Below is an ad from U.S. Sen. Mark Begich’s campaign highlighting GOP candidates Mead Treadwell’s and Dan Sullivan’s extreme pro-life stances. If nothing else, the ad should put to rest the question about where the majority of Alaskans stand on the choice issue. Begich is a lot of things. Out of touch he isn’t. There’s been speculation that Begich is airing the following pre-GOP primary ad in order to boost Mead Treadwell’s support among the most ardent conservatives, who make up a relatively large chunk of the primary vote, and who have been suspicious of Treadwell’s commitment to the cause. It worked in Missouri when Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill ran pre-primary ads calling GOP primary candidate Todd Akin “too conservative for Missouri.”
It’s unclear if that’s Begich’s motive, or if he’s including Treadwell in the ads because he thinks Treadwell has a chance of winning. Indeed, polls are tightening and it’s likely to be a close race. What is clear is that prior to running for office in 2010, Treadwell was known as a moderate, good government Republican, more interested in Arctic treaties than in firebrand conservatism.
Also interesting is that there’s no mention of Joe Miller, the most conservative of all of them. However, Miller is getting some help from the Nevada-based conservative super-PAC, Our Voice, which began running ads on Fox, tying Sullivan and Teadwell to Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Not much is known about the group, and an FEC isn’t listed for the Alaska-spend. According to the latest FEC filing, the group only had $2,040 cash on hand.
Here’s Begich’s ad:
THIS AD IS SO OFFENSIVE!
The real message in this ad is, women are too stupid to figure out how to access birth control and Mark Begich and the federal government is going to protect all of you helpless females by making you believe it’s a “health care issue”. This is a slap in the face to Alaska women who are independent, strong and self-relent.
The argument is flawed. Taking a stand against abortion funding and requirements for companies to pay for contraception (including abortion) does not mean that an individual’s liberty is being tread upon. If a woman wants an abortion, go get one. It is legal. Just don’t ask federal tax dollars to pay for it or federal regulation to require your employer to pay for it.
The women’s suffrage movement worked very hard and at great sacrifice to get the 19th Amendment passed in 1920. I wonder how the champions of the early suffrage movement like Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cody Stanton would react today if their hard and eloquent work equal rights had been turned into an outcry for special rights. They never argued for the federal government to give special protection, regulation and funding, only for equal liberty. You want people out of your uterus? Then don’t put them their through via federal law.
Too bad PRO-DEATH Begich doesn’t follow his own churches teachings on life. Is he going to be a one election wonder? Alaskans Choose LIFE!