Virginia Planned Parenthood Responds to DU on Governor Kaine

[grantcart]

Calling Virginia Planned Parenthood they said that while the national office has endorsed Barack Obama the Virginia State Office cannot endorse Governor Kaine, or anyone else, for a national office.

However they did release the following statement:


"Governor Kaine has always been protective of women's health issues in general and woman's reproductive issues in particular".

Planned Parenthood Praises Kaine

In the past Planned Parenthood was particularly pleased that Governor Kaine took on the conservatives and eliminated funding for abstinence based sexual education in schools:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201716.html


Planned Parenthood of Virginia, which had lobbied for the change in policy, sent out a statement Monday praising Kaine for joining its nationwide campaign to eliminate abstinence-only programs, which urge youths to refrain from sex until marriage.

"There is no evidence that abstinence-only programs equip teens with the education they need to delay sexual activity or prevent unintended pregnancies or the spread of sexually transmitted disease," said Becky Reid, an organizer for Planned Parenthood Health Systems.
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With the move, Virginia becomes the 14th state to refuse to support abstinence-only education.

edited title for clarity and adding the following statement by Kaine during a debate (thanks to onenote)

http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/kaine-kilgore-transcript/

I had an experience when I was a young man, and it was a transformative experience in my life. When I was 21 years old, I decided to take a year off of law school and go work with missionaries in Honduras. And I worked with a guy by the name of Jim O’Leary, who became my life hero. He gave 40 years of his life to serving the poorest of the poor. He taught me about faith and about faith in action. And that made a public servant out of me.

I came back from Honduras, having worked with poor kids with a renewed respect for the sanctity of life. And not because my church teaches it — but because I have come to believe the teachings of my church through my adult life, I believe life is sacred.

And I haven’t hesitated to state consistently over the years that I am against abortion and the death penalty.

And I have stated since I first got into public life: I am not going to change my religious view to get elected to public office.

And I won’t let anybody push me around for my religious views or question them.

But beginning in 1994, I have taken on the role of public servant. And I have had to put my hand on a Bible, affirming everything I believe, and raise my right hand and swear that I will uphold the laws of the Commonwealth and of the United States.

And I view that oath like my wedding oath. I view it as an oath that I am not going to break, and I wouldn’t take it unless I could carry it out.

So I am not shy about saying what my positions are. I am a crime fighter who has come up with programs like Project Exile, and a whole series of things to cut crime.

I believe there are very common-sensible thing that we can do to reduce abortion. For example, enforce the restrictions we have, pass a ban on partial-birth abortion, insure that women having access to health care, including contraception.

I don’t believe we should criminalize women’s health care choices. But I believe that you can do things that are consistent with my views. But at the end of the day, I’m going to carry out my oath of office. I will protect women’s rights to make their reproductive choices. I will carry out a death sentence handed down by a Virginia jury, and I will not use the clemency powers of the governor in any way other than those that other governors have seen fit to use.

[salonghorn70]

1. Thank You For Posting This

There are some who just are not looking at what Kaine's actual record is.

[grantcart]

8. thank you salonghorn

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

2. Thanks for posting this. Kaine has been good for Virginia. It's almost tragic

how we liberals sometimes have these knee-jerk reactions against anyone who isn't pure. It continues to do us a disservice. I think Kaine would be a fantastic choice even though I may disagree with him on some issues. I'll take him over Evan Bayh anytime, any day!!

[Barack_America]

9. He's a man of his convictions...

Which are overwhelmingly Democratic. That USED to make one "pure".

But now Democrats aren't happy unless someone's got everything on the shopping list in the cart. Oh, and did I say shopping LIST? I actually meant everyone's itemized shopping lists that rarely overlap.

A disservice it is indeed.

[grantcart]

10. There is a huge number of people who have problems with abortions

that are looking for a good reason to stop voting for Republicans.

We need to help give them that reason.

[Cha]

15. There is that and no matter who Obama chooses

for his running mate it won't be perfect just like Obama's not perfect. That's why we take the whole measure of a person for the job.

[grantcart]

17. exactly right as opposed to the critics here that embody perfection

[salonghorn70]

19. There Are Some On DU

who demand perfection???? :sarcasm:

[grantcart]

20. lol

[grantcart]

18. thank you

[UncleTomsEvilBrother]

3. With the SCOTUS.....

voting 5-4 on most issues, a person who is not an "ace in the hole" for pro-choice is too risky. Still. I aggressively campaign for Obama, but a selection of a VEEP who is not pro-choice would certainly water down my enthusiasm.

Not trying to start an argument here @ all, but exactly what's so hard about giving a person a right to control his/her own body?

