Live from the State Democratic Convention
I've been very glad to see so many strong pro-choice women here in Fort Worth. The pro-choice caucus was packed! I mean standing room only, people. There were just scads of women from all over the state - all ages, all races, disabled and not, Christian, Jewish... all kinds of ladies standing strong for reproductive rights. I was also really glad to see tons of men there, from twenty-year-old college students to senior citizens who remember the days of the back alley abortion, also passionate about women's right to choose. Woohoo!
I'm also thrilled to see so many women candidates. In 2002 the Republicans had Carole Keeton Strayhorn for Comptroller and Susan Combs for Ag Commissioner, while the Democrats had only one woman, Sherry Boyles, on the statewide ticket. So I'm glad to see Maria Luisa Alvarado, a Latina from San Antonio, so near the top of the Democratic ticket, running for Lieutenant Governor.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky told some wonderful stories, and I'm glad to hear her holding Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison accountable for breaking her promise to only run for two terms. But I was sorry to hear her fail to hold Senator Hutchison accountable for her opposition to reproductive rights after running as a moderate, pro-choice Republican. I was even more sorry to hear her ask the crowd to stand with her in promoting a goal of zero abortions. I'm all for the preventive care she promotes, but for me, part of being pro-choice is knowing that I cannot ever really know what's best for another woman or another family. I'm sick of seeing candidates running from being pro-choice.
But I was really appalled to hear Fred Head rant about the "trashy romance novel" written by Susan Combs more than 15 years ago. Criticize her policies if you want, but don't tear down a woman by bashing her for being sexual. Bad show, Mr. Head.