Bob Casey, Jr. for US Senate (Fact is he'd be a great Senator):

There was great news from Pennsylvania today: Bob Casey, Jr. announced he’s running for Senate against Rick Santorum in 2006, and Barbara Hafer did the right thing and dropped out of the Democratic Primary. I’ve read some nasty--and uninformed--things about Bob Casey around here. I voted for Bob Casey in the 2002 primary. If I still lived in Pennsylvania, I’d vote for him next year both in the primary, and when he is running against Santorum.

First, Bob Casey is pro-life. But so are millions of other Democrats. Abortion is an issue of conscious, and good people will differ on it. I’m pro-life, and I was really happy when I heard Chairman Howard Dean say, “We welcome pro-life Democrats because they care about children after they’re born--not just before they’re born.” That was a really inclusive statement, and one that all Democrats should live up to.

Bob Casey has been a statewide elected official for a little over 8 years. He served two terms as Auditor General, and is now the Treasurer. As Auditor General, whenever state government--which was led by Tom Ridge for 6 of Casey’s 8 years in office--messed up, he publicized its mistakes, and usually was very effective at getting government to change for the betterment of ordinary Pennsylvanians.

A center-piece of his 2002 primary campaign for Governor was raising the state minimum wage. He advocated innovative solutions to environmental problems that plague Pennsylvania. His record on the environment is good. He has fought tirelessly for working families. And despite a bruising campaign, and a loss to Rendell in the primary, he actively supported Rendell in the 2002 general election. In 2004, he campaigned for Democrats throughout the state; he was a member of the electoral college. He voted for John Kerry.

Bob Casey would be a great United States Senator. In his statement announcing his candidacy, Bob Casey fiercely criticized President Bush’s social security farce stating, he “will oppose any privitization plan that cuts benefits, requires massive borrowing from foreign countries, or does nothing to improve the long-term solvency of social security.” Bob Casey, Jr. is the kind of Democrat that fights for the little guy. He would be a great US Senator, and a gigantic improvement over Rick Santorum.

Would be a gigantic improvement over "The frothy byproduct of anal sex".

Not offered as a sly demeaning of Mr. Casey. I want to see whoever is the nominee of the Penn Democrats metaphorically rip his lungs out.

The man needs to be held to accountability by the people of Pennsylvania. People with whom Santorum holds little in common.

Is he against all abortion, or does he make exceptions? If so, what are they?

Does his pro-life stand also include being against the death penalty and against the Iraq war, as the Pope is?

I'm sure Bob would do the right things in the Senate if he were there. He's got my vote and support.

On abortion, Casey supports an exemption for when the life of the mother is endangered. The guide said he supports the death penalty, but also supported a commission to look into its implementation. I have no idea as to what his position on the Iraq War is.

But again, he has worked to make the lives of ordinary Pennsylvanians better. Whether it is good schools, protecting retirement, protecting the environment, making sure working Pennsylvanians get a descent wage, good nursing homes, etc, Casey has always been pro-life. He's truly a pro-life Democrat.

As a pro-life Democrat, I urge pro-choice Democrats to be a little bit more open about pro-life Democrats, and read more about our positions before automatically condemning us.

half the population of their fundamental reproductive rights?

I will be as open about his candidacy as he is about allowing me to make private decisions about my medical care and reproductive life.

If there is a litmus test on candidates for US Senate--and thanks to Ed Rendell, there isn't one in Pennsylvania--our party will be doomed. Our party is the party that fights to give workers rights, the party that fights for civil rights, the party that fights for better schools, the that fights for increased access to higher education, the that fights for a cleaner environment, a party that fights for fairer trade, a party that fights for increased access to health care, a party that fights for a retirement plan for all Americans, a party that fights for those that need a helping hand up.

Our party is not just about abortion. Sadly some leaders of our party have allowed us to be divided by one issue of conscious--abortion--that can divide us. Our party is about more than just abortion. On the issues I listed above--which are the heart and soul of the Democratic Party--there are clear differences between somebody who would be a great Senator (Bob Casey), and somebody who is not a good Senator (Rick Santorum).

As a pro-life Democrat I make this argument (and I'm specifically not making it to get into a protracted discussion on abortion; it's an issue of conscious and good minds will differ. This is just my reason for being pro-life): If one wrecks there car into somebody, they are held accountable for their action through insurance, traffic violations, etc. If one has unprotected sex--and there is sufficent access, though this could be improved through better health care systems--they aren't held accountable for their action. They can just chip in for an abortion. To me, that is punishing the wrong person (the fetus) for the mistakes of their parents. Granted all parents may not be able to raise their children, but a better adoption system could help. As someone who was adopted at birth, my personal experiences--and beliefs--have shaped my opinion. But I'd hope pro-choice Democrats would realize that there is room for people like me in the party, and not automatically label us pro-life Democrats as "Republican Lite." We certainly aren't that.

