Virginia Senate Votes to Cut Off
Funding to Planned Parenthood -- Part One of Two

Editor's note. Please send your comments to me at daveandrusko@hotmail.com.

As is often the case in politics, the on-the-surface developments mask a larger, oft-times more important fact. The very good news splashed over the front page of the Washington Post is that on Wednesday the Virginia state Senate followed the state House in voting to delete funding for Planned Parenthood.

The amendment was offered by Republican state Senator Ken Cuccinelli and will deny over $200,000 to Planned Parenthood.

The margin was razor-thin: the Senate divided 20-20 with Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling casting the deciding vote. But Bolling would not have been in that position had not pro-life Democratic state Sen. Charles Colgan joined 19 Republicans.

Colgan explained his vote, saying, "It's because of my conscience, and I don't waver from that, as my colleagues found out today," according to the Post. "I ran on a pro-life platform, and most of my constituents are pro-life."

A select group of House and Senate budget conferees will now attempt to work out their differences on a two-year, $77 billion spending plan. When the budget lands on the desk of pro-abortion Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine next month, he will have the opportunity to try to remove the amendment.

All the newspaper accounts highlighted the pressure Colgan, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, came under from his pro-abortion Democratic colleagues.

According to the Virginia Pilot, Colgan joked, "If I'd had some ketchup and came out with it smeared on my head, you would have thought I was bleeding." Referring to his support for the amendment, Colgan said, "That's just the way it is, and I don't waver from that, as my colleagues found out today."

What none of the accounts mentioned, however, is that for years Colgan has fought attempts by his opponents (and not just Republicans running against him) to peg him as pro-abortion. Colgan has a 100% pro-life voting record, according to the Virginia Society for Human Life, NRLC's state affiliate.

It can be awfully lonesome for pro-life Democrats in a party overwhelmingly dominated by pro-abortionists. Sen. Colgan is to be commended for his courage.

Please send any comments to daveandrusko@hotmail.com.   

Part Two