Posted on 09/06/2009 10:28:17 AM PDT by Born Conservative
As he considers a run for governor next year, Mayor Chris Doherty says he supports a woman's right to choose an abortion.
Mr. Doherty acknowledged his previously undeclared position when a Times-Tribune reporter asked, following a tip that the mayor was expressing his support for abortion rights to Democrats he met with across the state.
"I just believe it's a woman's right to choose," Mr. Doherty said. "It's a private matter what they want to do with their lives, and I don't think government or anybody else should interfere with that."
Mr. Doherty said he favors reducing the number of abortions through proper education. "How to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies should be the No. 1 goal in any of these decisions," he said.
By acknowledging support of abortion rights, Mr. Doherty joins state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp., as one of the few elected officials to take a position on the topic in a region known as a stronghold of the anti-abortion-rights movement.
The late Gov. Robert P. Casey, a Scranton resident, successfully defended a state law regulating abortions all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and vehemently opposed the procedure at every turn.
His son, Sen. Bob Casey, also opposes abortion, but has been criticized for not being as strident as his father, most prominently by the Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino, former bishop of Scranton. A Diocese of Scranton spokesman had no comment on Mr. Doherty's statement.
Mr. Doherty, a Roman Catholic, and his wife, Donna, have six children. For years, he ran his family's company, a wholesaler of religious items, with the Catholic Church a prominent client. He had kept his position on abortion to himself.
As he ran for mayor for the first time in 2001, the Scranton chapter of Pennsylvanians for Human Life labeled him "pro-life" in its voters guide.
Helen Gohsler, the chapter president, said she has been unable to find a questionnaire she said Mr. Doherty filled out and submitted as part of the evaluation process. But he would not have been rated "pro-life" unless he answered yes to questions about whether he would support a constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion, whether he would publicly affirm a "pro-life" position when the need arose and whether he would actively oppose the opening of an abortion clinic in the area, she said.
The mayor said he did not recall filling out the 2001 questionnaire, but he did not dispute Mrs. Gohsler's characterization of it.
Mrs. Gohsler provided a copy of a proclamation she said Mr. Doherty wrote and signed declaring Sept. 27, 2003, as "Pennsylvanians for Human Life Day" in Scranton "to honor those who fight for that most precious gift of our creator."
"He changed his mind, huh?" Mrs. Gohsler said. "I can't believe that he would lead us on that way. We didn't give him a proclamation to sign. It's his own words. He did his own. ... My initial reaction is I can't believe that he would be such a hypocrite."
Mr. Doherty said the 2003 proclamation signaled respect for people who hold a position opposite of his.
"Like everything else, it's about choice and respect," he said.
Mrs. Gohsler said she was not entirely surprised by Mr. Doherty's announcement. Mr. Doherty supported now-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president and, unlike previous mayors, he has never attended the local Pennsylvanians for Human Life annual prayer breakfast. He did not respond to its 2005 and 2009 questionnaires, she said.
Asked if he avoided making his position known for political reasons, Mr. Doherty said he never made his position known because abortion never became an issue.
"I didn't have to when I was mayor," he said. "But now that I may be running for governor, it's a valid point. It has to be asked, and I understand that."
Mr. Doherty seemed unconcerned about the effect of his stating his position.
"I'm sure, like anything else I do, there is pro and con on it," he said. "But I think people will judge me on my performance as mayor and what I've done. And I would hope people would respect my position."
I forgot: Bob Casey and his father Robert Casey as well.
So let me get this straight. An abortion that takes the life of an innocent third party is private but a hip replacement needs a government oversight panel??????????????
And so, Doherty has proven himself unworthy of holding elected office.
Incidentally, those who call abortion ‘a private decision’ and ‘a woman’s right’ are conveniently-for-them sidelining the other two major players:
A) the baby who is scheduled to be killed
B) the father of the baby whose son or daughter is scheduled to be killed by the mother
ping
‘Mr. Doherty, a Roman Catholic”
I don’t think so. Not any more. Guess pro-life was good enough for him when he wanted to make a living selling religious articles.
He’s a politician first, and a merchant of religious items second.
“The late Gov. Robert P. Casey, a Scranton resident, successfully
defended a state law regulating abortions all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court, and vehemently opposed the procedure at every turn.”
Another example of a historical Democrat that would be kicked out
of Today’s Democratic Party.
Just like John Fitzgerald Kennedy for supporting tax cuts...
when he understood they INCREASED TOTAL TAX Revenues for the government.
(As occassionally documented when Rush plays that tape from the speech
JFK gave in Detroit expressing his bewilderment AND acceptance that
the government got more money when tax rates were lowered.)
I believe in a woman’s right to chose, too. Right up to the moment on conception.
Abortion stops a beating heart.
It’s time for Scranton voters to deep-six this CINO.
This clown says, “”I just believe it’s a woman’s right to choose,” Mr. Doherty said. “It’s a private matter what they want to do with their lives, and I don’t think government or anybody else should interfere with that.”
But they are chomping at the bit to make our bodies and lives a Federal matter through socialized health care, subjecting every American’s life to the whims of strangers on rationing committees.
Privacy is not a concern when it involves Obama’s government establishing a massive Federal data base to maintain records on any and all interactions we have with our physicans or mental health counselers.
The real bottom line is that liberals want it to be legal to kill innocent people. It has nothing to do with privacy nor respect for an adult’s freedom over their own bodies.
His next move is for Governor of PA.
IMO, claiming to be a Pro-Abortion Catholic is similar to being a Catholic who doesn't believe Jesus is the son of God.
...specifically, Jean Biden’s.
Oops! Thanks for pointing that out.
I meant to say the people of Pennsylvania should deep-six this pro-abortion ‘Rat.
Liberals want it to be legal for women to kill innocent people while not accepting any moral culpability (and thus not having any legal liability) for doing so.
For the moment, that is exactly the situation that they have via Roe vs. Wade.
Too late for that...
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