Good Morning, blogosphere. I wanted to make sure that you all had the opportunity to check out an op-ed in The Star Ledger, written by Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. Here's an excerpt:

For a great deal of the last 30 years, abortion -- and reproductive rights more generally -- have been at the forefront of American politics. Over the last eight years, we have witnessed an anti-choice candidate, George Bush, win two elections by remaining elusive on the issue. And as a repercussion, we have spent almost a decade fighting a dramatic on slaught of attacks on reproductive freedom...

But the fact that abortion has not been totally outlawed has lulled many women into a false sense of security. Roe vs. Wade and the bedrock of reproductive rights may not have fully eroded during Bush's time in office. But another four years with the same anti- choice leadership in the White House -- after another conservative Supreme Court appointment -- and many women won't know what hit them.

You can read the op-ed in its entirety here.

Oh! And also in New Jersey today? Sen. McCain and his "straight talk express." This morning at 11:30 a.m., he will be in Pemberton, NJ for a Town Hall.

Check out this new Gallup poll:

Read the whole thing here.

So, I'm not going to lie: This article concerns me. It concerns me because the author, Froma Harrop, makes the assertion that Sen. McCain's history - which includes OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS of anti-choice votes and quotes - somehow shows that, "while McCain has positioned himself as "pro-life" during this campaign, his statements over the years show considerable latitude on the issue."

With all due respect, I simply have to disagree. "Considerable latitude?" No way.

Let's look at the facts behind McCain and reproductive rights, with a focus on preserving Roe v. Wade:

1. McCain voted in favor of four anti-choice U.S. Supreme Court nominees: Alito, Roberts, Thomas, and Bork.

2. McCain voted in favor of six anti-choice lower-court nominees.

3. McCain voted against a resolution in support of Roe v. Wade and a woman's constitutional right to safe and legal abortion services.

4. McCain has repeatedly voted for (and cosponsored) the Federal Abortion Ban, a law that criminalizes some abortion services, with no exception to protect a woman's health, and carries up to a two-year prison sentence for doctors.

5. McCain said, "If I am fortunate enough to be elected as the next President of the United States, I pledge to you to be a loyal and unswerving friend of the right to life movement."

6. Last, but by no means least (his record goes on forever!), Sen. McCain has never cosponsored or supported legislation that would prevent unintended pregnancy or reduce the need for abortion.

You can read Sen. McCain's key votes and a selection of his public statements on reproductive-health issues here, and you can spread the word about his anti-choice background at Meet The Real McCain.

Just please - whatever you do - do not make the mistake of thinking that McCain is not fully anti-choice or that he would put forth a "cipher" to the Supreme Court, as Harrop suggests. We have a pro-choice candidate, and his name is Barack Obama. And he is the only candidate for president that is fully pro-choice.
 

Oh. My. Goodness.

Do you still think that a McCain presidency wouldn't be that bad? Take a look at this video from Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films:

 

 

Here's more from Robert Greenwald's blog post over at The Huffington Post:

John McCain's record on reproductive rights couldn't be more appalling. There, we said it! We said it because the corporate media won't confront McCain on the real issues in this election. They won't tell you, for instance, that McCain has consistently received a big fat zero from NARAL on its pro-choice scorecard. Nor will they tell you that McCain has flip-flopped on Roe v. Wade and now supports overturning this all-too-crucial case.

Because the corporate media has failed to do its job, we have to work extra hard to do ours. And so we've created McCain's Clinic, a sneak peek at what a women's health clinic could look like if McCain were elected. Yes, we're presenting McCain's reproductive rights record through comedy, but our hope is that it will help get our point across effectively.

I don't ever want to see a McCain presidency, never mind a "McCain Clinic," become our reality. Ever.

Visit Meet The Real McCain to learn more about what you can do to educate your friends, family, and co-workers about anti-choice John McCain. They need to realize that McCain is not only anti-choice, but anti-birth control as well.   

The mere fact that you are reading this blog post right now leads me to believe that you are either a blogger, an activist, or both. So, with that in mind, I want to pass on and promote this great opportunity for the blogger-activist in you.

The Netroots Nation Scholarship: You know what Netroots Nation is, right? It used to be called Yearly Kos. Well, this year, Netroots Nation is partnering with Democracy for America to offer scholarships to bring some of those activists to Austin to network with fellow progressives just like them. 

Here's more from their email:

Whether you're an activist organizing locally to support a presidential campaign or a blogger mobilizing communities for a common cause, this is your chance to show off what you've done to move the progressive agenda forward. 

Our scholarship program is a way to ensure that activists of every age, background, and economic bracket, representing numerous points of view and all 50 states, are able to attend Netroots Nation. Because the more diverse the audience, the richer our experience in Austin will be.

The scholarship program will cover the cost of registration and lodging for at least nine activists.

Sounds awesome right? Click here to apply for your scholarship now. The deadline is June 10 at 11:59pm Eastern.

I would be remiss if I didn't also promote the BlogHer Conference which is July 18-20 in San Francisco, CA. Here's more:

BlogHer's annual event is a fantastic opportunity for you to meet your virtual friends face-to-face while getting a chance to learn from the collective wisdom of the entire BlogHer Community. Over three days, you'll have a chance to meet, greet and socialize with your fellow BlogHers. But there's more than networking, there are serious opportunities to amp up your technical skills, get expert advice on how to make more of your blogging, whatever your blogging goals, and opportunities to drive discussions about the blogging topics you devote your talents and energies to.

