Steve Driehaus Voted for Taxpayer Funded Abortion

 http://www.citizenlink.com/2010/10/aclu-joins-free-speech-challenge-in-ohio-%E2%80%93-in-support-of-pro-life-group/

Liberal Steve Driehaus still claims to be pro-life despite voting for Obama’s healthcare bill.  Susan B. Anthony’s List, the pro-life action group known for its controversial interpretation of some of Susan B. Anthony’s statements regarding abortion, ordinarily only gets involved in congressional races involving women.  But this year they have decided to expand their list to include endorsements of opponents of candidates who claim to be pro-life, but who voted for Obama’s healthcare bill.  Thus, they are fighting for their right to display the above negative billboard against Driehaus, who is running against Steve Chabot. 

But who has come to the rescue of SBA List?  Was it the National Right to Life? No.  Was it the Alliance Defense Fund? No.  Was it the American Center for Law and Justice?  No.  It was the American Civil Liberties Union.  Yes, that’s right, the ACLU.  Why is the ACLU doing this?  Aren’t they pro-abortion?  Yes, of course they are.  But the ACLU seems to be against every law there is.  So it actually makes perfect sense.  You see Driehaus is claiming that the SBA List is violating a certain Ohio election law.  The ACLU wants this law to be judicially abolished.  That’s what they like to do.  They like to see laws struck down at the bench.  (You can read quotes from their spokeswoman by clicking the link below the billboard picture.)  In this case they may be right (though the Ohio Constitution makes libel an exception to free speech), but I can imagine that some well-meaning conservatives might not like what this decision means in terms of their candidates not being protected from vicious attack ads.  Well, the case is far from over, the SBA List may win or the members of its front office may be put in jail. 

Of course, SBA List has totally missed the boat here.  Regardless of whether or not abortions will funded by taxpayers through Obamacare, which is a matter of debate, there is another bill which Steve Driehaus voted for which clearly appropriates funds which are explicitly allowed to be used for the funding of abortions in cases of rape and incest as well as substantial indirect abortion funding.  Driehaus also voted against an amendment to this bill which would have at least prevented Planned Parenthood (but not other abortion providers) from getting any of the money.  I am talking about a Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill.   But SBA List is only defending itself on the basis that Steve Driehaus’ vote on Obamacare was a vote for taxpayer funded abortions.  Why?  The simple answer is that they are endorsing Driehaus’ opponent, Steve Chabot, who also has voted for Planned Parenthood funding through DHHS appropriations bills.  (That doesn’t make anyone want to donate to your organization if you point out that two major party candidates running against each other are both hypocrites.)  In fact, almost all congressmen have voted for this garbage.  The only candidates they could endorse would be Ron Paul (even he abstained from the voting last time rather than voting “no”), some freshmen Republicans, those who have never held a congressional seat and maybe one or two others.  If you only endorse a handful of candidates, that just does not generate much interest, even though it’s the right thing to do.  SBA List also only endorses “viable” candidates.

But since the billboard is so obviously true, Driehaus has no case (even if Ohio election law is constitutional) and should shut up and bow out of the race so that we can have a debate between Chabot and Libertarian candidate Jim Berns.  Though I will not cast a vote for him either because he also is not pro-life (but at least HE doesn’t lie about it), at least people might learn something from such a debate.