E-mail doubts commitment to abortion rights
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
By Chris Fitzsimon
Rob Christensen, Mike Zlotnicki and Ryan Teague Beckwith, Staff Writers Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue’s record on abortion rights is being criticized by her Democratic opponent for governor.
The criticism came in an e-mail message from Stephanie Dorko, finance director for state Treasurer Richard Moore, who faces Perdue in the May primary. The e-mail, which was widely circulated Wednesday, was in response to an invitation Dorko received to join a group called Women for Perdue.
"I am uncomfortable with Beverly Perdue’s wavering position on choice," Dorko wrote. "Over the course of her public career, she has taken a variety of conflicting positions on a women’s right to choose."
Dorko wrote that Perdue, as chairwoman of the Senate appropriations committee in 1995, cut the abortion fund for poor women by 96 percent.
At the time, North Carolina was the only Southern state to fund abortions for poor women, taking over responsibility after Congress ended abortion funding for Medicaid recipients in what is commonly known as the Hyde Amendment.
Republicans took control of the N.C. House in 1995 and vowed to end tax-financed abortions.
Dorko also criticized Perdue for her answers to the 1996 National Political Awareness Test, in which Perdue indicated she believed abortions should only be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape or when the life of the woman is endangered.
Perdue’s campaign said she is strongly pro-choice.
"It’s just another desperate distortion from the same campaign that attacked the teachers last week," said David Kochman, Perdue’s spokesman. "Beverly Perdue is strongly pro-choice. That’s why this year, she’s already been endorsed by the Women’s Campaign Forum and in previous campaigns by groups such as NARAL.
"Her position has developed over the years just as Richard Moore’s positions have on so many other issues. But she is the pro-choice candidate in the race." (more…)
Last 5 posts in Daily News
- For College-Bound, New Barriers to Entry - December 3rd, 2008
- Where’s Mike? Easley’s ’business trip’ is a mystery - December 3rd, 2008
- Taylor hosting annual Christmas dinner - December 3rd, 2008
- Rookies get their General Assembly bearings - December 3rd, 2008
- Mental hospital deemed unsafe - December 3rd, 2008
Email This Post
Print This Post
