Kerry Wows Abortion Establishment

From the perspective of Planned Parenthood, Naral Pro-Choice America, and the Feminist Majority, it was fitting and proper that U2's "It's a Beautiful Day" should be reverberating in the background.

Two days later, on April 25, the pro-abortion "March for Women's Lives" would draw a sizeable crowd to Washington, D.C., including a huge contingent of sympathetic reporters. But today, presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Senator John Kerry was there in the flesh to remind the leaders of the Abortion Establishment that the junior senator from Massachusetts was their candidate.

Kerry's appearance at the April 23 gathering organized by his campaign was a true love fest. A quick peck on the cheek of retiring NARAL President Kate Michelman symbolized what amounted to an exchange of political vows.

For the first time Planned Parenthood's political action arm - - the Planned Parenthood Action Fund - - would endorse a presidential candidate, John Kerry, according to director, Gloria Feldt (who doubles as the president of Planned Parenthood). Michelman pledged, "Nothing is more important to NARAL Pro-Choice America, nothing is more important to me" than electing Kerry the next President.

She vowed that pro-choicers would wear out the soles of so many shoes canvassing for Kerry "that come November, our national shoe leather industry will be in the throes of an historic boom."

For his part, Sen. Kerry described Ms. Michelman as nothing less than "one of the great modern day civil rights leaders in the United States." For good measure Kerry ridiculed pro-life President George W. Bush's opposition to abortion as but a "political weapon" that is "used by politicians in this nation."

Sen. Kerry employed parts of his standard stump speech, thrashing President Bush for alleged failures on all fronts. But abortion was the reason the cream of the Abortion Establishment was there to pledge their allegiance.

Kerry, however, was also sensitive enough to know that the public has heard a great deal lately about the barbaric partial-birth abortion technique. Even more than usual, Kerry strove to deny that he was "pro-abortion." Rather, he described his position as pro-"right to privacy," which is needed, he said, to "protect the full measure of rights of human beings in our country."

Caught up in a flush of excitement, Feldt and Michelman engaged in a kind of one-upsmanship to see who could describe the upcoming election in the most apocalyptic terms.

"The outcome of this election is critical to the lives of women and men and families, both here and abroad," Feldt avowed. "Make no mistake about it, there is a war on choice and it is a war we must win and we can win." Michelman did her one better.

"This is our moment and it's John Kerry's moment for this nation," Michelman insisted. "There has never, not in my life, not in NARAL Pro-Choice America's life, not in our country's life, never, never been a more important presidential election for the women of this nation and the women of the world."

Echoing the mantra for the 2004 elections (the same mantra we hear every two years!), Kerry intoned, "More than 30 years after Roe v. Wade became the law of the land, it has never been more at risk than it is today." While he at times was content to leave the heavy lifting to Feldt and Michelman, Kerry offered a curious condemnation of President Bush.

"Gloria and all people of the country who have been concerned about rights understand that this president came to office with a specific ideological goal," Kerry said. "He set out and said, and I quote him, 'what we need in the courts of America are good conservative judges.'"

Only in the most hard-core pro-abortion precincts would the audience interpret this as representing a malevolent undertaking.

Curiously, Kerry didn't reiterate for the assembled gathering what he specifically said earlier this year to the Associated Press: "I am proud that I am the only presidential candidate to pledge that I will support only pro-choice judges to the Supreme Court." Also missing was his response when a reporter asked him the question, what would his first executive order as President be: "Reverse the [pro-life] Mexico City policy."

Nor, apparently, did Kerry feel the need to mention that his new campaign manager was associated with EMILY's List, a PAC that lends its considerable resources only to pro-abortion female Democratic candidates.

But, come to think of it, given how canny and politically sophisticated were his listeners, who needed to be reminded that Kerry had hired NARAL's vice president as his communications director? Or that Kerry had voted against passing the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act on six occasions? Or that he had voted most recently against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

Michelman is so sure of Kerry that she once assured the New York Times, "Even on the most difficult issues, we've never had to worry about John Kerry's position."

A position that might aptly be described as in the Abortion Establishment's back pocket.

John Kerry's Jewish Brother: Cam Kerry and His Detroit In-Laws Get Up Close and Personal about the Democratic Frontrunner

By Sharon Luckerman

This article is reprinted with permission of the Detroit Jewish News, an affiliate of Jewish Renaissance Media. Visit www.detroitjewishnews.com. DETROIT, Feb. 11--When Cameron Kerry fell in love with Oak Park, Mich., native Kathy Weinman, he chose to convert from Catholicism to Judaism.

Little did he know that he already had a strong Jewish connection. His father's parents were Jewish--a fact uncovered last year when the Boston Globe hired a genealogist to check into the family roots of his brother, John Kerry, the Democratic presidential frontrunner thought by many to be of Irish background.

