Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion-PAC Pro-Choice Voter 2004 VOTING GUIDE VOTE NOV. 2, 2004 ✑ Tear off this yellow Voting Guide. ✑ Save it until Election Day. ✑ Make copies for your friends. ✑ Carry it openly into the voting booth. Our endorsed candidates are listed in BLUE BOXES VOTE ONLY FOR THEM FREEDOM OF CHOICE – VOTE FOR IT! Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion-PAC © 2004 • 237 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605 ProChoice Voter, 300 Martine Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 Please copy and distribute this page to other pro-choice Westchester County Voters. 2004 Voting Guide WCLA Endorsement Policy, 2004 WCLAʼs endorsements are determined case by case. To be considered for endorsement, candidates must return WCLAʼs questionnaire and participate in an interview if requested Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion-PAC by WCLA. ProChoice Voter Incumbents shall be endorsed over pro-choice challengers if they have consistent vot- ing records and have established a reputation for strong leadership and extra effort in advancing access to abortion and contraception. Non-incumbents will be endorsed if they Candidates endorsed by WCLA are have demonstrated leadership in the community on the issue. To be considered for endorsement, candidates must unequivocally support: highlighted in boxes. Help keep • access to abortion and contraception for all women, unimpeded by laws, restrictions, or regulations; abortion legal and accessible. • strict confidentiality for all reproductive health care; Vote for endorsed candidates. • coverage by public and private insurance of abortion and contraception. Judicial candidates: To be eligible for endorsement, judicial candidates must participate in an interview if requested by WCLA, and neither seek nor accept the Right to Life Party nomination. U.S. PRESIDENT/ • District 18 NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY VICE PRESIDENT Richard Hoffman (R) • District 87 George W. Bush/Dick Cheney* (R, C) NITA LOWEY* (D,I,W) J. GARY PRETLOW* (D,I) JOHN KERRY/JOHN EDWARDS (D,W) Moira C. Dooling (C) RALPH NADER/PETER CAMEJO (PJP, I) • District 19 Sue Kelly* (R,I,C) • District 88 U.S. SENATOR MICHAEL JALIMAN (D) AMY PAULIN* (D,I,W) HOWARD MILLS (R) CHARLES E. SCHUMER* (D,I,W) NEW YORK STATE SENATE Marilyn F. O’Grady (C) • District 89 Robert J. Castelli (R,C) • District 34 NYS SUPREME COURT ADAM BRADLEY* (D,I,W) 9th Judicial District/(vote for 6) John Fleming (R) Robert Neary (R,I,C,RTL) JEFFREY KLEIN (D) • District 90 Stuart Rosenwasser (R,I,C,RTL) Stephen Kaufman (C,I) SANDRA GALEF* (D,I,W) Matthew Byrne (R,C,RTL) • District 35 Joseph Alessandro (R,I,C,RTL) • District 91 NICHOLAS SPANO* (R,C,I,W) ** HOWARD MILLER* (R,I,C,W) Vincent Malfetano (R,C) ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS (D) Joseph Cerreto (R,C,RTL) GEORGE LATIMER (D,I,W) BRUCE TOLBERT (D,W) ALFRED WEINER (D,W) • District 36 RUTH HASSEL-THOMPSON* (D,I,W) • District 92 JOAN LEFKOWITZ* (D,I,W) RICHARD BRODSKY* (D,I,W) LES ADLER (D,W) Andrew Osterczy (C) KEVIN GRIFFIN (D) • District 37 • District 93 WILLIAM GIACOMO (D,I,W) Louis Mosiello (R,C,I) William J. Dowling (RTL) Michael R. Gianatasio (R,I) SUZI OPPENHEIMER* (D,W) STEVE PLOSKI (D) U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES • District 40 • District 99 Vincent Leibell* (R,I,C) WILLIS H. STEPHENS, JR.* (R,I,C) • District 17 JOSEPH A. D’AMBROSIO (D,W) WESTCHESTER COUNTY COURT Mat I. Brennan (R) ELIOT ENGEL* (D,W) (vote for 2) William Gerstenzang (R) Kevin Brawley (C) IRENE RATNER (R,I,C) FRANCIS NICOLAI (D,C,W) GERALD LOEHR (D,I,W) Mary N. Clark (RTL) Terrence J. Dwyer (RTL) Key to ratings: Parties: R: Republican ENDORSED D: Democrat RTL: Right to Life PRO-CHOICE, NOT ENDORSED I: Independence C: Conservative Anti-choice W: Working Families * Incumbent PJP: Peace and Justice ** Former RTL ✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩ Newsletter of WCLA and WCLA-PAC and ProChoice Voter Vol. 33, No. 2 Autumn, 2004 A Simple Reminder . Kerry Yes! Bush NO! CLA has endorsed John Kerry for President and • “Bush Bypasses Senate on Judicial Nomination, Seats Pryor John Edwards for Vice President because they During Recess” Whave promised to protect Roe v Wade, to sup- • “House Passes Unborn Victims of Violence Act; Injuring port women’s reproductive rights, and to promote stem Fetus During Attack on Pregnant Woman Would Be Separate cell research. Their voting records make their commitment Crime” (2/27/04); credible. Contrary to the myths propagated by the Republi- • “DOJ Subpoenas Abortion Records From Six Planned Par- can Party, Kerry and Edwards say what they mean, and they enthood Affiliates for Defense of 'Partial- Birth' Abortion mean what they say. Ban” (2/27/04); For all those who still