The New York State Right to Life Political CommitteeTel: 518-434-1293

41 State Street, Suite M-100Fax: 518-426-1200

Albany, New York 12207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION:

January 23, 2007Lori Kehoe

On 34th ANNIVERSARY OF TRAGIC ROE V. WADE DECISION,

THE NEW YORK STATE RIGHT TO LIFE POLITICAL COMMITTEE

DEEPLY DISTURBED OVER PRESS STATEMENTS MADE

BY STATE SENATE CANDIDATE MAUREEN O’CONNELL SUPPORTING ROE;

Political Committee Announces Opposition to Her Candidacy

Unless otherwise noted, the following can be attributed to Christina Fadden Fitch, Political Coordinator:

As thousands of New Yorkers traveled to Washington, D.C., yesterday to join their fellow Americans in the March for Life and mourn the deaths of 48 million unborn children since Roe V. Wade was decided in 1973, the New York State Right to Life Political Committee was distressed to read of State Senate candidate Maureen O’Connell’s support for Roe.

Yesterday’s article in Newsday continues to expose the increasingly apparent departure of former Assemblywoman Maureen O’Connell from her pro-life identity. Newsday quotes Ms. O’Connell as saying she supports Roe V. Wade. This decision robbed children of their lives and left untold pain for survivors in its wake. Ms. O’Connell’s support for Roe is neither pro-life nor pro-woman.

On January 18, Newsday had quoted Ms. O’Connell parroting abortion-speak saying, “This is a personal decision between a woman and her doctor and I respect that relationship." Ms. O’Connell’s ensuing statements have gone to further lengths to make it painfully clear she supports Roe.

The 1973 Roe V. Wade decision is recognized by many, including pro-abortion legal analysts, to be a flawed decision. Roe V. Wade unleashed the reign of “abortion-on-demand” that escalated exponentially the number of children killed, and the women wounded, by abortion. Roe has sent devastating ripple effects throughout our culture.

Over half of all women in the United States now oppose abortion in all or nearly all circumstances. Just as more and more women are declaring themselves pro-life, and political polls show that being pro-life is an advantage, Ms. O’Connell is publicly moving toward a failed philosophy whose base, while vocal, is steadily evaporating.

The following statement can be attributed to Lori Kehoe, Executive Director:

“If anything is worse than killing children, it’s killing children for political gain. Segments of our society are moving closer and closer to a utilitarian worldview under which people unable to defend themselves are the spoils.

“We must work to ensure that both the creation of human beings as an experiment and the intentional killing of any members of the human family become unthinkable in our state, and in our country.”

The New York State Right to Life Political Committee is sad to announce its opposition to the candidacy of Maureen O’Connell for State Senate.

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