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The Kerry family was traced back to a small town in the Austrian empire, now part of the Czech Republic. There, the paper discovered that before immigrating to America, the Kerrys changed their name from Kohn and converted from Judaism to Catholicism.

"It was mind-blowing," says Cam Kerry about first learning his grandparents' true history from the newspaper story. Also surprising to him was the number of Jews in his synagogue who came up to him with similar stories. "It's an American story," he says.

It also could be a powerful Jewish story if John Kerry wins the White House. He would be the first president of the United States with Jewish roots.

"If my zaydie (grandfather) could see this election," says Anne Weinman, Cam's Farmington Hills mother-in-law, who with her husband, Joe, originally emigrated from Eastern Europe.

"Joe, and I are first-generation Americans and it was inconceivable back then that we could be connected to the president of the United States."

Cam's wife, Kathy Weinman, adds, "We have to pinch ourselves once in a while. It's amazing to have a ringside seat to history in the making."

She and their two daughters, ages 13 and 17, also have participated in this history. They were in New Hampshire during the primary. Her daughters campaigned for their uncle, knocking on doors, making calls and holding up signs. Their elder daughter worked in Iowa and volunteered for the Kerry campaign last summer.

Cam, 53, has taken time off from his law firm, Mintz Levin in Boston, and from his position as an adjunct telecommunications law professor at Suffolk Law School there, to work on his brother's presidential campaign. Last week, prior to the Michigan Democratic caucuses on Feb. 7, he was in Detroit stumping for his brother. He stayed with his in-laws in Farmington Hills, where, Anne says, she keeps a kosher kitchen, and Cam, who is knowledgeable of Jewish dietary laws, is one of the few people she trusts in it.

Role Of Judaism

Cam's wife, Kathy, 49, attended Oak Park High School and went to Hebrew school at Congregation B'nai David in Southfield, Mich. Her mother is a former English teacher at Berkley High and her father was part owner of Murray Lighting in Detroit. The Weinmans now belong to Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield.

After graduating from the University of Michigan law school in 1979--magna cum laude--Kathy got her first job at a law firm in Washington, D.C. At the same firm she met Cam, also a magna cum laude graduate (of Boston College Law School). The two were married in 1983. Though brought up Catholic, he decided to convert to Judaism before the marriage.

"I was influenced by Kathy," says Cam. "Judaism is deeply held and meaningful to her. Early on, we established we would raise any children we had as Jewish. So it flowed from that. To be a full participant in their religious education, I would convert."

Cam says what appealed to him about Judaism was the role of study in the religion, that it valued learning and intellectual pursuits, which were comfortable and a part of his upbringing.

He adds that standing on the bimah for each of his daughter's Bat Mitzvahs as a full participant made his religious commitments well worth it. "Judaism is central to us," says Kathy, who is active in her suburban Boston synagogue, Temple Israel in Brookline. "Judaism is a core of my life and important to our family."

When asked how the Catholic and Jewish sides of the family relate, Kathy replies, "It's a terrific relationship." She says that candidate Kerry was supportive when his brother converted to Judaism. He and his family have attended both nieces' baby namings and Bat Mitzvahs. Kathy says she is very close to John Kerry's two daughters.

And the Weinman and Kerry families have become mishpachah (family), says Anne Weinman. Cam's late "blueblood" mother, Rosemary, whose heritage goes back to colonial times with family names like Winthrop and Forbes, and his late father, Richard, were wonderful people proud of all four of their children: Peggy, John, Diana and Cam. She adds that the Kerry family--including Cam's parents and John--were present when Cam and Kathy's daughters were named at the temple.

"Religion has never been an issue between Cam and his [side of the] family," Kathy says. "John's always loved participating in our happy occasions. He's always been there and part of our family."

The Weinmans say they are very active in the Kerry campaign. They support the candidate because of his stand on the environment and education, Anne says.

"I have a greater appreciation for the early caucus and primaries and the role they play," Kathy says. "Our country is so big and it's impossible for everyone to know the candidates. But the Iowans and the people of New Hampshire get that opportunity. We saw them get to know my brother-in-law and his opponents. They made their judgment from the place of knowledge and understanding."

Of course, when asking Cam or the Weinmans why people should vote for Kerry, you won't get a strengths-and-weaknesses kind of answer. However, the warmth and intimacy of the reply gives another insight into this political family of diverse backgrounds.

"There's nobody else I want by my side in a tough situation than my brother," says the easy-going Cam, who has been at his brother's side for all of John's campaigns for office.

"In times of war and great economic challenge, he's the kind of leader we need.'"

He trully is the ever changing Candidate, next he will be related to the Zulu's.

OPs4 God Bless America!

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