may need convincing, here is a • “Bush Administration 'Packing' Scientific Panels With smattering of headlines under the Bush Administration, as 'Ideologues,' Union of Concerned Scientists' Report Says” reported verbatim from KAISER DAILY REPRODUCTIVE (7/9/04); HEALTH REPORT: • “GOP Draft Platform Calls for Constitutional Ban on Abor- • “Prominent Scientists Criticize Bush Administra- tion, Supports Bush's Embryonic Stem Cell Research Policy” tion for Suppressing, Distorting Science, Including (8/25/04); “The platform's section on abortion -- titled Abortion, Condom Data” (2/9/04); "Upholding the Rights of All" -- has been expanded from the • “Bush's FY 2005 Budget Proposal Would Double See Reminder on page 6 Funding for Abstinence Education Programs” (2/23/04); Senate District 34 Jeff Klein – A Must Win for Choice he 34th Senate District presents an absolutely clear choice Tfor pro-choice voters. Assemblyman Jeff Klein has an unequivocal record supporting a woman’s right to choose. He knows the issues and has always been and will continue to be a strong proponent of women’s reproductive rights. In contrast, his opponents are not to be trusted. John Fleming, who is running solely on the Republican line after losing his bid to represent the Conservative Party, has sys- tematically skirted the issue of choice. He does not return calls, does not put forth a position on this issue and has failed to return his WCLA questionnaire. Anti-choice candidate Steve Kaufman, who was defeated by Klein in the Demo- Reprinted from the Palm Beach Post/Wright cratic Primary (thanks to you—the WCLA voter!), is running on the Conservative and Independence lines. Kaufman’s anti- Nader = Bush choice voting record in the State Assembly shows that he By Concetta Erca Agro and Rachelle “Rocky” Richard wants to criminalize certain safe abortion procedures and put hy on earth is Ralph Nader running like a man pos- government squarely between women and their doctors. Wsessed? While for years his advocacy work was a criti- A win by Jeff Klein is of paramount importance for the cal force, he is alienating so many of his followers who once 34th SD and all residents of New York State. This victory for supported his causes. Doesn’t he care that he will succeed choice will bring us one step closer to a pro-choice New York See Nader on page 4 See Klein on page 4 dren of Holocaust survivors, they know that you can never A afford to sit idly by as someone else decides your fate; as children of a family with a diverse religious background, Wake-Up they know that no faith trumps another on Election Day. They, like I, watch with fascination as masses of people Call are registering to vote. My kids are convinced that the election is in the bag—“Kerry is sure to win,” they say, by Catherine Lederer-Plaskett and add with conviction, “Look at all those new voters.” President/Chair of the Board I don’t want to burst their bubble, but if there’s one If we don’t suppress the thing WCLA has taught me, a voter is not a voter until “Detroit vote, we’re going to s/he pulls the lever. All those new registrants are nothing have a tough time in this elec- without a good dose of behavior modification. Just as a tion.” Michigan’s Republican smoker needs to be taught not to light up and a dieter not state legislator John Pappageorge uttered those words just to take that extra bite, a voter needs to be taught to go to a few weeks ago. He was, it seems, referring to the black the polls. That’s something that we at WCLA do very well; vote. But, as a subsequent telephone conversation with by constantly staying in touch, we actively encourage New York Times editorialist Bob Herbert made clear, all people throughout the year to make their voices heard on groups—women, Hispanics, whoever—that tend to vote Election Day. Our people (you) turn out! Democratic are fair game. Most likely those new registrants are not part of that This is 2004, not 1904. Why aren’t people outraged highly coveted 2004 election population—the undecided and demanding Pappageorge’s resignation? Perhaps we’re voter in the swing state. That voter baffles the mind! How no longer surprised. He gave voice to what many feel can anyone be undecided at this point? The two candi- has become the modus operandi for winning elections. In dates have completely different positions on just about recent years, old fashioned voter intimidation has come every issue. Bush’s positions are clear. He is in favor of: back in style, e.g. Florida’s recent biased voter felon list; criminalizing abortion, prohibiting stem cell research, and students in Texas threatened with arrest for voting where passing a constitutional amendment banning gay mar- they attend university; minority names simply vanishing riage; he wants to drill in Alaska; privatize health care, from the voter rolls.