Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorses Obama

Washington D.C., Jul 10, 2008 / 02:29 am

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has endorsed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, citing his 100 percent pro-abortion rating. The presidential endorsement is only the organization’s second in its history.

"The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is proud to endorse Barack Obama for president of the United States," said Action Fund President Cecile Richards. "He is a passionate advocate for women's rights, and has a long and consistent record of standing up for women's health care.”

“As president, he will improve access to quality health care for women, support and protect a woman's right to choose, support comprehensive sex education to keep our young people healthy and safe, and invest in prevention programs, including family planning services and breast cancer screenings."

Anne Brewer, coordinator for the Women for Obama organization within the Obama campaign, reported on her blog that on Monday Obama held a conference call with Planned Parenthood Action Fund members from across the country. According to Brewer, in the conference call Obama said, "As president I'll make sure women have access to affordable health care, including affordable reproductive services. I thank you for your endorsement and your leadership."

“This marks only the second time in Planned Parenthood's history that the Action Fund has made an endorsement in a presidential campaign,” Brewer said on her blog, according to Cybercast News Service. She said the board of the national Planned Parenthood Action Fund voted unanimously to recommend endorsing Obama. The board’s recommendation was ratified by Planned Parenthood’s local action organizers, which Brewer said “represent the interests of all 100 Planned Parenthood affiliates.”

Brewer also noted that Obama supports the Freedom of Choice Act, which she said “would codify and protect a woman’s right to choose.” She attacked Obama’s presumptive opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain, saying he “has a zero percent voting record on women's reproductive health and has stated he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

Day Gardner of the National Black Pro-Life Union responded to the endorsement by emphasizing that Planned Parenthood disproportionately aborts black unborn children.

“By kowtowing to the abortion industry Obama proves he is just another politician, as he purposely overlooks the fact that 63 percent of Planned Parenthood’s 860 clinics are in African-American communities,”
Gardner said, according to Cybercast News Service. “Even though blacks comprise only 13% of the population, they make up over 36% of all abortions done in this country.”

Gardner then cited a quotation by Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger that advocated making a religious appeal to black Americans through ministers ‘with engaging personalities.’

‘The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population,’ Gardner quoted Sanger as saying.