[Zynx]

4. He will apoint left-leaning judges who will be by default pro-choice.

I trust him on this.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Good thing Kaine's pro-choice.

:shrug:

[grantcart]

6. Governor Kaine supports Roe vs Wade

I understand your point.

He also is against the death penatly but continued to carry out executions while Governor.

http://www.aclu.org/capital/general/29278prs20070404.html

However the ACLU praised him for vetoing a popular bill that would have expanded its use:


The governor and 14 senators may have just saved Virginia from the ignominy of replacing Texas as the state with highest execution rate in the nation," said American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis.

"This is a situation where one can support the death penalty, but still oppose these bills because they will cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and there is no indication they will have any positive effect on public safety," added Willis.

The bills, SB 1288 and HB 2348, would have eliminated Virginia's "triggerman" rule, which states that only the person who actually commits a murder qualifies for a capital crime, except in cases of murder for hire or murder ordered by a drug dealer or terrorist.

Death penalty critics, who point out that Virginia ranks second only to Texas in the number of persons executed, feared that elimination of the rule might encourage prosecutors to bring many more death penalty cases and cause more executions to take place.

[grannie4peace]

14. he's over a barrel

i called kaine's office this morning because i got an email promising photo ops for large donations. i was poed . when i got talking to the aide i found out the repugs are stopping anything kaine tries so he won't become another mark warner.so maybe he should just transcend all the state bs and become vp:):);-) ;-) ;-)

[salonghorn70]

7. But The Whole Purpose of This Post

is to try to show you that he supports a woman's legal right to choose and would appoint Justices accordingly. :shrug:

[onenote]

21. Kaine has stated that even if Roe v.Wade were overturned, he'd veto a bill banning abortion

If that's not good enough for you, I guess nothing is.

[StevieM]

11. I see where you are coming from. The most important part of being VP is to be prepared to assume

the presidency if God forbid it came to that. We need judges who are committed to common-sense principles, people like Breyer or Souter. I don't want a VP who isn't fully committed.

That said, I do think that Tim Kaine is the most likely choice, followed closely by Evan Bayh. Sebelius and Biden get honorable mentions, I guess.

I'm not sure why Obama didn't consider former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack.


Steve

[phoenixriz]

13. Women's Health Issues

Kaine has made it possible for all young girls of Virginia to take the necessary measures in the prevention of cervical cancer and genital warts.

From Wiki:

"Tim Kaine has given his support for the mandatory vaccinating of 6th grade girls in Virginia with the HPV vaccine and has recently signed a bill to that effect. He has dismissed all criticism, saying that the broad opt-out provision in the bill should resolve all of the concerns."

[Coexist]

12. thanks, grantcart

[grantcart]

16. thank you

[jillan]

22. Thx for posting this - you just saved me alot of google time!

[sourmilk]

23. Good find. Too many overly negative posts about Kaine today.

I think that he will make a fine VP.

[Stop Cornyn]

24. Kaine would be an excellent VP for Obama. He meets many key criteria: (1) appeals to a different

Democratic voter block (Catholics and Evangelicals, Spanish speakers),

(2) expands the electoral map (Virgina and Missouri),

(3) expertise in a substantive area where experience would be valuable (housing problems),

(4) promotes the message of change ("outside the Beltway" experience),

(5) not an attention hog or overambitious pol who would steal the nominee's spotlight but would serve in a support role.

[LostinVA]

25. He's still anti choice

I voted for him as Virginia governor, because he was considered a liberal to a chunk of the state, but he is far from a progressive on some social issues, including choice and gay rights.

Notice his use of teh anti-choice code phrase, "partial birth abortion." NO such thing even exists -- it's the anti choice movement's phrase for a very rare, needed medical procedure.

I understand you like him, and I get that: I voted for him. But, he should not be VP. We need someone more progressive on these issues.

[grantcart]

26. I neither like him nor dislike him

but I will not stand by when people slim folks with charges like anti gay and against choice when the facts show that is not the case.

This thread conclusively proves that he is not anti choice as an elected official.


You may be surprised at how many Democrats are against abortion but against criminalization of abortion more.

The fact is that he supports the right for women to have access FULL medical care including abortions.


Your charges about him being anti gay have been also been debunked in another thread


just googling around this is what I found


Kaine on Gay civil rights

1) The first action Kaine took as Governor was to sign an executive order extending civil rights protection to 'sexual orientation'
(it was very unpopular and he had to fight the AG and the legislature on it)
2) took on the #1 homophobe of VA and defeated him
3) backs workplace protection for gays
4) opposed the Marriage Affirmative Act
5) supports gay adoptions according to VA law (which in VA excludes any couple not married hetro or homo from adopting)
6) publicly supported the Virginia Democratic Gay Alliance = Virginia Partisans - the first to do so publicly.


