As Sen. John McCain and his vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, travel around the country, we're watching as they try to sell the McCain-Palin ticket to moderate, independent-leaning women voters who will determine the outcome of this election.
But keeping the "moderate maverick" image is getting a lot harder, especially as these women hear about McCain's 22 votes against birth-control and his stalwart belief that Roe v. Wade should be overturned, as well as Gov. Palin's opposition to abortion, even in cases of rape and incest.
Neither McCain nor Palin references their extreme stance on abortion, but voters have a right to know how the McCain-Palin agenda would open the door to more government interference in personal, private medical decisions in Wisconsin.
Voters need to know that McCain is not only against abortion, he is against birth control and other prevention policies that would actually reduce the need for abortion. Even self-described "pro-life" voters see better access to birth control and honest, age-appropriate sex education as the best ways to prevent unintended pregnancy. [Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care poll, June 20, 2006]
McCain has a 25-year record of voting against women's freedom and privacy. Here are five questions that Sarah Palin should answer before any voter considers the McCain-Palin ticket in November:
1. Gov. Palin, you would outlaw abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. In 2008, lawmakers in Wisconsin passed a bipartisan bill guaranteeing rape survivors information about and access to emergency contraception in the emergency room. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, do you support this bipartisan measure?
2. McCain voted to end a program that provides millions of women with health-care services ranging from birth control to breast cancer screenings. This program served 93,000 Wisconsinites last year. Gov. Palin, do you agree with McCain's votes to completely eliminate the family-planning program?
3. McCain has refused to support legislation to require pharmacists to fill women's birth control prescriptions without harassment or delay. Gov. Palin, do you think it's okay for a pharmacy to refuse to fill a woman's prescription for birth control based on an employee's personal views?
4. Over the last year, we have seen the price of contraception sky rocket on campus due to the result of a 2005 bill. The price increase could force young women to go off birth control. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, will you join your opponent Sen. Obama in supporting legislation to fix the birth-control pricing crisis facing millions of low-income women and students across the country?
5. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, 23 states are poised to ban abortion.-and Wisconsin is one of them. Our state ban predates Roe and includes criminal penalties for both women and doctors. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, how much jail time should a woman do for having an abortion?
