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NRL News 2008 Election Results: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly BY Karen Cross Yes – even “the good.” Despite facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, good can be found in an election in which the political winds were blowing firmly at the faces on pro-lifers. Yes, it is true that pro-abortion President-elect Barack Obama defeated the pro-life team of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin garnering 53% of the vote and 364 electoral votes in the process. But that does not take away from the contribution pro-lifers made in helping McCain and Palin and in generating the “pro-life increment.” As explained in detail in the story that begins on the back cover, the abortion issue did affect voters’ behavior to the benefit of pro-life candidates. But the magnitude of the concern over the troubled economy was so overwhelming it swamped all other issues. Senate In the U.S. Senate, we welcome two new pro-life U.S. Senators: Jim Risch (R) from Idaho and Mike Johanns (R) from Nebraska. Risch, previously a state senator and two-time lieutenant governor, easily defeated former Democratic Rep. Larry LaRocco. Johanns won the seat previously held by Sen. Chuck Hagel, who is retiring. Johanns, who had been governor of Nebraska and subsequently secretary of agriculture under President Bush, defeating newcomer and former college professor, Scott Kleeb (D). Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss) was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour when Sen. Trent Lott resigned his Senate seat late last year. On November 4, Wicker won a full-term in his own right by defeating former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. In Wyoming John Barrasso (R) was appointed in 2007 to complete the term of incumbent Craig Thomas who passed away. Barrasso easily defeated Democrat Nick Carter. With the re-election of incumbent Republic Mike Enzi, both Wyoming senate seats are in pro-life hands. As NRL News goes to press. the outcomes of three U.S. Senate races remain uncertain. In Alaska, pro-abortion Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is leading incumbent Senator Ted Stevens (R) by three votes with roughly 10,000 absentee ballots left to count. According to published accounts, Begich had trailed Stevens by 3,257 votes until state officials started counting approximately 90,000 absentee ballots. Ballots that were received by November 19 will be counted. As this story is being written pro-life Senator Norm Coleman (R-Mn.) has a 206 vote lead over pro-abortion Al Franken (D) in the closest Senate race in Minnesota history. The state Canvassing Board will have a two-fold charge: certifying vote totals and, once local officials finish their recount, settle differences over disputed ballots. A winner will not be known until at least mid-December. There will be runoff election in George on December 2 in which incumbent pro-life Senator Saxby Chambliss (R) will square off against pro-abortion former state Rep. Jim Martin (D). On election night Senator Chambliss carried 49.8% of the vote to Martin’s 47%. Under Georgia law if no candidate receives 50% of the vote, there is an automatic runoff between the top two voter getters. As of this writing, pro-abortionists have gained five seats in the Senate. Sen. John Sununu (NH) and Sen. Elizabeth Dole (NC) lost their bids for re-elections to pro-abortion Democrats. Pro-lifers also lost open seats in Virginia, New Mexico, and Colorado. House of Representatives As of press time, there’s been a pro-life net loss of about fifteen in the United States House of Representatives. Illustrating the importance of every vote, of the pro-life losses in the House, 12 of them were decided by less than 4%. On the plus side, there should be improvement in seven seats. In Texas lawyer and former Navy pilot Pete Olson (R) defeated incumbent pro-abortion Rep. Nick Lampson (D) in the 22nd congressional district. In Florida’s 16th congressional district Tom Rooney (R), an attorney and former Army captain, ousted pro-abortion Rep. Tim Mahoney (D). In Alabama’s second congressional district Dr. Griffith Parker (D) will replace pro-abortion Rep. Bud Cramer (D), who retired after 18 years. Parker defeated Republican Wayne Parker. Two more physicians, Dr. Phil Roe (R-Tn.) and Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) will join the freshmen class in the 111th Congress. Roe easily defeated Democrat Rob Russell. Cassidy , a state senator, took the 6th District seat from incumbent Rep. Don Cazayoux (D). Cazayoux had won the seat in a special election last spring. In addition, John Boccieri (D-Ohio), Lynn Jenkins (R-Ks.), Erik Paulsen (R-Mn.), and Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) are expected to have better pro-life records than their predecessors. The outcomes of three U.S. House races are not determined as of press time. In the open seat left in California’s fourth congressional district, pro-life state Senator Tom McClintock (R) is leading pro-abortion candidate Charlie Brown (D) by 928 votes with nearly 40,000 ballots left to count. The race between Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) and his challenger Tom Perriello (D) is too close to call. In addition, as NRL News goes to press the Associated Press had just declared Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) the winner over pro-abortion Ethan Berkowitz (D). Young has served 18 terms. Berkowitz’s campaign spokesman noted that there were 30,000 votes yet to be counted, “but recognized it was unlikely that Berkowitz could pull out a win.” On January 20, the White House will be occupied by the most pro-abortion presidential team in the history of our nation: Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Barack Obama has promised to make passing the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA) a priority. FOCA will make partial-birth abortion legal again, require taxpayer funding of abortion, and invalidate virtually all federal and state laws on abortion, such as parental notification laws. Obama would also end the Hyde Amendment, which has saved at least a million children, make sure parents are not informed about their minor daughter’s intent to abort, use U.S. funds to underwrite pro-abortion efforts overseas, ensure that abortion (a.k.a. “reproductive health care”) will be part of his national health insurance plan, to name just a few. Consequently, over the next four years, there will be many challenges in our fight to defend the lives of millions of unborn children. Those of us who know the truth – that abortion takes the life of an innocent child – must pull up our bootstraps and work as if life depends on it…because it does. |