Rhode Island Democrats and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committe have focused on a candidate to challenge liberal Republican Lincoln Chaffee in next year’s elections. Congressman Jim Langevin appeals most to Rhode Island voters, the DSCC has determined, and they have decided to work with him to unseat Chaffee. However, a group of people 3,000 miles away has decided that Langevin does not toe the abortion line sufficient to their tastes and have decided to inject themselves into Rhode Island politics.
Guess where they live?
Victoria Hopper, wife of the actor Dennis Hopper, enlisted 16 actors, producers and philanthropists to sign a letter objecting to the potential candidacy of Representative Jim Langevin, who is being recruited for the 2006 race by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The letter writers say they support the primary candidacy of Matt Brown, Rhode Island’s secretary of state, for the seat now held by Lincoln Chafee, a Republican.
“This is even more important than one precious Senate seat; it is a fight to protect women and families, and a fight for the core and soul of our party,” Ms. Hopper wrote in the letter. “Unbelievably, some conservative D.C. Democrats have recruited Representative Jim Langevin, a radically anti-choice candidate.” …
Ms. Hopper’s letter included a roster of big Hollywood donors, including Chris McGurk, vice chairman of MGM; Cindy Horn, wife of Alan Horn, president of Warner Brothers; the actors Camryn Manheim, Christine Lahti, Kathy Najimy and Heather Thomas; Susie Tompkins Buell, a founder of the Esprit clothing company; and Callie Khouri, the screenwriter of “Thelma and Louise.”
The only name missing is Mrs. Larry David, who hosted a hate-in for the Democrats in December 2003 which she called the “Hate Bush – 12/2 Event”. Other than that, it’s all the usual suspects. Hollywood, having learned nothing from the 2004 campaign, intends on driving the Democrats over a cliff by radicalizing them along the MoveOn/International ANSWER policy dogma.
Let’s take Langevin as an example. First, the man has a 10% rating from NARAL, which casts that as pro-life, and Langevin has apparently described himself as such, although I couldn’t find that reference myself. In 2000, however, these are the votes NARAL found so objectionable and caused the 10% rating:
* Making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime
* Banning partial-birth abortion
* Ban on human cloning (even though he supports embryonic stem-cell research)
* Funding health care providers who decline to give abortion info
Inside Hollywood, these votes indicate a radical right-wing agenda. Outside of Hollywood, where the limousine liberals apparently rarely travel, they’re considered indicative of moderation. Many people who otherwise support abortion understand the restrictions of not allowing others to kill or injure the fetuses of pregnant women without penalty, and oppose the idea of late-term abortions, especially ones in which doctors essential birth the baby and kill it midway through.
Even John Kerry, one of the more radically liberal Senators still left in office, understands the need for Democrats to start finding moderate ground on abortion in order to gain credibility with centrists who have tired of the “not an inch” dogma. Hollywood, however, insists on throwing its money everywhere to ensure that Democrats select only the most radical candidates available. Let’s hope they can overwhelm the centrists at the DSCC and DLC, and help Democrats into losing even more ground as the GOP expands its big tent in 2006.