PPNNE Contraceptive Pill

On July 21, 2008, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) Action Fund pro-contraceptive activists gathered to protest Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's pro-life, pro-family policies.  

Held in South Portland, the protest attracted approximately two dozen Planned Parenthood supporters.  The protest was timed to coincide with McCain's visit to the area, and was part of a nationwide Planned Parenthood pubicity effort called "kNOw McCain."  The protest featured a young woman dressed in an oversized costume resembling a contraceptive pill.  

PPNNE Anti-McCain Protesters

Two days after the protest, on July 23, 2008, the Maine Director of Public Affairs for PPNNE, Chris Quint, issued a press release.  It read, in part:   

McCain Has No Answers When It Comes to Women’s Health Care
Planned Parenthood Action Fund Rally Highlights 0% Rating

(South Portland, Maine)  [Sen.] John McCain’s campaign stop in South Portland gave local activists an opportunity to highlight his poor record on women’s health and rights.  It came on the heels of Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s highly touted and often-downloaded ad showing [Sen. McCain's] lack of understanding of basic women’s health care.

"The more women learn about [Sen.] McCain, the more they realize he is anything but a moderate when it comes to their health and rights," said Chris Quint, speaking of behalf of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in Maine.  

"We had a great turn out of activists today on short notice because his views are so extreme and out-of-touch with American women. He’s earned a 0% ranking from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for over 100 votes in the Senate to restrict education, health care access, and reproductive rights. At the same time, he’s voted in favor of wasting more than a billion federal tax dollars on failed abstinence-only-until marriage programs that withhold lifesaving information from young people.

PPNNE Anti-McCain Protester

"...We’re mobilizing voters as part of the One Million Strong campaign to bring pro-family planning, pro-choice voters to the polls in November.  And that’s why the Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Action Fund is doing more than we've ever done this year to elect a president who understands basic women’s health concerns.  We want the electorate to kNOw McCain."

More recently, Sen. McCain stated in his weekly radio address:

"[Sen. Obama's] extreme advocacy in favor of partial-birth abortion and his refusal to provide medical care for babies surviving abortion should be of grave concern to reasonable people of goodwill on both sides of this issue.  

"There is a growing consensus in America that we need to overcome narrow partisanship on this issue for both women in need and the unborn.  We need more of the compassion and moral idealism that my opponent's own party, at its best, once stood for.  No one is above the law, and no one is beneath its protection."

The Family Research Council (FRC) Action PAC praised Sen. McCain's pro-life comments, stating: "[Sen.] McCain's call for compassion and moral idealism on the sanctity of human life does transcend political categories and is a welcome addition to the debate."

Today, John McCain selected pro life Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate.  Palin recently decided to give birth to a baby who is affected by Downs Syndrome.  Pro lifers are celebrating the Vice Presidential selection, and now signing up to support McCain.

Paulie Heath, wife to League executive director Mike Heath, was one of the first in Maine to announce the news in an email.  She wrote to her ministry email list, "WOW!  Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has been chosen as John McCain's Vice Presidential Running Mate.  She will please women, NRA, military families, hunters, fishermen, athletes, pro-lifers, Christians and more."

Send us feedback on this page by clicking here
© Copyright by Christian Civic League of Maine.  All rights reserved.

Top of Page