ARTICLES

Toxic Recall

Only Three Stand for Life

By Bob McPhail

The political action committee of the California Pro-Life Council, the state' s largest pro-life organization, has endorsed Tom McClintock for governor in the October 7 recall election. And with good reason: of the 135 candidates whose names will appear on the ballot, only McClintock, maverick Democrat Daniel Ramirez, and American-Independent Diane Templin articulate an unambiguous pro-life platform.

"When pro-life candidate Bill Simon dropped out of the race for governor, that essentially cleared the field for the pro-life movement to unite behind the one pro-life candidate best positioned to advance the message of Life -- Tom McClintock," said Brian Johnston, executive director of the ProLife Council. "He is committed to the restoration of policies that respect human life and will work to protect those members of society who are least able to protect themselves -- unborn children, and medically disabled or dependent persons whose lives are threatened by abortion or euthanasia."

LifeSource news service describes McClintock as "the only major candidate in the race who is pro-life."

"He truly stands out from the pack as a solid political statesman, 100% pro-life, and a man with great political credentials and strong character for being able to start turning this state around financially, socially, and morally," said Tony Ryan of Ignatius Press, who has launched his own personal e-mail campaign on behalf of McClintock. "He has the experience and the courage to get it done."

McClintock, 47, is a Republican state senator from Thousand Oaks. He was first elected to public office in 1982, when he won a seat in the state assembly. McClintock currently represents the 19th senate district. As a legislator, he has amassed a nearly perfect pro-life voting record. He has consistently supported legal protection for the unborn and has opposed attempts to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

"I am opposed to partial birth abortion, wherein the infant is killed during the delivery process," McClintock told the Los Angeles Times in response to a candidates questionnaire that asked whether a candidate supported "additional" restrictions on abortions in California. "I support parental notification for abortions involving minors, and I do not believe that government funds should support the practice."

McClintock also said he would veto domestic partnership laws. "Marriage is a unique institution forming the foundation of our society through which we perpetuate our species and inculcate our young with the principles and values of our civilization," McClintock said.

The Times sent the same questionnaire to Governor Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Ueberoth, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Arianna Huffington, and Peter Camejo. Except for Schwarzenegger, all of them said they favored domestic partnership laws. Schwarzenegger gave no answer, saying he had not "reviewed this legislation."

On the question about abortion restrictions, Schwarzenegger said: "I'm for choice. The women should have the choice." Ueberroth said he favored parental notification and a ban on partial-birth abortions but said the government should continue paying for abortions. The rest said they opposed any abortion restrictions.

McClintock's straightforward pro-life views set him apart from his major foes, including fellow Republicans Schwarzenegger and Ueberroth. Still, both McClintock and Ueberroth are being pressured to withdraw from the race and leave Schwarzenneger as the sole Republican standard-bearer. Republican political operatives, principally associated with former Governor Pete Wilson, view Schwarzenneger as the best chance for the party to re-capture the statehouse.

But the pro-life base of the Republican Party seems unwilling to go along, and McClintock has said he will not withdraw. "As Christian leaders across California are desperate to remind Republican voters, Schwarzenegger has publicly and plainly endorsed abortion on demand and the legalization of homosexual marriage," notes columnist John Zmirak in the National Catholic Register. "These two issues alone should ban him as a biohazard -- too toxic to touch. We have unambiguous statements from the Vatican that make clear it is sinful to support such a candidate, particularly when there are reasonable alternatives."

Another candidate among the alternatives for Catholic voters is Daniel Ramirez, a pro-life Democrat from Imperial County. Ramirez, 57, owns San Diego Auto Mart in Calexico. He is a former Marine and father of two whose only foray into politics was in the 2002 Democratic primary in the 51st congressional district, when he challenged pro-abortion Democrat Bob Filner. Filner won the primary, but Ramirez carried heavily-Hispanic Imperial County by 60 percent.

"The whole idea with this is to wake up the sleeping giant in California, which is the 15 million pro-life Democratic, Hispanic voters," Ramirez told LifeNews. "If we can do that, we have succeeded."

Although political analysts consider a Ramirez victory highly unlikely, he could siphon votes away from the pro-abort Democrats, principally Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. According to the California ProLife Council, Bustamante "has never cast a vote to support pro-life legislative objectives."

In the meantime, pollsters are finding it difficult to paint an accurate picture of the likely outcome of the recall election. Some polls show pro-recall sentiment at barely 50%, while others show that upwards of 65% of the voters plan to vote to remove Davis from office. As far as a replacement candidate, current polls variably show either Bustamante or Schwarzenegger in the lead.

Political experts say the outcome will likely depend on turnout -- who actually votes on October 7. Davis and Bustamante both have the backing of powerful labor unions, which have the money and the political machine to get their members to the polls. And pro-abortion groups like the California Abortion Rights Action League and Planned Parenthood are urging their supporters to vote against the recall.

As the election gets closer, some conservatives are saying that if the polls show the race between replacement candidates ends up being a Bustamante-Schwarzenegger contest, pro-lifers might want to consider sitting the election out altogether to prevent Schwarzenegger from winning. "My bet is that many GOP strategists, particularly those outside California, are secretly hoping to let this so-called opportunity slip through their fingers," writes political commentator Paul Weyrich. "The recall is not going to put California's fiscal house in order. If a Republican wins, the odds are that he will become embroiled in a battle with contentious and partisan Democrat majorities in the state House and state Senate ... the new governor is likely to become the state's new scapegoat. That will not do President Bush any good at all in the 2004 campaign, whereas a failing Democrat governor of America's largest state might be a useful foil for the president.... So that's what Republican pros are probably thinking: Why not sit it out for three more years and then make it a clean sweep, electing a GOP governor as well as several more legislators?"

Political strategies aside, the choice for Catholics is pretty clear. Last July, just before national elections in Mexico, the Mexican Episcopal Conference and various individual bishops issued pastoral instructions to the faithful before voting. The same advice given to Mexican voters is good for Californians contemplating their vote on October 7: "You cannot vote for a party or candidate that is against the absolute respect owed to human life, from conception to its natural outcome." Felipe Arizmendi, bishop of San Cristóbal de las Casas, was even more blunt: "If someone supports the abortionists with his vote, he becomes morally responsible for the murder of innocents."

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