Democrats for Life of America
Encyclopedia
Democrats for Life of America (DFLA) is an advocacy
group in the United States
attempting to reshape the political left
, primarily the Democratic Party
, into taking a pro-life
position. Usually this involves political opposition to abortion
, but the DFLA also opposes capital punishment
and euthanasia
. Democrats for Life of America's position on abortion is in opposition to the current platform
of the Democratic Party, which supports legal access to abortion.
The group takes no position on most socio-economic
issues or any foreign policy
. They have drafted the Pregnant Women Support Act
, a comprehensive package of federal legislation and policy proposals that supporters hope will reduce the number of abortions. They have an affiliated political action committee
, DFLA PAC.
In the 1960s and 1970s, pro-life Democrats comprised a substantial portion of the Party's membership in the United States Congress
and the United States Senate
. Some Democratic Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates ran for those offices as pro-life, including Hubert Humphrey
and Sargent Shriver
. Others were once pro-life before running, such as Ted Kennedy
, Jesse Jackson
, Bill Clinton
and Al Gore
. In the 1980s, the influence of pro-life advocates in the Democratic Party declined slowly but considerably. At the 1992 Democratic National Convention
, pro-life Governor Robert Casey
of Pennsylvania
was allegedly "barred from addressing the Convention because of his antiabortion views." The official reason given by the Convention organizers was that Casey was not allowed to speak because he did not support the Democratic ticket. Kathy Taylor, a pro-choice activist from Pennsylvania, instead addressed the Convention. Taylor was a Republican who had worked for Casey's opponent in the previous gubernatorial election. Several pro-life Democrats did address the delegates in 1992, though they did not address the pro-life stance, and were not given prominent prime time slots. Governor Casey's son Bob Casey, Jr.
, also a pro-life Democrat, spoke during the 2008 Democratic National Convention
.
Many members of Democrats for Life agree with the Consistent Life Ethic
. The Consistent Life Ethic, a term coined by the late Joseph Bernardin, Roman Catholic Cardinal
Archbishop
of Chicago
, advocates the defense of all human life from the "womb to the tomb". Proponents of the CLE not only oppose abortion and capital punishment, but also advocate policies which address social and economic issues that are considered to unjustly violate the sanctity of life. For example, many who advocate a CLE would see the question of universal access to affordable health care as a "pro-life" issue.
According to the DFLA, the Democratic Party has suffered in elections from its absolutist pro-choice
stance. DFLA points to polls which suggest that the pro-choice policies of the Democratic Party at the national level have cost Democratic candidates votes among religious Americans, especially Roman Catholics
and the Eastern Orthodox. DFLA maintains the position that many religious or pro-life Americans would be more willing to support a Democratic candidate, if that candidate were to work to limit or end abortion in the United States through positive social programs and means.
Some pro-life Democrats feel that abortion should be strictly illegal under all conditions except instances in which the mother's life is in danger. Others feel that abortion should be legal under additional circumstances, such as rape and incest. Democrats For Life stresses that pro-life and pro-choice Democrats should unite in a common cause to make abortion rare through social programs, despite their differences of opinion on whether and to what degree abortion should be legal.
who are pro-life
, cutting against the stereotype that Democrats are naturally pro-choice and that those who are pro-life are naturally Republicans.
is supportive of a woman's right to choose abortion. From the 2008 Democratic Party platform:
Despite its strongly pro-choice
platform, in recent years the party leadership has begun to support pro-life Democrats in some cases.
(D-MI), co-author of the Stupak–Pitts Amendment
who for months had led an effort to keep abortion funding out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
, to strike a deal with President Barack Obama
in which Stupak and many of his supporters would vote in favor of the bill and Obama would sign an executive order forbidding federal dollars from being used to fund abortions. Nearly all pro-life organizations who had previously supported Stupak (such as the National Right to Life Committee
and the Susan B. Anthony List
) decried the deal as a farce, saying the executive order lacked the legal force to prevent tax dollars from being used for abortions. In response, DFLA has contended that the health-care reform law accomplishes important pro-life goals, that federal funds will not in fact be used to support abortion, and that other pro-life groups (especially SBAL) are more interested in supporting Republicans than in supporting non-partisan pro-life principles. Several pro-life Democrats were targeted for defeat by national pro-life groups over the PPACA vote, and the ranks of pro-life Democrats were cut roughly in half in the 2010 elections
.
's website. That same year pollster John Zogby
found that 43% of Democrats "agreed with the statement that abortion 'destroys a human life and is manslaughter.'"
