"Feminists are delivering a thumbs-down to the GOP contenders for the White House," said National Organization for Women (NOW) President Patricia Ireland. "George W. Bush's 'no-litmus-test' choice of Dick Cheney as his running mate is a clear confirmation of the ultra-conservative policies Bush would promote and the nominations he would make to the U.S.Supreme Court if he were elected President in November."
Ireland will speak on the danger of the Bush-Cheney ticket at the Unity 2000 Rally on Sunday, July 30 and at the March for Economic Human Rights on Monday, July 31. Both events are targeting the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. The Convention is facing protests demanding better positions on the wide range of feminist issues -- from ending racism, violence against women and sexual orientation-based discrimination to securing abortion and reproductive rights, economic equity and freedom from poverty.
"Cheney's extremist position on a woman's right to abortion mirrors the Republican platform position that will be adopted with Bush's blessing at the Party's Convention," Ireland said. "Cheney is against the right to abortion even in cases of rape, incest or endangerment of a woman's life or health. But he goes even further -- in the House he also voted against family planning funding."
"Don't mistake Bush's or Cheney's positions on reproductive rights for support of already-born children," Ireland said. "Cheney voted against Head Start and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Governor Bush's Texas ranks lowest in percentage of children without health insurance."
"Under Bush, Texas has ranked last in the nation in health care and reproductive rights, and first for pollution and executions." Ireland said. "A Bush-Cheney administration would be a disaster for women's rights. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are not compassionate conservatives -- they are relentless regressives."
"NOW activists across the country have begun outreach in their communities to tell the cold, hard truth about the threat that George W. Bush, if elected, poses to the nation," Ireland said. "Women won't elect a president who disregards our rights and isn't concerned with our lives."