Abortion-Rights Groups Criticize Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for Recruiting Antiabortion Candidates

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 04 Feb 2005 - 14:00 PDT


Abortion-rights groups are "voicing frustration" that the… Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee appears to be "lining up behind" two candidates who do not support abortion rights to challenge Republican incumbents in 2006, Roll Call reports. The committee has recruited Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey (D) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), both of whom oppose abortion rights, to run for the Senate in 2006. The committee is scheduled to hold a fundraiser for Langevin on Feb. 16 and sponsored a poll released last month that showed him ahead of Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), who supports abortion rights, by 20%. Langevin said he plans to decide whether to run by April 1, according to Roll Call. Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown (D), who supports abortion rights, also has "indicated interest" in running, according to Roll Call. Casey on Tuesday met with DSCC Chair Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) but has indicated he will only challenge Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) if "the field is essentially cleared for him," according to Roll Call. Other Democrats "eyeing a challenge" to Santorum include former Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D-Pa.) and former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer (D), both abortion-rights supporters. "Democrats have always elected pro-life candidates," Ramona Oliver, spokesperson for EMILY's List, said, adding, "I think the concern is that the DSCC has taken this extraordinary step and seems to be trying to clear the field when there are obviously (other) very strong candidates in both races. We're not even close to resolving where those races are going to go." Schumer "brushed aside" criticism for supporting Langevin and Casey, saying that he had not yet talked with abortion-rights groups, Roll Call reports. "We're a big tent party, and they would agree," Schumer said (Whittington, Roll Call, 2/3).

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