During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, DFLA met in Boston, Massachusetts. The organization sponsored a dinner in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House
which was attended by Eunice Kennedy Shriver
, among other notable political figures. They also held a rally in front of the statue of Samuel Adams
at Faneuil Hall
where former mayor of Boston and ambassador Ray Flynn and other elected officials from around the country spoke. Members of the Board of Directors and rank and file members attended the convention, which was held inside the Fleet Center, and witnessed the delegates adopt a platform that took a much harder line on the issue of abortion. In 2000 the platform stated
In contrast, the 2004 Democratic Platform, as quoted above, is supportive of a woman's right to choose abortion and does not offer any big tent
language, though it did state that the Democratic Party aimed to make abortion "safe, legal and rare".
In keeping with their policy of endorsing only pro-life Democrats, the group did not endorse John Kerry
or George W. Bush
for President in 2004.
Following the defeats of the 2004 election, DFLA called on the Party to be more welcoming of pro-life Democrats. They analyzed the results and published them as The Case for Pro-Life Democrats.
After the defeat of Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle
in the 2004 elections, Senate Democrats selected Harry Reid
of Nevada
, the party whip, to become the new leader. Reid, a Mormon, is considered to be pro-life. Pro-life Democrats were encouraged by his elevation.
In January 2005, former Democratic Representative Tim Roemer announced his candidacy to replace outgoing Democratic National Committee
Chairman Terry McAuliffe
. Roemer, who served on the 9/11 Commission
, is pro-life. Pro-choice groups opposed the candidacy, asserting that his opposition to abortion placed him at odds with a majority of Democrats. Roemer was ultimately defeated by Howard Dean
in the campaign for the chairmanship, but many pro-life Democrats viewed his candidacy as a positive sign for their cause. Democrats for Life of America supported Roemer, although the organization also acknowledged Howard Dean
's attempts to reach out to pro-life Democrats.
In their 2005 book, Take It Back: Our Party, Our Country, Our Future, Paul Begala
and James Carville
praised Democrats For Life for their work that led to the Pregnant Women Support Act
. In the book they say the legislation "is built around seventeen concrete policy proposals that would reduce the number of abortions.... We believe these proposals would do more to prevent abortions than all the speeches, all the marches and all the campaign ads the pro-lifers have used over the past 30 years." They go on to call it "both good politics and, we think, good policy." The Initiative has become legislation known as the Pregnant Women Support Act which "has gained broad support and even has attracted some Republican backers." The Commonwealth of Virginia is the first state to pass a version of the PWSA.
Organizations who support the bill include the National Association of Evangelicals
, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, US Conference of Catholic Bishops
, Americans United for Life
, National Council on Adoption, Life Education and Resource Network, Redeem the Vote
, Care Net
, Tony Campolo
(founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education), Joe Turnham
(Chairman, Alabama Democratic Party
), U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
, and actor Martin Sheen
.
, Senator Chuck Schumer, endorsed the ultimately victorious pro-life Senatorial Candidate Bob Casey, Jr.
of Pennsylvania. Casey, along with the other pro-life Democrats in the Senate, gave Democrats the margin of control after the 2006 election, which resulted in Democrats getting a 51-49 division of the Senate.
In the House, Democrats had a 31-vote majority following the 2006 elections, and 37 pro-life members of the caucus. Not a single Democrat lost their seat in either chamber in 2006. The number of victories of pro-life Democrats placed Democrats over the margin, helping to give Democrats control of the US Senate and House of Representatives.
of NARAL Pro-Choice America
stated that DFLA is growing in strength and a threat to the continued pro-choice stance of the Democratic Party.
DFLA officially endorsed 8 candidates in the 2008 elections, 4 of whom were elected. None had been elected to Congress before 2008, though two were incumbents who had been successful in special elections earlier in 2008 (Travis Childers
, who easily won re-election in the 1st district of Mississippi
; and Don Cazayoux
, who was narrowly defeated in the 6th district of Louisiana
). Two were competing for open seats (Bobby Bright
, successful in the 2nd district of Alabama
; and David Boswell
, unsuccessful in the 2nd district of Kentucky
). Four were challenging incumbents (Kathy Dahlkemper
, successful in the 3rd district of Pennsylvania
; Steve Driehaus
, successful in the 1st district of Ohio
; Jim Esch
, unsuccessful in the 2nd district of Nebraska
; and Bill O'Neill
, unsuccessful in the 14th district of Ohio
).
and Congressmen Jim Oberstar
, Joe Donnelly
, Steve Driehaus
and many other pro-life Democrats for the 2010 midterm elections
, and its PAC raised over $42,000 in 2010. Of the four mentioned above, only Donnelly was successfully re-elected. Oberstar was defeated after 18 terms. Additionally, all four of the freshmen successfully endorsed by DFLA in 2008 were defeated for re-election in 2010 (see above).
