The Abortion Rights Lobby: Why Is John Ashcroft Public Enemy No.1?
Tuesday, January 23, 2001
Faced with a handful of pro-life Cabinet nominees, pro-choice activists had to choose a target. What was behind their decision to go after Ashcroft?
BY JESSICA REAVES
Excerpt from Time Magazine
When George W. Bush first announced his Cabinet nominees, a great outcry arose from America's abortion
rights lobby. But despite the presence of two resolutely pro-life candidates
(John Ashcroft and Tommy Thompson)
on the presidential roster, pro-choice groups have chosen to concentrate
their efforts almost exclusively on defeating Ashcroft.
All eyes on Ashcroft
For the past several weeks, every pro-choice group in the country,
including NOW and NARAL, has joined forces in hopes of defeating
Ashcroft's nomination for the post of U.S. attorney general — where
he would be responsible for enforcing abortion laws and protecting abortion clinics.
Nobody, on the other hand, seems particularly concerned with Thompson's nomination,
although as head of HHS, he would exercise significant control over health care
policy — and the dissemination of
often controversial health-related information.
Excerpt from Time Magazine
time.com |
