DCCC Mailings Criticize Va. Congressional Candidate Fimian's Positions On Women's Rights, Health Issues

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Stem Cell Research;  Abortion
Article Date: 12 Sep 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the past three weeks has sent at least seven mailings calling Keith Fimian, the Republican candidate for Virginia's 11th Congressional District, as a "reactionary activist seeking to roll back the rights of women," the Washington Post reports. Fimian opposes human embryonic stem cell research and abortions except in cases where a pregnant woman's life is in danger.

The mailings also question Fimian's ties to Legatus, an organization of Roman Catholic business leaders organized by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Mongahan. According to the Post, Mongahan is opposed to the availability of contraception, and some of the mailings suggest Fimian is opposed to contraceptive use, which Fimian said is untrue. DCCC is "engaged in the politics of personal assassination," Fimian said.

Fimian also said he is not ashamed of his Catholic faith or his membership in Legatus, adding that the organization is "concerned with serving the poor and with social justice and family issues." He said the ads are seeking to distract voters from issues, such as the economy, and his opponent Gerald Connolly's (D) performance as chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Connolly and Fimian are running for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.).

Fimian's "views on social issues are relevant because he has pretended in this campaign to be a moderate in the mold of Tom Davis," Connolly said, adding, "Tom Davis is pro-choice. Tom Davis is pro-stem cell research. And Tom Davis certainly supports the availability of contraception in the United States. [Fimian] belongs to an organization that opposes these things. I assume when you belong to an organization, you subscribe to the tenets of the organization. If he wants to disavow the tenets of this organization, now's the time to do it."

According to the Post, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said in a statement that DCCC is "guilty of lying" by stating in one of the mailings that Legatus "promotes other groups fighting for a radical antiwoman agenda." Donohue said links provided on Legatus' Web site come with a disclaimer that "explicitly states ... it does 'not necessarily endorse all of the content or the views contained in the sites.' DCCC knows this, but it chose to lie anyway." A DCCC spokesperson said the mailings are fair given that Fimian has portrayed himself as being similar to Connolly, who is known to have progressive social views (Gardner, Washington Post, 9/10).

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