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
group in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attempting to reshape the political left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, primarily the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, into taking a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
position. Usually this involves political opposition to abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, but the DFLA also opposes capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. Democrats for Life of America's position on abortion is in opposition to the current platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
of the Democratic Party, which supports legal access to abortion.
The group takes no position on most socio-economic
Socioeconomics
Socioeconomics or socio-economics or social economics is an umbrella term with different usages. 'Social economics' may refer broadly to the "use of economics in the study of society." More narrowly, contemporary practice considers behavioral interactions of individuals and groups through social...
issues or any foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
. They have drafted the Pregnant Women Support Act
Pregnant Women Support Act
The Pregnant Women Support Act was created by the Democrats for Life of America and by Representative Lincoln Davis of Tennessee.It is, according to Democrats for Life, "a comprehensive package of federal legislation and policy proposals that will reduce the number of abortions.....
, a comprehensive package of federal legislation and policy proposals that supporters hope will reduce the number of abortions. They have an affiliated political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
, DFLA PAC.
History
In 1999, Democrats for Life of America was founded to coordinate, at a national level, the efforts of pro-life Democrats.In the 1960s and 1970s, pro-life Democrats comprised a substantial portion of the Party's membership in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Some Democratic Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates ran for those offices as pro-life, including Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
and Sargent Shriver
Sargent Shriver
Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., known as Sargent Shriver, R. Sargent Shriver, or, from childhood, Sarge, was an American statesman and activist. As the husband of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he was part of the Kennedy family, serving in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations...
. Others were once pro-life before running, such as Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
. In the 1980s, the influence of pro-life advocates in the Democratic Party declined slowly but considerably. At the 1992 Democratic National Convention
1992 Democratic National Convention
The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New...
, pro-life Governor Robert Casey
Robert P. Casey
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Sr. was an American politician from Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 42nd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 to 1995...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
was allegedly "barred from addressing the Convention because of his antiabortion views." The official reason given by the Convention organizers was that Casey was not allowed to speak because he did not support the Democratic ticket. Kathy Taylor, a pro-choice activist from Pennsylvania, instead addressed the Convention. Taylor was a Republican who had worked for Casey's opponent in the previous gubernatorial election. Several pro-life Democrats did address the delegates in 1992, though they did not address the pro-life stance, and were not given prominent prime time slots. Governor Casey's son Bob Casey, Jr.
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
, also a pro-life Democrat, spoke during the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
.
Mission
- "Democrats for Life of America exists to foster respect for life, from the beginning of life to natural death. This includes, but is not limited to, opposition to abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. Democrats for Life of America is one of over 200 member organizations of Consistent Life: an international network for peace, justice and life."—Democrats For Life website
Many members of Democrats for Life agree with the Consistent Life Ethic
Consistent Life Ethic
The consistent life ethic, or the consistent ethic of life, was a term coined in 1983 by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin to express an ethical, religious, and political ideology based on the premise that all human life was sacred and should be protected by law. The ideology opposes legal abortion,...
. The Consistent Life Ethic, a term coined by the late Joseph Bernardin, Roman Catholic Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, advocates the defense of all human life from the "womb to the tomb". Proponents of the CLE not only oppose abortion and capital punishment, but also advocate policies which address social and economic issues that are considered to unjustly violate the sanctity of life. For example, many who advocate a CLE would see the question of universal access to affordable health care as a "pro-life" issue.
According to the DFLA, the Democratic Party has suffered in elections from its absolutist pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
stance. DFLA points to polls which suggest that the pro-choice policies of the Democratic Party at the national level have cost Democratic candidates votes among religious Americans, especially Roman Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and the Eastern Orthodox. DFLA maintains the position that many religious or pro-life Americans would be more willing to support a Democratic candidate, if that candidate were to work to limit or end abortion in the United States through positive social programs and means.
Some pro-life Democrats feel that abortion should be strictly illegal under all conditions except instances in which the mother's life is in danger. Others feel that abortion should be legal under additional circumstances, such as rape and incest. Democrats For Life stresses that pro-life and pro-choice Democrats should unite in a common cause to make abortion rare through social programs, despite their differences of opinion on whether and to what degree abortion should be legal.
