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From Cecile Richards, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation: Here is a synopsis of Sarah Palin's voting record and her stated positions. (It's been hard to get much more — she has not spoken to reporters since her nomination and seems to be heavily under wraps.) Senator McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a running mate makes clear that he is completely out of touch on the issues that matter to American women. Governor Palin is not only out of touch on the issues that matter to women, but she wants to make the most private decisions for your family, based on her views and values, not yours. Governor Palin has said that she is as "pro-life as any candidate can be." She is also on the record opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest. Her positions are clear - and extreme. The 2008 presidential election must be about moving forward, not backwards. It must be about change, not about more of the same. But in choosing Governor Palin, Senator McCain has demonstrated that a McCain-Palin administration would be four more years that are no different from the last eight. The last thing women — and the country — need is a president and vice president who are prepared to turn back the clock on women's rights and repeal the protections of Roe v. Wade. We need a ticket that is going to stand up for women's health and women's rights. Women deserve a president who understands all their health care needs. With McCain's selection of Palin, there can be no question now that Barack Obama does and John McCain does not. John McCain may have a woman on the ticket, but he does not have the interests of women at heart. His selection may satisfy the right wing of the Republican Party, but it will further alienate mainstream women voters Our work on Palin is only beginning, but we've been working for a long time to spread the truth about John McCain.
Regarding Senator McCain, as you know, we have developed the 10 things every woman should know about John McCain. They are
1. John McCain opposes equal pay legislation, saying it wouldn't "do anything to help the rights of women." 2. John McCain opposes requiring health insurance plans to cover prescription birth control. 3. John McCain opposes comprehensive, medically accurate sex education. 4. John McCain opposes commonsense funding to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies. 5. John McCain opposes funding for public education about emergency contraception. 6. John McCain opposes restoring family planning services for low-income women. 7. John McCain opposes Roe v. Wade and says it should be overturned. 8. John McCain wants to nominate Supreme Court justices who are "clones" of conservative Justices Alito and Roberts. 9. When asked whether contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV, John McCain said he was "stumped." 10. In his 25 years in Washington, DC, John McCain has voted against women's reproductive rights and privacy 125 times.
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