HuffPost: "Obama 'Present' Votes On Choice Don't Add Up"

[bidenista]

On HuffPost today, Taylor Marsh claims to have evidence that the defense for Obama's "present" votes on matters of reproductive choice doesn't add up:

Obama 'Present' Votes on Choice Don't Add Up

TAYLOR MARSH
Posted January 31, 2008 | 02:15 PM (EST)

...Just today I've been trading emails with Bonnie Grabenhofer, IL NOW State President. She's pushing back hard on the outright misinformation in Obama's YouTube video, because what Brett is saying in it is evidently pure fabrication.

Below is part of the email Grabenhofer has sent out, which I received via email from readers. I have confirmed with Bonnie that she sent it. She's also very adamant about getting the truth out about Obama's "present" votes, which don't pass the smell test any more than Lorna Brett's video that was made on Obama's behalf.

----------------------

I thought I'd take a moment to try to add some clarity to the anti-choice Present votes in IL.

Lorna Brett was president of CNOW from 1996-1998. She was not president at the time we were lobbying on these bills. Five of those votes occurred in the 92nd General Assembly session in 2001. NOW records indicate that she hasn't been a member since 1999. She was not there when we were lobbying against these bills. She is using her very old affiliation with NOW to try to validate her criticism of Hillary Clinton.

Voting Present on those bills was a strategy that Illinois NOW did not support. We made it clear at the time that we disagreed with the strategy. We wanted legislators to take a stand against the awful anti-choice bills being put forth. Voting Present doesn't provide a platform from which to show leadership and say with conviction that we support a woman's right to choose and these bills are unacceptable.

The Present strategy was devised to give political cover to legislators in conservative districts. Barack Obama did not represent a conservative district; he could have voted No with very little negative consequence in his district.

- Bonnie Grabenhofer
IL NOW State President

----------------------

Obama's "present" votes do not explain his willingness to provide cover for conservatives when he was in the Illinois senate, which is his record, at the expense of taking a stand on women's civil rights. Frankly, I could care less what rating Mr. Obama gets from Planned Parenthood or any other group. I care what Obama does when asked to take a stand. Obama's actions do not match his talk, any more than the video he's been pushing tells the truth. That's because Obama's willingly to reach across the aisle and bring people together, while also offering cover to conservatives, trumped taking a stand on an issue critical to women's civil rights. His let's make a deal style belies the substance at the heart of this issue. It's anything but leadership.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/obama-present-votes-on-_b_84312.html

[killbotfactory]

1. Taylor Marsh

'nuff said.

[maddiejoan]

3. Bonnie Grabenhofer

'nuff said.

[robbedvoter]

5. Voting Present on those bills was a strategy that Illinois NOW did not support."

That seems to be a reliable source to me whomever this Marsh is (is he btw a RW-er like the many you guys quote here? A Bushie?)

I thought the latest explanation was that NOW wanted him to vote present...
I know, it wasn't 130 times, it was only 129...
"I wasn't aware I voted no - let the record show I meant to vote yes"

[Occam Bandage]

10. It was a strategy that Planned Parenthood supported, not NOW.

And Taylor Marsh is a Clinton operative. He's responsible for numerous factually-questionable attacks that show up here.

[maddiejoan]

14. and the CEO of Chicago PP

-Steven Trombeley is an Obama operative.

so your point is?

[Occam Bandage]

15. Robbedvoter asked who Marsh was, that's all.

[killbotfactory]

19. As has been said numerous times, Planned Parenthood supported the present votes

I guess they are too conservative when it comes to choice issues, or whatever stupid bullcrap you expect us to believe.

[KennedyGuy]

6. how bout refuting one of the facts..

Just one even...
only one..
Can't?

[Maven]

8. OMG - one dissenting voice on Obamapost.com

KILL HER!!!11!

[KennedyGuy]

21. Really..the fact that this even made it on to Huff post is astounding

Must be Ariannas day off..

[IndianaJones]

2. the present button is yellow for a reason. nt.

[DJ13]

4. Whats next?

You going to post pro-Hillary quotes from Pat Buchanan?