Relationships
As its name implies, DFLA aims to encompass members of the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who are pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, cutting against the stereotype that Democrats are naturally pro-choice and that those who are pro-life are naturally Republicans.
Relationship to the Democratic National Committee
At the national level, the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
is supportive of a woman's right to choose abortion. From the 2008 Democratic Party platform:
- "The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to comprehensive affordable family planning services and age-appropriate sex education which empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions."
Despite its strongly pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
platform, in recent years the party leadership has begun to support pro-life Democrats in some cases.
Relationship with other pro-life organizations
In 2010, the previously cordial relationship between DFLA and the pro-life movement at large was significantly damaged amid controversy over the March 2009 decision of pro-life congressman Bart StupakBart Stupak
Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
(D-MI), co-author of the Stupak–Pitts Amendment
Stupak–Pitts Amendment
The Stupak–Pitts Amendment was a proposed amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2010 . It was submitted by Representatives Bart Stupak and Joseph R. Pitts...
who for months had led an effort to keep abortion funding out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
, to strike a deal with President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in which Stupak and many of his supporters would vote in favor of the bill and Obama would sign an executive order forbidding federal dollars from being used to fund abortions. Nearly all pro-life organizations who had previously supported Stupak (such as the National Right to Life Committee
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
and the Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...
) decried the deal as a farce, saying the executive order lacked the legal force to prevent tax dollars from being used for abortions. In response, DFLA has contended that the health-care reform law accomplishes important pro-life goals, that federal funds will not in fact be used to support abortion, and that other pro-life groups (especially SBAL) are more interested in supporting Republicans than in supporting non-partisan pro-life principles. Several pro-life Democrats were targeted for defeat by national pro-life groups over the PPACA vote, and the ranks of pro-life Democrats were cut roughly in half in the 2010 elections
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
.
2004
In 2003, the group was denied permission to put a link on the Democratic National CommitteeDemocratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
's website. That same year pollster John Zogby
John Zogby
John Zogby is an American political pollster and first senior fellow at The Catholic University of America's Life Cycle Institute. He is the founder, president and CEO of Zogby International, a polling firm known for both phone polling and interactive, Internet-based polling.-Early years:Zogby...
found that 43% of Democrats "agreed with the statement that abortion 'destroys a human life and is manslaughter.'"
During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, DFLA met in Boston, Massachusetts. The organization sponsored a dinner in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House
Massachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
which was attended by Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, DSG a member of the Kennedy family, sister to President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, was the founder in 1962 of Camp Shriver, and in 1968, the Special Olympics...
, among other notable political figures. They also held a rally in front of the statue of Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
at Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
where former mayor of Boston and ambassador Ray Flynn and other elected officials from around the country spoke. Members of the Board of Directors and rank and file members attended the convention, which was held inside the Fleet Center, and witnessed the delegates adopt a platform that took a much harder line on the issue of abortion. In 2000 the platform stated
The Democratic Party is a party of inclusion. We respect the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue, and we welcome all our members to participate at every level of our party. This is why we are proud to put into our platform the very words which Republicans refused to let Bob Dole put into their 1996 platform and which they refused to even consider putting in their platform in 2000: “While the party remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing its historic principles and ideals, we also recognize that members of our party have deeply held and sometimes differing views on issues of personal conscience like abortion and
capital punishment. We view this diversity of views as a source of strength, not as a sign of weakness, and we welcome into our ranks all Americans who may hold differing positions on these and other issues. Recognizing that tolerance is a virtue, we are committed to resolving our differences in a spirit of civility, hope and mutual respect.”
In contrast, the 2004 Democratic Platform, as quoted above, is supportive of a woman's right to choose abortion and does not offer any big tent
Big tent
In politics, a big tent party or catch-all party is a political party seeking to attract people with diverse viewpoints. The party does not require adherence to some ideology as a criterion for membership...
language, though it did state that the Democratic Party aimed to make abortion "safe, legal and rare".
In keeping with their policy of endorsing only pro-life Democrats, the group did not endorse John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
or George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
for President in 2004.
Following the defeats of the 2004 election, DFLA called on the Party to be more welcoming of pro-life Democrats. They analyzed the results and published them as The Case for Pro-Life Democrats.
After the defeat of Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
in the 2004 elections, Senate Democrats selected Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, the party whip, to become the new leader. Reid, a Mormon, is considered to be pro-life. Pro-life Democrats were encouraged by his elevation.