You can learn more from their website and register here. 

Ahh yes. It's a great summer for blogging (despite this nasty, but hopefully temporary DC heat wave).

Yesterday, Sen. Obama spoke with CNN's Candy Crowley on the state of the race. One of the questions she asked him was, roughly: What would you say to a 45-year-old Clinton supporter who says she will not vote for you [Obama] - whether it's to vote for McCain or just stay home - in November?

Instead of re-capping, it's better if I let them speak for themselves:

 

 

Sen. Obama is exactly right: A McCain presidency (*shudder*) is really just another four years of the Bush presidency. Once people take a moment to realize what exactly that looks like in terms of reproductive rights, they will vote for Obama in November. For more information, check-out the elections section of our website. 

Last night was a historic night for political junkies, wasn't it? As Sen. Barack Obama secured the number of delegates necessary to move on as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in the fall, I sat glued to my television, eagerly taking in the three big speeches from Sens. McCain, Clinton, and Obama.

The speech that really sounded like the same tired old rhetoric was, of course, McCain's speech. Now I can truly say that I appreciate what Barack Obama has been saying about needing to change the tired rhetoric of Washington... because believe me, when I heard that old rhetoric, it really made me tired. What am I talking about? Allow me to highlight an excerpt from John McCain's speech:

Like others before him, [Obama] seems to think government is the answer to every problem; that government should take our resources and make our decisions for us. That type of change doesn't trust Americans to know what is right or what is in their own best interests. It's the attitude of politicians who are sure of themselves but have little faith in the wisdom, decency and common sense of free people. [Ed. Note: Emphasis added... by me!]

So clearly McCain was using his speech to try to convince voters that he's the candidate of change, but to quote the great philosophers of Grey's Anatomy, "SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!??!!!" You are not McDreamy or McSteamy, you're just McSame. (The same as George Bush, if you're wondering.)

John McCain can't advocate against government interference in our personal lives while, at the same time, voting anti-choice 125 out of 130 times during his 25 years in Washington. John McCain can't claim to be dismayed by politicians who are "sure of themselves but have little faith in the wisdom, decency and common sense of free people," when he is one of those politicians! Okay, at least he shouldn't do it with a straight face and expect that we won't call him out on it. Please!

We know the truth: John McCain is the kind of politician who supplants his beliefs for the values and freedoms of reproductive choice that he - and his anti-choice friends in Washington - deny women and their families.

John McCain is the kind of politician who: favors overturning Roe v. Wade; favors a domestic and global gag rule that prohibits doctors from giving patients all the information about their choices; and supports unsafe, inaccurate abstinence-only programs instead of real, honest sex education in our schools. So, Sen. McCain, if you're appalled by politicians who have "little faith in the wisdom, decency, and common sense of free people," are you looking in the mirror when you chastise them? Because seriously, Senator McCain, the type of politician you are describing... well, sorry to tell you this, but it's you.

So, if you watched John McCain's speech last night, I urge you - Don't believe the hype! Take a look at the first of NARAL Pro-Choice America's Obama v. McCain comparisons and pass the knowledge on...

Summer's here! (Clearly the summer solstice doesn't know what it's talking about).

I know many of us use beach trips and lying by the pool as time to catch up on our ever-expanding reading list. (Or as an excuse to read celebrity gossip and trashy romance novels - to each her own).

But if you're hungering for something a bit more substantive to feed your pro-choice soul, look no further! This week's Liberty Lowdown features three fabulous pro-choice reads that you should definitely be sure to pack in the beach bag.

If you have trouble viewing this video, you can watch on our YouTube channel.

Books recommended:

• Choice: True Stories of Birth, Contraception, Infertility, Adoption, Single Parenthood, & Abortion by Karen Bender and Nina de Gramont
• He's a Stud, She's a Slut, and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know by Jessica Valenti
• This Common Secret - My Journey as an Abortion Doctor by Susan Wicklund

Also make sure to check out NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts' choice book clubs.

Here we go again. The AP reports that California will have yet another parental notification measure on the ballot. This is the third time that Californians have been asked to vote on this issue! The first two incarnations of this measure were soundly defeated.

Amy Everitt, state director of NARAL Pro-Choice California, said, "We all support the safety and health of California's young women, but this ballot measure will do nothing but threaten our state's most vulnerable teens."

For more information, check out NARAL Pro-Choice California's full press release, and keep an eye on their site to find out how you can help defeat this measure.

From the AP:

State election officials say a proposed state constitutional amendment defining a fertilized human egg as a person has enough petition signatures to get on the November ballot.

Secretary of State Mike Coffman says in a Thursday announcement that backers turned in an estimated 103,000 valid signatures, far more than the 76,000 required.

Coffman says the estimate is based on an examination of a computer-selected random sample of about 6,500 of the signatures, or 5 percent of the 130,000 submitted.

Coffman's spokesman, Rich Coolidge, says any appeal of the decision would be made in state district court.

Some supporters hope the amendment, if passed, will restrict or limit abortions in Colorado.

I'll bring you more as information comes in, but in the meantime, visit the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado website to learn about the ballot measure and take action.