One of the country's leading pro-choice organizations reaffirmed its support for Sen. Barack Obama Sunday, a day after Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign criticized his voting record on abortion rights.
In a statement released to The Huffington Post, NARAL Pro-Choice America's political director, Elizabeth Shipp, said that the organization was confident with the platforms of Obama and every other front-running Democratic presidential candidate.
"We are fortunate to have such strong pro-choice candidates like Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as former Sen. John Edwards and Gov. Bill Richardson, running for president," Shipp said. "All of these candidates have strongly communicated their pro-choice values. We are confident that any one of these candidates would protect and defend a woman's right to choose, if elected president."
On Saturday, the Clinton campaign sent a mailing to New Hampshire voters criticizing Obama's record on abortion rights. According to the mailer, Clinton has a record of fighting "far-right Republicans" to defend abortion rights, while Obama had been "unwilling to take a stand on choice."
The attack was the first lobbed at the Illinois Democrat since his victory on Thursday in the Iowa caucus. Obama's campaign was quick in its repudiation.
"The Clinton campaign's false negative attacks were rejected by Iowa voters, and we expect that they'll suffer the same fate here in New Hampshire," campaign spokesman Bill Burton declared.
NARAL did not weigh into the political fray, choosing instead to reaffirm its support for the entire Democratic field. The organization did note, however, that Obama, Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, all had been endorsed by the organization in previous campaigns. Moreover, in 2005 and 2006, Obama received a 100 percent grade on the "NARAL Pro-Choice America's Congressional Record on Choice."
The Clinton mailer focused primarily on Obama's tenure in the Illinois State Senate. During his eight years in that office, the mailer said, Obama declined to take a position on abortion bills. However, during that same time period the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council gave Obama a 100 percent rating for his support of abortion rights, family planning services and health insurance coverage for female contraceptives.