It is true that Kaine does not support same sex marriage but we have many of politicians from progressive states that don't do that let alone from conservative states like VA.


My interest in Kaine extends simply to his impact on electoral college - other than that I couldn't care less.

The case for his impact on OH/IN/PA/VA/NC/FL and TX is impressive.

If your going to call somebody a bigot - antigay - don't you owe that person atleast the courtesy of supplying a link to something that he has done that would justify it?

[Alexander]

27. I feel the same way - lukewarm, but I will defend him against smear attacks.

Interestingly, that's how I felt about Obama at first, before I decided to support him in late 2007.

[LostinVA]

31. I'm not SMEARING him -- these are his known views on these issues

[ruggerson]

29. Grantcart, just repeating that he is not anti-gay doesn't make it so

You've taken selective quotes from groups that agree with your preconceived agenda, which is apparently to push Kaine.

I'm fine with that. Until I have more information, I have no reason to oppose him, though some of what he has said/done rings some alarm bells.

It is profoundly unfair to attack people who question his bona fides as "sliming' him when many of us are seeking out further information.

If he is against civil unions as well as same sex marriage, that puts him significantly outside of the Democratic mainstream. If he opposes adoptions by gay couples, he is, again, outside of the Democratic mainstream.

I'm perfectly willing to learn more about him. But seeing you try to beat up and bully a couple of people here because they have disagreed with you is not helpful.

And I thank you for the information you HAVE provided.

[grantcart]

32. My agenda is to elect Obama and stop proxy attacks against him who use

Kaine (in this situation) for that end. If you look on GDP you will find such an attack going on now.

You can find a similar proxy attack using Gay issues on this thread


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6553152

It has been a long effort to find the context of these charges and find the truth.


Here is what I have found out. When he ran for LT Governor he ran against one of the worst homophobes in the US. The main thrust of the campaign was attacking Kaine for being too liberal on gay issues.

In defending himself he would take positions that appeared more conservative than they really are.

For example: On adoption (a very hot issue it seems) he said that he was for the existing law that allowed individuals to adopt but made it illegal for unmarried couples to adopt (hetro or homo). This put him in the odd position of supporting single gay adoption but against gay couples.



The other thing that I have found is that every time it came down to an issue that the Democratic Gay Alliance in VA had an issue he sided with them. In your other thread you posted a columnist who wanted him to veto the marriage ammendment - other gays including the Partisans did not want him to veto it.

Going to the Facebook to the Partisans I find that he is listed as a "hero".


Once he became Governor the first thing he did was to sign an executive order extending civil rights protection to gays. I also found that it had very little support in the legislature and the Attorney General tried to sue him on the grounds it was not constitutional.

Obama is going to appoint whoever he wants for VP and I am going to support whoever he picks. All of the BS that is written here is not going to impact that. However there are those that will try and create a FISA type reaction because they oppose Kaine.

No one is perfect and I am sure that Kaine will show some imperfections.

I found one article complaining about people that he was apponting on Pollution control boards.


But when it came to the following three areas: Gay rights, Women's Issues, and the Death Penalty the more I read the better he looks.


I have emailed the Virginia Partisans, like I contacted the VA planned parenthood and have asked them for a statement.

I will publish that regardless of whether it supports or hurts Kaine.


I am not for Kaine I am against him getting the brunt of proxy attacks on intellectually dishonest people who basically don't like Obama and are venting on Kaine because they can't on Obama.

Obviously I don't consider your replies or your post referred to in that category.

[ruggerson]

37. I don't know who the "partisans" are

but the post you linked to originally also cited the Log Cabin Club as praising him for signing the amendment. Not a great endorsement there.

I have not seen, obviously, everyone who has brought this up, but Bluebear and Harvey Korman are both fierce and honorable advocates for the end of Jim Crow status for gays and lesbians in this country. If they are alarmed by what they've read and heard about Kaine, it is not because they want to hurt Obama, it is because they don't want their FAMILIES to be hurt by the government any longer, especially a government run by Democrats.

One DU'er actually posted to me this morning that we have to accept as legitimate the "faith based" argument against same sex marriage. These people, she argues, are "well intentioned."

I think that's utter bullshit. I don't have to accept ANYONE's bigotry, least of all if they use it as a club to try and prevent my family from having equal rights under the law.

You have to realize these aren't abstract issues to many of us. This is about our lives.

