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The 'Bloggy Call To Action' That Backfired

You know blogs have power when advocacy outfits like the National Abortion Right Action League start urging the grassroots to take their appeals to the top bloggers. That's exactly what NARAL did at its Bush v. Choice blog several days ago -- and the tactic is not scoring the group any points with some of those bloggers.

NARAL's complaint: Political blogs are talking about a woman's right to abortion, but they are not addressing the topic the way NARAL wants. The group provided links to Daily Kos, Eschaton, The Left Coaster, MyDD and Swing State Project, and urged NARAL backers to "go to them and make your voice heard. Use their comments sections to make sure that choice is being discussed as something that affects women, not just politics."

If NARAL officials thought that approach might elicit blog postings more to its liking, they thought wrong. Instead, Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of Daily Kos chastised NARAL for its "bloggy call to action" and for refusing to accept that abortion cannot be divorced from politics.

"Until NARAL (and the rest of the single-issue groups) understand that building a movement is more beneficial to their causes than singular devotion to their pet causes," he wrote, "I can't take them seriously. ... The groups I take seriously? MoveOn, Democracy for America, National Political Hip Hop Conference, the bloggers -- groups that are working to build an effective progressive movement, not a single issue."

Ezra Klein seconded Moulitsas' view: "NARAL's exhortations to tell bloggers that choice is a real issue that affects women's lives is somewhat invalidated by the fact that bloggers seem to have a better understanding of what the political landscape affecting choice looks like." Oliver Willis also took a critical look at NARAL's call to action.

But Dadahead said Moulitsas is the problem: His "attitude toward abortion rights is typical -- it's a 'pet cause.' I don't know that I've come across a more insulting statement on a supposedly progressive blog."

On the right, meanwhile, NARAL is taking all kinds of hits for its television ad on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Noting that the nonpartisan FactCheck.org has dubbed the ad "false," Captain's Quarters, GOP Bloggers and Michelle Malkin are among the blogs swarming against the group -- and against the mainstream media for agreeing to air a false ad.

Posted by | 12:38 PM

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» THE ABORTION CROWD GOES NUTS from Michelle Malkin
In Opinion Journal this morning, Manuel Miranda nails loony NARAL for its inexcusable attack ad against SCOTUS nominee John Roberts: The ladies who gave Plato's "noble lie" new uses in the hearings of Clarence Thomas are at it again. NARAL... [Read More]

Tracked on August 10, 2005 01:09 PM

» NARAL Lies about Judge Roberts from The Unalienable Right
You wonder what depths people will sink to in order to defeat a nominee they fear will adhere to the written words of the Constitution? Here’s one example. The pro-abortion group NARAL has produced a despicable ad that blatantly lies about Ju... [Read More]

Tracked on August 10, 2005 01:47 PM

Comments

What is most interesting in Kos's lastest rant is that he completely "forgets" that DFL Democrats for life refused to endorse Kerry. Kos's sweetheart, Langevin is a member of DFL and so is Casey and now Kos is throwing a hissy fit because NARAL does not support candidates that refused to endorse the Democratic nominee for president... go figure... and it is this same organization DFL that Pelosi and Ried want Dean to link their stinking website to the DNC.

Kos has a very short memory and is trying to demonize NARAL for only reasons known to him... Because NARAL has shown more support to the Democratic party than the two weasels Langvin and Casey who refused to even endorse Kerry... Casey had also refused to endorse Clinton ... that is how much of a fanatic he is.

Another point about NARAL, Kos has forgotten

Abortion advocates stand by Kerry
Kerry says judges don't have to agree with his stance
Thursday, May 20, 2004 Posted: 2:09 PM EDT (1809 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Abortion-rights advocates are standing by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry despite his comments in an interview that he would be open to nominating anti-abortion judges.

...

Leaders of the abortion-rights movement said they will continue to support Kerry over President Bush, who supports abortion only in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's life is endangered.

"There's a huge difference between Bush and Kerry on choice and this is not going to undermine the pages-long documentation that Kerry is pro-choice," said Elizabeth Cavendish, interim president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Gloria Feldt, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which has endorsed Kerry, said, "I'd like to hear him use language that is stronger."
____________

If Kos lit up any more straw men he'd start a forrest fire...

TDB | 08.10.05 01:07 PM

Also Kos based his incoherent ranting on the fact that anti-choice Dems supposedly vote in favor of choice... what is Kos smoking and can I have a drag.

ANTI-CHOICE DEMS HAPPILY VOTE AWAY WOMENS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Leon Holmes is a good example because, without the support of anti-choice Dems he would not have been confirmed. The vote, a little over a year ago, was 51-46. 5 Republicans voted against him, specifically Collins, Snowe,. Chafee, Hutchinson and Warner.# Six Democrats voted for him Lincoln, Prior, Breaux, Landreiu, Miller and Ben Nelson. The fact of the matter is that anti-choice Democrats have no difficulty voting to confirm judges like Holmes. They have no problem voting for judges and legislation which would make the Catholic hierarchy proud.

#bolded because I wish to preempt any arguments about Sentors from very red states being just so helpless in the throes of their decision to vote for an overt misogynist

TDB | 08.10.05 01:12 PM

I saw the NARAL ad attacking Roberts that is described in this WaPo article. I'm not a hardcore partisan on the issue, (though admittedly I have my own bias). But in defense of logic and fairness. The ad utterly and completely distorts reality. It is a crass attempt to link Roberts to violence against abortion clinics. (It actually shows pictures of a bloodied victim from a clinic bombing, while concluding by saying there is no place on the high court for someone who excused violence against other Americans.) It is a character attack of the Nth degree. It is the most blatant and pathetic effort to link totally unconnected things in a political ad that I have seen since the anti-drug ads linking marijuana use to terrorism (remember the "smoke a joint, support a terrorist" ads?).
NARAL should be ashamed, and they made a good "choice" in pulling it.

Jordan | 08.15.05 01:30 AM

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