that she doesn’t think having the nation’s first female Vice President is a help to women.

"We don’t think it’s much to break a glass ceiling for one woman and leave millions of women behind," she alleged of Palin’s pro-life views.

Palin’s spokeswoman Maria Comella said she wasn’t surprised the pro-abortion groups were backing Obama. But she was disappointed at how they attacked someone who could become the first female Vice President.

"It’s extremely disappointing that an organization that purports to be an advocate for all women not only opposes, but feels compelled to go out of its way to criticize and make negative comments, about the only ticket in the presidential race with a woman on the ticket," Comella said.

Obama also won the support of the National Organization for Women, which hasn’t officially weighed in on a presidential contest since 1984, when abortion advocate Walter Mondale picked pro-abortion Sen. Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.

"It is with great enthusiasm that I announce today … that the National Organization for Women Political Action Committee (NOW PAC) proudly endorses Sen. Barack Obama," NOW president Kim Gandy said in a statement sent to LifeNews.com.

‘It is no coincidence that I am joined in this announcement by so many allied organizations that collectively represent a broad and diverse cross-section of U.S. women," she said, in a clear attempt to paint Palin as anti-woman.

"From teachers to social workers, from business owners to college students, women in this country are lining up behind the candidate who is out there every day standing up — clearly and consistently — for women," Gandy added without mentioning that her group is not lining up behind the only woman in the presidential race.

Gandy said Obama’s pro-abortion views — supporting it throughout pregnancy for any reason and paid for at taxpayer expense — resonate with her group.

"He strongly supports Roe v. Wade and will oppose any efforts to overturn it," she said.

‘Sen. Obama opposed the nominations of George Bush’s extreme right-wing nominees to the Supreme Court, who have consistently ruled against women’s rights," Gandy added.

NOW backed New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries for president.

The two pro-abortion leaders also dismissed polling data showing McCain doing better among women now because of his selection of Palin.

While Obama previously had double digit leaders among women, he now leads only 49 to 44 according to a new Associated Press-GfK Poll. With white women, McCain has a 53 to 40 percentage point lead.

They predicted women would shift back to Obama once they learn that Palin is pro-life.

The Business and Professional Women/USA, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Congress of Black Women and the Women’s Information Network also endorsed Obama.

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