I also know that there is a far bigger world out there than the issues pertaining to my families legal status in this nation. I am more than willing to see the big picture and have many concerns other than my own immediate ones: the war, the erosion of the constitution, the rebuilding of economic fairness, stem cell research and women's rights - all at the top of my concern list.

But, don't look for bad motives when they might not be there. Some folks are committed to ensuring that they see justice in this world before they leave it. They are on the same side as you. They just might see a different path towards achieving common goals.

[LostinVA]

30. He IS anti gay rights, he IS anti choice

Unlike many on these threads, I lived in VA during his campaign, I listened to his mandated debates, I read his literature, I was good Friends with one of his main campaign people. I voted for him, I donated to him, I had his signs in my yard and on my car. I would have campaigned for him if I hadn't had a bunch of personal stuff going on taking up all of my time. I respect his refusal to be a hypocrite on issues. I SUPPORTED HIM -- AS GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. Not as VP of the United States. We do NOT need to take steps backwards on these issues.


No, In don't need to justify any fucking links because it is a FACT. He campaigned on these views. And, I'm glad you feel that just because other Dem politicians don't support EQUAL rights for gay citizens, it's okay that Kaine doesn't either. OMFG.

Enough of this. And people on these threads complain about the DLC -- what a fucking joke. And what a fucking joke all of this has become -- advocating a white male who's against equal rights. UGH.

[grantcart]

34. all of your points contradicted by

1) VA Gay and Lesbian Democratic Group = Virginia Partisans


2) VA Planned Parenthood.


And the citations clearly found in the thread above.


Not only is Planned Parenthood appreciative of his support on women's health issues, including reproductive rights, they are particularly that in such a red leaning state he also eliminated abstinence only in VA.

He is against same sex marriage, just like Obama, Clinton and a host of others. He is also against DOMA.

He has used his executive order to expand civil rights protection to include 'sexual orientation'

Now we are all impressed about your yard signs and everything, but as long as you are going to call a guy a bigot can you cite

a single piece of legislation that he supported that was anti-gay or anti-choice.

or is it really just the fact that he is in fact a white male?

[onenote]

28. again, he supports roe v wade and has stated he'd veto a bill banning abortions

even if Roe v Wade was overturned. Labelling him "anti choice" is unfair insofar as it lumps him in with folks that would support an amendment to overturn Roe and would jump at the chance to enact a ban on abortion if Roe went down.

Do I like his statement about "partial birth abortions"? No.
Do I think that it disqualifies him to be VP or President given his overall position? No.

The so-called Partial Birth Abortion law passed by Congress was supported at various points by, among others, Sens. Leahy and Biden. I don't like that they voted for it, but I don't think it disqualifies either of them from being the VP nominee either.

[LisaM]

33. And according to Wikipedia, he belongs to a group that wants to make the Democratic party

anti-abortion (you can call it whatever you want; I'm sick of the euphemisms, and I'll say anti-abortion).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrats_For_Life_of_America

Maybe Wikipedia is wrong and he doesn't belong to this group, but I find this extremely frightening. We need someone who is AGGRESSIVELY pro-choice. This is not about ideological "purity". We all make compromises. I've voted for many candidates who support the death penalty, for example, when I am vehemently against it. But women's reproductive rights are at the very top of my list and he does not seem as if he would be a reliable steward if, in fact, he belongs to a group that wants the Democratic party to be "pro-life" as the euphemists term it.

I too cannot believe that with the ranting that went on about the DLC that this is an even remotely acceptable VP choice.

[grantcart]

35. The wikipedia article doesn't even say that he is a member

He is against capital punishment but follows the law.


He is against abortion but he is against the criminalization of abortion more. Not a difficult concept to understand.

As a result he has been steadfast in protecting women's health rights including reproduction rights.


And that is why the VA Planned Paernthood supports him.


Gee supporting a candidate that is supported by Planned Parenthood and the State gay and lesbian coalition - how smart are we and how stupid are they.

Don't they know that we have a better source than them after all wikipedia had him on a list for something, not really sure what that list means and I don't really know what fights he has taken but after all he is on a list.

[LisaM]

36. Yes, the Wikipedia article DOES say he is a member

~Despite his personal opposition to capital punishment, often cited during the campaign by both sides, he has so far overseen eight executions as governor as of July 2008. Before he was Governor he had spoken in favor of declaring a moratorium on the death penalty "until it's fair."<18> He has vetoed five death penalty expansion bills although some of the vetoes were overturned,<19> and opposed electric chair as an option.<20> On June 9, 2008, Kaine commuted the death sentence of Percy Levar Walton to life in prison without parole.<21>

Tim Kaine has stated he has a "faith-based opposition to abortion". <2> He also supports promoting abstinence and opposes late-term abortion.<3> Tim Kaine is a member of Democrats For Life of America.