In January 2005, former Democratic Representative Tim Roemer announced his candidacy to replace outgoing Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
Chairman Terry McAuliffe
Terry McAuliffe
Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe is a longtime leader and political advisor for the United States Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He served as Co-Chairman of President William Jefferson Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and also...
. Roemer, who served on the 9/11 Commission
9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
, is pro-life. Pro-choice groups opposed the candidacy, asserting that his opposition to abortion placed him at odds with a majority of Democrats. Roemer was ultimately defeated by Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
in the campaign for the chairmanship, but many pro-life Democrats viewed his candidacy as a positive sign for their cause. Democrats for Life of America supported Roemer, although the organization also acknowledged Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
's attempts to reach out to pro-life Democrats.
In their 2005 book, Take It Back: Our Party, Our Country, Our Future, Paul Begala
Paul Begala
Paul Edward Begala is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years...
and James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
praised Democrats For Life for their work that led to the Pregnant Women Support Act
Pregnant Women Support Act
The Pregnant Women Support Act was created by the Democrats for Life of America and by Representative Lincoln Davis of Tennessee.It is, according to Democrats for Life, "a comprehensive package of federal legislation and policy proposals that will reduce the number of abortions.....
. In the book they say the legislation "is built around seventeen concrete policy proposals that would reduce the number of abortions.... We believe these proposals would do more to prevent abortions than all the speeches, all the marches and all the campaign ads the pro-lifers have used over the past 30 years." They go on to call it "both good politics and, we think, good policy." The Initiative has become legislation known as the Pregnant Women Support Act which "has gained broad support and even has attracted some Republican backers." The Commonwealth of Virginia is the first state to pass a version of the PWSA.
Organizations who support the bill include the National Association of Evangelicals
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...
, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, US Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, Americans United for Life
Americans United for Life
Americans United for Life is an American pro-life public interest law firm and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1971, the group advocates protection of human life at all stages of life, from conception to death, and is involved in related issues of health and biotechnology...
, National Council on Adoption, Life Education and Resource Network, Redeem the Vote
Redeem the Vote
Redeem the Vote is a Christian right organization founded by Randy Brinson during the 2004 presidential campaign to register young evangelical Christians to vote, in the model of MTV's youth-vote Rock the Vote campaign...
, Care Net
Care Net
Care Net is a conservative Christian crisis pregnancy center network operating primarily in the United States. Its centers provide Christian, pro-life approaches to women facing unplanned pregnancies. Care Net centers do not perform, recommend, or refer clients for abortions...
, Tony Campolo
Tony Campolo
Dr. Anthony "Tony" Campolo is an American pastor, author, sociologist, and public speaker known for challenging evangelical Christians by illustrating how their faith can offer solutions in a world of complexity. With his liberal political and social attitudes, he has been a major proponent for...
(founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education), Joe Turnham
Joe Turnham
Joe Turnham is a United States politician who currently chairs the Alabama Democratic Party.-Family and education:...
(Chairman, Alabama Democratic Party
Alabama Democratic Party
The Alabama Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Judge Mark Kennedy. The Executive Director is Bradley Davidson....
), U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
, and actor Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
.
2006
For the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party showed signs of being more open to high-profile pro-life candidates, most notably when the pro-choice head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign CommitteeDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
, Senator Chuck Schumer, endorsed the ultimately victorious pro-life Senatorial Candidate Bob Casey, Jr.
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
of Pennsylvania. Casey, along with the other pro-life Democrats in the Senate, gave Democrats the margin of control after the 2006 election, which resulted in Democrats getting a 51-49 division of the Senate.
In the House, Democrats had a 31-vote majority following the 2006 elections, and 37 pro-life members of the caucus. Not a single Democrat lost their seat in either chamber in 2006. The number of victories of pro-life Democrats placed Democrats over the margin, helping to give Democrats control of the US Senate and House of Representatives.
2008
In an e-mail to supporters, Nancy KeenanNancy Keenan
Nancy Keenan is the current president of the United States-based reproductive/abortion rights organization NARAL Pro-Choice America....
of NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America , formerly the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, then National Abortion Rights Action League, and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose...
stated that DFLA is growing in strength and a threat to the continued pro-choice stance of the Democratic Party.
DFLA officially endorsed 8 candidates in the 2008 elections, 4 of whom were elected. None had been elected to Congress before 2008, though two were incumbents who had been successful in special elections earlier in 2008 (Travis Childers
Travis Childers
Travis Wayne Childers is the former U.S. Representative from , serving from the 2008 special election until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo...
