NARAL, Whither Thou?

I received an email bulletin from NARAL this morning.  Boiled down, NARAL had this to say:

Well, Alito's confirmed and that sucks.  We need more pro-choice Senators, so that means we need you to give us money.  Oh, and let us know what you think about all this.

(The NARAL blog says something similar, without the pitch for money.)

Well, here's my feedback: I don't trust NARAL to spend my money wisely, because I don't think it's been spending money wisely so far, at least not in its political contributions.

Writ longer, the first question I have is whether NARAL will continue to support "pro-choice" politicians (including "pro-choice" incumbent Republicans like Lincoln Chafee) who would vote "yes" on cloture of debate on Alito's confirmation, which is the only time the vote counted, then vote "no" on confirmation, when it's basically a symbolic gesture. I understand from Jane Hamsher at firedoglake that NARAL doesn't consider that sort of vote "significant" in determining whether they support a politician.

No offense, NARAL, but if that's the case, you should never get one dime of any pro-choice citizen's money ever again.  You are supposed to act as a window for the public to see through the opacity of the political process in the issue areas you cover.  Instead, you go along with the ridiculous kabuki.

The second question, which is really an extension of the first, is will NARAL continue to support the Senators in the list below?  NARAL has given all of them money because (apparently) they're all "pro-choice", and all of them either voted "yes" on cloture, or "yes" on both cloture and confirmation.  The dollar figure  next to each name is the NARAL PAC's total contributions according to the FEC.

• $5,000:  Akaka, Daniel K. (D-HI)  [cloture-Y,confirm-N]
• $10,000:  Baucus, Max (D-MT)  [cloture-Y,confirm-N]
• $7,000:  Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM)  [cloture-Y,confirm-N]
• $19,114:  Chafee, Lincoln (R-RI)   [cloture-Y,confirm-N]
• $10,000:  Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)   [cloture-Y,confirm-Y]
• $1,000:  Rockefeller, John D., IV (D-WV)  [cloture-Y,confirm-N]
• $6,000:  Snowe, Olympia J. (R-ME) [cloture-Y,confirm-Y]

Well, NARAL?  Do you think you're getting our money's worth? Will you play it smart?  Or will you continue to buy the "pro-choice when it don't matter" bullshit?

Comments

[Insult Comic Dog]

Good point.

[eRobin]

I wasn't opposed to their support for any of those politicians but if they don't withdraw it now and loudly, then their position makes no sense at all.

This, by the way is brilliant:

You are supposed to act as a window for the public to see through the opacity of the political process in the issue areas you cover. Instead, you go along with the ridiculous kabuki.

Understanding that would give them the freedom to do what they need to do now. Continuing to go along with the kabuki, as you say, proves that they're in this for something other than to uphold the reproductive rights of women.

[jack*]

I was disgusted, and frankly disheartened, by the cloture vote. I sent a scathing letter to Harry Reid, which I'm sure he thinks is unfair. After all, he voted against both. But he's the leader of the whole goddamn senate opposition. In that role he FAILED UTTERLY.

NARAL is no better.

[jack*]

Symbolic victories are pretty thin gruel when we are faced with ACTUAL FAILURES. Failures that our daughters -- and that's who suffers -- will have to live with for most of the rest of their lives.