Like many Massachusetts residents, I'm banging my head against the wall when I look at the tight poll numbers in the special Senate race between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown. Apparently, mobilized conservative voters in Massachusetts want to "make a statement." So I'm asking you to adopt a Massachusetts voter and encourage Democratic turnout on January 19, 2010. The stakes are so high; Dick Morris is stumping for Brown on FoxNews, Michelle Malkin is HotAiring.....
Even worse, right-wing and regressive Brown is masquerading as a Kennedy heir, when in fact he is the direct opposite of anything Senator Kennedy would have wanted. Brown even has an ad up quoting John F Kennedy, entitled "Different People, Same Message." To hear or read Brown in the local press is stunning, flip-flopping so he sounds more palatable to the mainstream of Massachusetts voters, but again, Dick Morris is flacking for him and Brown's record is not mainstream.
Let's just look at these facts when it comes to Brown's record on women's health:
• Brown was the lead sponsor of a legislative amendment in 2005 that would have allowed hospital emergency rooms to deny emergency contraception to victims of rape.
• Brown has co-sponsored the so-called Women's Right to Know Bill, legislation that would impose a mandatory delay before a woman can obtain an abortion. This legislation is supported by Massachusetts Citizens for Life, an organization that has endorsed Brown for United States Senate.
• Brown recently filed legislation that, if enacted, would allow the removal of previously mandated insurance coverage for a wide array of health services, including critical health care for women. Among the women's health services that his bill would allow to be removed as mandated coverage are mammograms, minimum maternity stays for new mothers, and screenings (pap smears) to detect, among other possible conditions, cervical cancer at an early, treatable stage.
• Brown opposes national health care reform that includes many benefits for women, such as ending denials by insurance companies to women who have had a Caesarean section or who suffered domestic abuse under the premise that they were "pre-existing conditions."
I didn't know Ted Kennedy, but I'm pretty sure he'd be horrified at the thought of someone like Scott Brown taking over. Here's what you can do to help Martha Coakley win:
Adopt a Massachusetts voter. Turnout in the primary was very low. If it's low again and the right wing is mobilized, that bodes badly for Martha.If you have friends who can vote in Mass. call them and make sure they turnout January 19!
- Make calls or volunteer
- If you live in Massachusetts, email volunteer@marthacoakley.com and see what you can do
- Organizing for America has a phone bank so you can make calls from anywhere in the US
- Blog, Facebook, Twitter and raise awareness so voters in Massachusetts turn out.
Thank you!
Follow Morra Aarons-Mele on Twitter: www.twitter.com/morra_am
"Scott would be such an upgrade on every major issue from the late Teddy Kennedy," Roberts said. "Furthermore, his opponent, who espouses the same anti-life, anti-family, anti-values agenda that made Kennedy such a tragic figure to the Church, should give Catholic, Christian, and values voters an easy choice next Tuesday."
As a Catholic blogger put it: “From the pro-life perspective he will be the best candidate on the ballot in Massachusetts next Tuesday.”
Brown supporters this week claim cutting taxes and stopping health care reform is more important than a woman’s right to choose. I don’t think so.
As Joanne Lipman wrote in the NYT -- women have made gains in business but lost ground socially. “After focusing for so long on better jobs and higher pay, maybe the best thing — the enduring thing — we can do is make sure respect is part of the equation too.”
I don’t want to take a chance on a candidate who says he’s pro-choice yet his supporters say “not really.” I respect a woman’s right to choose and the other social advantages that we have in MA and this is why I’m choosing Martha on Jan. 19th. Please don’t take your social rights and respect for granted and vote for Martha on Tuesday.
Let's support Martha Coakley who will be a force for America, and joining our President Barack Obama achieve what we voted for & what the vision we all deserve and need.
We will not wait 15 more years for Health Care. We don't need obstruction, we need progress.
We need a voice who will give not only Massachusetts the voice, but also America the chance.
Students will rally to the call. Remember everyone, a position is not just about Massachusetts, Martha Coakley will be a voice to help America. There's a bigger picture here.