, who easily won re-election in the 1st district of Mississippi
Mississippi's 1st congressional district
Mississippi's 1st congressional district is in the northeast corner of the state. It includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Grenada, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo....
; and Don Cazayoux
Don Cazayoux
Donald J. 'Don' Cazayoux, Jr. is a former Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 6th congressional district. He is currently US Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana....
, who was narrowly defeated in the 6th district of Louisiana
Louisiana's 6th congressional district
Louisiana's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in south-central Louisiana, the district contains the state capital of Baton Rouge and its suburbs and the western half of the Florida Parishes and areas west and south of Baton Rouge...
). Two were competing for open seats (Bobby Bright
Bobby Bright
Bobby Neal Bright, Sr. is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative for from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region in the southeastern part of the state....
, successful in the 2nd district of Alabama
Alabama's 2nd congressional district
Alabama's 2nd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives...
; and David Boswell
David Boswell (Kentucky politician)
David E. Boswell is a former Democratic member of the Kentucky Senate, having represented the 8th District from 1990 to 2011. Earlier he was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1978 through 1983. He was the 2008 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 2nd...
, unsuccessful in the 2nd district of Kentucky
Kentucky's 2nd congressional district
Kentucky's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Located in west central Kentucky, the district includes Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Elizabethtown. The district has not seen an incumbent defeated since 1884....
). Four were challenging incumbents (Kathy Dahlkemper
Kathy Dahlkemper
Kathleen Ann "Kathy" Dahlkemper is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Erie and includes most of the northwestern portion of the state....
, successful in the 3rd district of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district
Pennsylvania's third district is located in the northwestern part of the state and includes the cities of Erie, Sharon, Hermitage, Butler and Meadville....
; Steve Driehaus
Steve Driehaus
Steven L. "Steve" Driehaus is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, successful in the 1st district of Ohio
Ohio's 1st congressional district
Ohio's 1st congressional district is currently represented by Republican Steve Chabot. This district includes parts of Cincinnati, and borders both Kentucky and Indiana.-Cities:Cincinnati Cheviot Deer Park Forest Park Harrison Mount Healthy...
; Jim Esch
Jim Esch
James D. "Jim" Esch was the Democratic nominee for the 2006 and 2008 general elections for of the United States House of Representatives, challenging Republican incumbent Lee Terry.-Biography:...
, unsuccessful in the 2nd district of Nebraska
Nebraska's 2nd congressional district
Nebraska's 2nd congressional district encompasses the core of the Omaha metropolitan area. It includes all of Douglas County, which includes Omaha, and the urbanized areas of Sarpy County...
; and Bill O'Neill
William O'Neill (Ohio jurist)
William "Bill" Michael O'Neill is an American lawyer, jurist and political figure who was an appellate judge on the Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals. He was the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S...
, unsuccessful in the 14th district of Ohio
Ohio's 14th congressional district
The 14th congressional district of Ohio is currently represented by Representative Steven C. LaTourette. This district sits in the farthest northeast corner of the state, bordering Lake Erie and Pennsylvania....
).
2010
The organization has endorsed Congresswoman Kathy DahlkemperKathy Dahlkemper
Kathleen Ann "Kathy" Dahlkemper is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Erie and includes most of the northwestern portion of the state....
and Congressmen Jim Oberstar
Jim Oberstar
James Louis "Jim" Oberstar is a former U.S. Representative who served in the U.S. Congress from 1975 until 2011 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. He represented northeastern , which included the cities of Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, International Falls, and Hibbing...
, Joe Donnelly
Joe Donnelly
Joseph Simon "Joe" Donnelly, Sr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Donnelly announced Monday May 9 that he would run for the United States Senate seat that is held by Republican Richard Lugar.-Early life, education and career:Joe Donnelly...
, Steve Driehaus
Steve Driehaus
Steven L. "Steve" Driehaus is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
and many other pro-life Democrats for the 2010 midterm elections
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
, and its PAC raised over $42,000 in 2010. Of the four mentioned above, only Donnelly was successfully re-elected. Oberstar was defeated after 18 terms. Additionally, all four of the freshmen successfully endorsed by DFLA in 2008 were defeated for re-election in 2010 (see above).
External links
- Democrats For Life Official Website
- Where the Rubber Meets Roe - by William Saletan; Sunday, October 1, 2006 (retrieved January 11, 2007)