Kaine supports smart growth, which proponents say concentrates economic growth. Critics argue it will make the reduction of urban sprawl and highway traffic a priority over economic growth.

In the 2006 Senate election, Kaine supported Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb.<22> Kaine also opposed an amendment to the Virginia Constitution that would define marriage as that between one man and one woman, though he has publicly stated that he personally opposes same-sex marriage.<23>~

[onenote]

40. oooh..wikipedia says it..With no fucking citation

Find me a citation that establishes that Kaine is a member of Democrats for Life of America and we can continue this conversation. You won't find it on Wikipedia, which notes "citation needed" next to the claim: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kaine

I can give you a citation for Kaine saying he'd veto a ban on abortions even if Roe v. Wade was overturned. You give back unsubstantiated bullshit.

I win.

[grantcart]

41. are you quoting form the same article that you cited or have you gone to an entirely different

article?

[onenote]

42. she's quoting from a different wikipedia article and has omitted the "citation needed" r efernence

The post that claims that Wikipedia says Kaine is a member of Democrats for Life of America is the Wikipedia entry for Kaine and the statement that he's a member is followed by the notation "citation needed" -- a notation the poster conveniently left out.

In other words, there is no substantiation for the claim he's a member of that organization -- just dishonest bullshit.

[PM7nj]

50. Surprise, surprise! Wikipedia is wrong!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=Kaine&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democratsforlife.org%2F&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=off

Tim Kaine is mentioned once on the DFLA website. It doesn't say he is a member.

[onenote]

49. then is John Kerry "anti choice'? And Hillary?

KERRY: "I'm against the partial-birth abortion, but you've got to have an exception for the life of the mother and the health of the mother under the strictest test of bodily injury to the mother. Secondly, with respect to parental notification, I'm not going to require a 16- or 17-year-old kid who's been raped by her father and who's pregnant to have to notify her father. So you got to have a judicial intervention. And because they didn't have a judicial intervention where she could go somewhere and get help, I voted against it. It's never quite as simple as Bush wants you to believe."

CLINTON: My opponent is wrong. I have said many times that I can support a ban on late-term abortions, including partial-birth abortions, so long as the health and life of the mother is protected. I’ve met women who faced this heart-wrenching decision toward the end of a pregnancy. Of course it’s a horrible procedure. No one would argue with that. But if your life is at stake, if your health is at stake, if the potential for having any more children is at stake, this must be a woman’s choice.

[Windy]

38. There is clearly a lot of anger by Hillary backers here.Same names from posts during the primaries

I'm not thrilled with Kaine. I wanted Webb or Clark, but in reading some of the info that has been posted by grantcart and others here, I find that his views are more mainstream. A lot of people have a problem with abortion personally, but wouldn't work to take that right away from others. I believe Kaine said that it is his personal choice to have misgivings about abortion, it is not his governmental choice.

I have to say that I agree with him. I could never have an abortion unless I learned that the pregnancy would kill me. I'm just being honest. That being said, I would never force my beliefs on another woman and would not support a candidate that was for criminalizing abortion. My take on Kaine is that he has the same opinion. He is for contraception, teaching sex education in schools, etc. In other words, he does not let his religious beliefs get involved with his political life. He obviously believes in separation of church and state.

Even Hillary stated that abortions should be made less common through sex education.

People are just splitting hairs because the choice is not going to be hillary.

I would have been much more upset if it was Evan Bayh who supported the war.

[scheming daemons]

48. BINGO! But WE'RE the ones that "haven't gotten over the primaries"

Almost every negative Kaine OP tonight has been started by a Hillary supporter.

[Douglas Carpenter]

39. thanks for the information

[Douglas Carpenter]

43. Kick and recommended

[Douglas Carpenter]

44. kik

[Douglas Carpenter]

45. another kick

[Colobo]

46. I'm anti-abortion, pro-choice and pro-Kaine.

[saltpoint]

47. Your post here hoses down the brushfires on this board

regarding Kaine.

Planned Parenthood knows what it's talking about in these matters. I'm a long-time supporter.

Solid post, and recommended.

- - -
on edit: grantcart, look how many recs on this you have already. It's a gauge of the response a lot of people have to a thoughtful post.

[Douglas Carpenter]

51. another kick

[Mushroom]

52. So you hand me a

velveeta cheese sandwich and I tell you it's an 8 course meal? Needy much?

Tim Kaine is useless to me. Go fetch me another dood and we'll see how it goes. Bathe him and bring him to me!

:popcorn: