Popcorn time once again as far-right Tim Walberg and farther-right Brian Rooney battle it out for who wants to deny women their legal right to choose to have an abortion most. Yesterday, Walberg sent out an email that said this:
Voters Never Have to Question Where I StandVoters never have to question where I stand, my principles or priorities. I am a pro-freedom, pro-America and pro-life conservative. I did not just move into the district solely to run for office. I represent the conservative principles that made this country great and that is why we are winning in the polls and will defeat liberal Mark Schauer.
Yesterday, we were surprised to receive a copy of a letter from pro-life leader Kathy Potts, who announced she is stepping down as president of Jackson Right to Life to concentrate on working closely with our campaign. Our campaign continues to gain momentum. Kathy wrote, “I have always supported Tim because of his proven, trusted pro-life conservative record. The fact that I am choosing to ally myself again with him over Brian Rooney is also because of what I do not know of Mr. Rooney. The letter below we sent to Mr. Rooney speaks for itself. The stakes are high and I must go with a known and trusted candidate. I hope you will join me.”
I love the second sentence. Hey, everybody! Guess what?! Tim Walberg is PRO-FREEDOM!!! Woo hoo! Unlike all those other candidates, eh, Tim?
I love the third sentence, too. Tasty swipe at Brian Rooney who has rightfully been categorized as a carpetbagger having just moved into MI-07 for the sole purpose of running for office here. I actually think it is significant that he’s never once cast a vote in MI-07.
But the letter Jackson Right to Life sent is the most tasty smack down of Rooney of all. Read it for yourself:
Dear Mr. Rooney,We were disappointed you missed the Jackson Right to Life annual dinner. We know you recently moved into our district from Wayne County and have never actually cast a vote for Congress in the 7th District, so this event may have been new to you, but it is a very important to the pro-life cause. What is even more troubling to us is we learned you skipped our annual Right to Life dinner because the former president of the liberal Michigan Main Street Partnership was hosting a fundraiser for you. The Main Street Partnership actively supported taxpayer-funding of embryonic stem cell research, frequently attacks pro-life Republicans, praised Republicans who worked with President Obama to develop the stimulus plan, and actually blamed the Republican Party’s sticking to core principles for liberal U.S. Senator Arlen Specter switching to become a Democrat. Yet you made the choice to skip our dinner and attend one held by a liberal organizer.
Mr. Rooney, your decision to associate with the leadership of the liberal Main Street Partnership instead of Right to Life speaks volumes and is very revealing of your priorities. We know where Tim Walberg stands, he attended our event, and he stands with us and never waivers. We now know where you stand.
Sincerely,
Michael Buratovich
Beth Thorrez
Tom Green
Kathy Potts
It’s pretty hilarious to watch Walberg and the Jackson RtL folks calling the Republican Main Street Partnership “liberal”. Hell, in Michigan in 2009, they gave money to (.pdf) Representatives Dave Camp, Thad McCotter, and Candice Miller among others. Not exactly a bunch of dirty effin hippies there, eh? But to Walberg and, frankly, much of the Republican Tea Party base these days, even glancing blows with centrism are enough to brand you with the dreaded “LIBERAL!” tag. And it’s enough to make actual liberals laugh!
Well, Brian Rooney didn’t take this laying down, no siree. First, he got “longtime Right to Life and Jackson County Republican Party activist” Lola Peterson to stick up for him in her own letter to the media:
Brian Rooney has and does demonstrate his complete dedication to Life through his and his family’s approach to a special needs child. This man is walking the walk. For anyone to suggest otherwise is a scurrilous attack which I cannot stand by and allow to go unchallenged. And, for the record, local Right to Life chapters do not have the authority to endorse, even through the back door.
Oh, snap!
But the funniest part was that literally 28 minutes after Walberg’s email hit my inbox, I got one from the Rooney campaign with this press release:
Rooney ‘Meets Endorsement Criteria’ for Right to Life of Michigan, ‘Certified Pro-Life’ by Pro-Life Federation of Michigan(Jackson, MI) – Today, Right to Life of Michigan announced that Brian Rooney, Republican candidate for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, “meets the endorsement criteria” for Right to Life of Michigan.
“Throughout my life, both personal and professional, I have been and continue to be an avid supporter of the pro-life movement,” said Rooney. “Through my work at the Thomas More Law Center, I worked on numerous pro-life cases. My experiences with my special needs son taught me a great deal about what it truly means to be pro-life. It is a great honor that I meet the criteria to be a Right to Life of Michigan candidate.”
Rooney was also pro-life certified by the Pro-Life Federation of Michigan.
“Brian Rooney has been certified as a pro-life candidate by the Pro-Life Federation of Michigan,” said Jerry Zandstra, President of the Pro-Life Federation of Michigan. “His work at the Thomas More Law Center on pro-life cases, as well as his personal experience with his special needs child clearly demonstrate his commitment to pro-life issues and his passion to make sure that those rights are defended.”
Brian Rooney is a proud member of Right to Life of Michigan, National Right to Life, and the Knights of Columbus.
Okay, first of all, I didn’t even realize that there’s a pro-life certification process. Getting certified as being judged adequate in the fight to deny women access to safe, legal abortions just seems so weird to me. But, let’s just back up a minute here. Rooney is certified by Michigan Right to Life? The same group that Jackson Right to life is affiliated with??? So the Jackson RtLers are “going rogue”? Because, and this still cracks me up, Rooney is pal-ing around with liberals?!
Man, this is fun stuff. Pass the popcorn.
I’m just sayin’…