I have some thoughts on this issue. Although I have fortunately never had to make this decision, I believe it to be a personal, medical decision that results in termination for a variety of reasons.

If I had found out that any of my children were a blob of genetic mutation in utero, I would have absolutely wanted the option to abort...I WOULD NOT permit anyone to tell me that I'm forced to carry a child with an "incompatible with life" diagnosis, or any other list of genetic mutations.

This is obviously a very sensitive issue and is not taken lightly by many PA women...both Dem and Republican...who want Ricky outta here. That being said, if Casey has the best chance to beat Santorum, I will support him in the general election.

to anything.

Here's a list of the pro-choice Democratic candidates I've voted for:

Bill Bradley
Paul Sarbanes
Barbara Mikulski
Al Gore
Bill Coyne
John Kerry
Barbara Hafer
Brad Henry
David Walters

Here's a list of the pro-life Democrats candidates I've voted for:

Bob Casey
Jack Wagner
Mike Doyle


If you want people like me in the party, if you want us to vote for pro-choice candidates (which we do most of the time), then you'll have to vote for a pro-life Democrat once in a while. The party isn't/shouldn't just be about abortion. I agree with what Howard Dean said in regards to pro-life Democrats. I hope that more pro-choice Democrats will listen to the Chairman on being inclusive.

You wrote, "If you want people like me in the party, if you want us to vote for pro-choice candidates (which we do most of the time), then you'll have to vote for a pro-life Democrat once in a while."

...and I won't. Wouldn't vote for them, wouldn't give money to them or to the party if it might be used on their campaign.

Rick Santorum is smiling somewhere. That kind of attitude got Tom Coburn elected in Oklahoma. It has cost the Democrats dearly in the South and Midwest. If we become a one issue party, then we will lose elections until kingdom come. The party is about more than abortion. It's one thing to support pro-choice candidates over pro-life candidates in a primary; it's another thing to sit out fighting Tom Coburn, Rick Santorum, etc. because of a Democrat's position on one issue of conscious.

If you donated to John Kerry, a percentage of your money probably ended up helping a pro-life candidate somewhere down the ballot somewhere in the country. They probably spoke at a rally with a microphone you helped to pay for, were on a piece of literature saying vote for the Democratic ticket, etc. But the money went to aid far more pro-choice candidates, including Kerry himself.

They are driving us away because they don't even respect us enough to make private, life-altering decisions about our bodies.

We won this fight decades ago and it wasn't easy. If they want to turn back the clock to the 1950's, then women are going to leave the party in droves and it's all on their head.

And it will be far more than one issue that you will be worrying about.

If I don't give up my reproductive rights I'll be helping elect a Rick Santorum clone, huh?

If you're not with us you're against us. :eyes:

over my body? That fat old hairy men in Congress get to say whether I should have a baby or not?

Nah, sorry. Not "open" to that. Not now, not ever.

otherwise his convenient excuse for opposing abortion rights, his Catholicism, would make him reject both, not just one.

And one would hope he is better on union/labor issues and the environment than his father was. His father was terrible on all of those. I don't live in PA any longer, though, so I have less standing in these issues than I did a few years ago.

Who was great on union/labor issues. Casey, Jr. had strong support from most labor unions in his 2002 campaign for Governor. He, like his father, has consistently fought for average Pennsylvanians.

Don't try to obsecure his record--which is fantastic when it comes to economic and environmental issues--because of his stance on abortion. So would you vote for Rick Santorum? I mean he's just so great on economic issues (not). I wouldn't for Santorum; I'd vote for a pro-choice Democrat over him.

Here is a good article on Casey's record:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/23/93221/9214

He doesn't have a "record" on anything that means a tinkers damn in a senate race. As for your Kos link, it's more of an apologia for him than an endorsement - Bob Casey, Jr, not as bad as you might think.

And his campaign for governor collasped like a deck of cheap cards. Rendell didn't just beat him, he kicked his butt.

As Auditor General, he was consistent watchdog of two Republican Governor's administrations. And a forceful advocate for regular Pennsylvanians. Auditor General is a statewide elected office in Pennsylvania. The Auditor General is charged with the responsibility to make sure that Pennsylvania's money is being appropriated correctly, and that its laws are being implemented. From nursing homes to schools, Bob Casey always fought the good fight as Auditor General.

Governor Casey was quite good on both labor and the enviroment.