The Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC are
backing former Charlevoix County Commissioner Connie Saltonstall’s Democratic
primary challenge to Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak.
The endorsements come in the wake of Stupak’s high-profile effort to insert tight
restrictions on federal funding of abortions into the health care reform law.
Last Week, Saltonstall won the endorsements of the National Organization for
Women and MI List, a Michigan organization that backs female candidates who
support abortion rights.
NARAL announced Wednesday that it was donating the maximum of $5,000 to
Saltonstall’s primary campaign
Considering Stupak's actions and political decisions these past few months, I have to admit that I will also be voting for Connie Saltonstall. However, I do believe that Stupak made a very intelligent move politically. He represents an area that I feel is very anti-abortion, and I feel that he represented his constituents well.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that it seems as though he cannot win no matter what he does. He signed the bill, which gives him negative feedback from republicans, and yet he is still getting negative feedback from democrats due to his proposed amendment.
However, I believe that liberal democrats should not have the sole choice of voting for a very conservative democrat. I believe that Saltonstall finally provides democrats with full representation of their political opinions.
I can see how Stupack's actions would cost him votes. Abortion is a hot button issue and action in either direction is going to loose him votes. I just feel that with all that is going on right now there are things that should take precedent over social issues when it comes to voting. I know that these kinds of issues are important and I do have strong opinions on a lot of social issues but I also kind of feel there are things more important. I feel that voters right now should be looking at candidates more on the grounds of how they intend to stabilize the economy as we start to come out of the recession and then by their stand of social issues. I kind of feel like there is a ticking clock on economic stability and the longer we wait to get that figured out the worse things will be, but social issues don't have that ticker and aren't as high of a priority to me. Plus social reforms can be changed California allowed gay marriage and then stopped allowing. Economic issues have a more long standing affect, if we make a big mistake now its going to affect the fixes down the road and if we do a good job now its going to make life down the road. Bottom line is I feel right now this abortion issue shouldn't be affecting Stupack as much as it is at least right now. Voters need to prioritize by looking at the bigger pictures. Although I do agree that having more options on the democratic side is better for elections especially in a district as big as this one.
ReplyDeleteAllison, do you think that a more liberal Democrat would be capable of taking the seat from Stupak? I think the very fact that Stupak is so conservative is what makes him electable to the constituents of the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan. If a pro-choice democrat wins the primary then I feel that the Republicans will receive a whole slew of votes that would normally go to Stupak. I agree with Connie in that we need a single payer healthcare system but it would appear that her campaign is primarily based on her objection to the amendment that Stupak introduced into the healthcare bill. She pegs her self as a single issue candidate and this will ultimately be her downfall.
ReplyDeleteA lot of citizens don't see the actions taken by a congress person as that individual's action only...citizens see it as a party action. Which means that if congress person A is a D/R and they vote on something that the people don't like, the people see it as the D/R party voting yes or no.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good possibility that Democratic party will have a tough time in upcoming elections.