[bidenista]

11. like the ny post, pat buchanan is an endorser hillary can do without. nt

[blm]

7. Do you claim that Hillary WOULD NOT have voted as Planned Parenthood asked on

these bills?


If Hillary could find it in her to vote the way Bush wanted her to vote, then why wouldn't she find it in her to vote the way Planned Parenthood asked Dems to vote in Illinois?

[jasmine621]

18. Hillary wasn't in the Ill legislature. You are raising a red herring here.

You folks are amazing. I hope all this stuff comes out soon so that women voters can make an informed decision about who will work on their behalf.

[blm]

29. Not the point. Would YOU have voted differently from the way Planned Parnethood asked

you to vote for STRATEGIC reasons?



No matter if it was a state or federal issue - if Planned Parenthood was pulling a STRATEGIC MOVE would you assist them or ignore them and vote the way they DIDN'T want you to vote?

What's amazing is that you all don't see the how and WHY you are twisting those votes. Or...you do and just don't care because you think stupid people who DON'T examine the circumstances of those votes will be suckered in by your claims.

Very Rovian. He uses that tactic alot with the stupid people he loves to manipulate, too.

[Occam Bandage]

9. Taylor Marsh? Ha. 100% NARAL. 100% Planned Parenthood. NOW is just stumping for the

female candidate, just like they were with their atrocious statement against Teddy Kennedy in New York.

[sandnsea]

12. After the "gangrape" from the NY NOW chapter

the lot of them can take a flying leap.

[Barack_America]

26. God yes. Talk about credibility coming crashing down.

That was awful.

[jillan]

13. Bidenista -

wow!

I sure wish you were around when Joe was still in the race.
You definitely would have made my job easier.

:toast:

[bidenista]

23. i wish i had been too!

I'm still hoping HRC will consider him for veep.

:toast:

[lapfog_1]

16. So they admit there was a strategy!

Which confirms exactly what to two MOST affected groups have said. NARAL and PP both have said that there was a strategy to get ALL democrats (and a few republicans) to vote "present" on the bills. Obama agreed to the plan as presented by NARAL and PP.

And Illinois NOW did not support it.

Well, if I was Obama, I would go with NARAL and PP.

NOW's "strategy" was every person for themselves... and if you were a Dem or a pro-choice Repuke in the senate, and you and only you were voting "present" because you wanted to be re-elected to make sure crap like those bills DIDN'T pass in the next session, I bet you were pretty happy that a large block of Dems were voting "present" right along side you.

Do you want results or do you want "principle"?

[sandnsea]

31. Excellent catch, terrific

You're right, they did just verify that there was, in fact, a strategy.

[Egnever]

17. Hahah I wonder if ole taylor will have any credibility left

When this is over. Of course I never heard of her before this race. Its amazing that the only thing Hillary has to run on is lies and inuendo.

[emilyg]

28. I feel your love and hope (not)

Go Hillary

[kelligesq]

20. Yeah, I thought to myself those present votes were anti-abortion - NOW agrees.

[Occam Bandage]

22. NARAL disagrees. Planned Parenthood strongly disagrees, as they suggested it in the first place.

[jackson_dem]

24. What kind of Supreme Court justices would they appoint?

That is something we need to take a hard look at. If Roe is overturned it will go back to the states, not the White House. The key is what kind of justices would each appoint?

[Barack_America]

25. Good Lord, she is prolific, isn't she...

After the Las Vegas Sun called her out, I can't believe a word she says. But she is everywhere, isn't she?

There really must be a blogger-in-chief position that was offered to her, should Clinton win.

[TheWraith]

27. After the disaster that the NY-NOW president caused, I'd think they'd want to avoid any more damage

to their credibility as an organization. What little they have left.

And in any event, nobody said that you supported it, prez Grabenhofer. The "present" strategy was endorsed by the Illinois chapter of Planned Parenthood, which has more credibility than you ever will. But hey, facts aren't the point of this, smearing is.

[AtomicKitten]

30. that was seriously stepping in it

No worries. Planned Parenthood has called BS on these lies from the Clinton campaign.