RANKINGS AND REALITY

For the third time, Fortune magazine (December 6, 1999) has released its list of the most influential lobbying groups in Washington, D.C. The list reflects the judgment of the movers and shakers in Washington.

In 1997, NRLC ranked among the top "Power 25" in 10th place. In 1998, we had advanced to 9th place. And now, in 1999, we are in 8th place. In fact, NRLC is the only pro-life group in the 1999 listing of the "Power 25."

In 1997, Fortune also looked at the expense of lobbying. Fortune ranked NRLC among the top three lobbying "bargains." In other words, your contributions got a very high return on the dollar. Without a question, this is still true today.

Clearly, our carefully thought out legislative campaigns and our disciplined lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill have had a strong impact. Senators and congressmen and their staff have come to respect our strategic judgment and trust us. Even the pro-abortionists in Congress learned a hard (but good) lesson: NRLC is comfortable with facts and the truth, and the pro-abortion lobby is not. They lie--even to their own supporters.

Beyond that, of course, people in Congress know that NRLC is not a just-letterhead-fundraiser-type organization. They know that behind NRLC's Washington office are the state affiliates, the 3,000 chapters, the hundreds of thousands of committed grass-roots pro-lifers--you, our loyal members.

As Fortune magazine put it in its 1997 article carrying the first-time rankings, "Most of the Power 25 have large numbers of geographically dispersed and politically active members who focus their energies on a narrow range of issues." This description fits NRLC's membership perfectly--except for one thing: Pro-lifers lobby on behalf of others, the unborn children. We are not the garden-variety self-interest group. We are probably the only major lobbying group trying to work itself out of the job. Once the constitutional and full legal protection of the right to life is achieved, we are ready to go home.

You are probably curious about how the pro-abortion groups are doing in these surveys. Not as well as we are, but it would be a grave mistake to think that they lack influence and power. They have far more money than we have, and they have had the White House since 1992. And they intend to stretch the pro-abortionists' reign in the White House to 16 years!

With this cautionary note, I can tell you that Fortune ranked NARAL as "lost in the crowd at No. 43" in 1997. In 1998, NARAL was highlighted on Fortune's "losers" list at No. 61, most likely paying the price for its shameless campaign of lies and disinformation in opposition to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. In 1999, however, NARAL has made up the ground lost and is now back to No. 42.

NARAL's ranking setback of 1998 proved to be only temporary. During the election year 2000, NARAL will pull out all stops and mount a massive campaign to elect pro-abortionists from the White House to the state house--and prevent the election of pro-lifers. It's no surprise that NARAL is already running attack ads against Governor George W. Bush, a Republican pro-life candidate for the presidency. Obviously, they think that Gov. Bush has the best chance of making the White House pro-life again. That's enough motivation for them. (See Page 25.)

Planned Parenthood was ranked No. 65 in 1997, rose to No. 62 in 1998, and was not ranked at all among the 114 groups listed in 1999. Its disappearance from the 1999 rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. To think that the nation's largest abortion provider will just quietly fade into political oblivion would be absurd. While this group, like NARAL, suffered a massive loss of credibility during our campaign to ban partial-birth abortions, its various affiliates and their supporters will spend huge amounts of money next year to influence the elections. To have both houses of Congress under pro-life leadership has made them miserable. They'll intend to change that. And they count on Al Gore or Bill Bradley to keep the White House in the hands of pro-abortionists.

The pro-abortion League of Women Voters made the 1997 list at No. 93. And Common Cause, the self-appointed censors of free speech during elections, made a similar showing at No. 91 on the 1997 list. Neither group made the 1999 list; but again, it would be sheer folly to discount them. They have powerful friends in the media. These friends will gave them lots of coverage in an election year.

An important newcomer to the 1999 rankings is EMILY's List at No. 68. EMILY's List is devoted to giving a financial jump start (EMILY: "Early Money Is Like Yeast") to pro-abortion female candidates in the Democratic Party. Tapping into the wallets of rich pro-abortionists, the group's fund-raising has been spectacularly successful. Hence, pro-abortion Democrats pay a lot of attention to this group. One Democrat's campaign finance "reform" proposal in Congress even had a special loophole for EMILY's List. An "act of constitutional shamelessness," you might say, because the same "reform" would have unconstitutionally silenced and censored groups like NRLC. Neutralizing that much pro-abortion money will require a lot of pro-life work. But, of course, pro-life money would also help.

So the news on the "rankings front" is encouraging and sobering at the same time. It confirms that clear thinking and disciplined work at all levels, from the grassroots to NRLC's Washington office, move us ever closer to success in the battle for the right to life.

Let me end with this. Years ago, I never would have thought that I would be given the gift of working for an important cause, the right to life. I never would have thought that I would personally meet so many hard-working, selfless, and generous people as I have met in the right to life movement. I am proud of you and I am profoundly grateful for your sacrificial work and support.

I'm sure you, too, have had the same kind of transforming experience working in the right to life movement I have had. Let's think of the gift we have been given and, in turn, make a gift of our own, gratefully honoring our fellow pro-lifers. Join me and my family in honoring individual pro-lifers or groups. I shall honor NRLC's staff with a gift to the NRL Educational Trust Fund. On page 21 of this issue of NRL News you find a coupon to make a tax-deductible contribution to the NRL Educational Trust Fund in honor or memory of persons you respect and love. May God bless you.