Republican Rep. Boehlert of N.Y. to Retire (RINO leaving Congress)

Chron.com ^ | March 17, 2006 | William Kates

[California Patriot]

Your points about Melancon are well-taken. Assuming they're correct, he'll be re-elected.

A statewide officeholder would certainly be a good opponent for Pomeroy, and probably necessary in order to even make it close. I hope one of the guys you mention has the stones to give it a try. Not much of a year for stones, but we'll see.

On Salazar, my hope is based on the fact that it's a Republican district and some dopes probably confused him with Ken Salazar, the phony "moderate" who was elected to the Senate. If so, Congressman Salazar may have received an artifically inflated vote in '04.

You are clearly well-informed. I look forward to your future posts.

[California Patriot]

Health issues are always important. Thanks for sharing that about Boswell. Maybe we can take him out, or maybe he'll leave.

I saw Robert Byrd on C-SPAN, struggling to question I believe it was Rumsfeld and General Pace. It wasn't pretty. He is an old, old man, and if this becomes painfully clear to enough people in West Virginia, even the weak opponents who are running against him might have a chance. Or again, he might take himself out at the last minute.

[California Patriot]

The GOP will lose 8 to 12. Not bad by historical standards, but not good given the existing numbers.

[California Patriot]

Yeah, the Hooley seat in Oregon has never panned out.

Thanks for the info on the Brown and Higgins seats.
Too bad they're in states where the GOP is weakening. While
there was a great grassroots campaign for Bush in Ohio (which actually re-elected him), I'm doubtful that it can be reassembled in force for down-ballot races. I suspect Blackwell, if nominated, will have his own religious-right battalions who will focus completely on his race. I mean his campaign.

[Owen]

Watch this for the surprise factor of the election.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1598759/posts

[AuH2ORepublican]

"He will announce on Monday that's he's running and Meier was once the Oneida County executive. He's not a southern conservative, but he's more conservative than Boehlert. Then again, most people are more conservative than Boehlert."

---

I haven't been able to find out much about Ray Meier, but he is Catholic, a military veteran, and was a leading advocate for NY's Unborn Victims of Violence Act, supporting the version that recognized that an unborn baby killed by a criminal is a separate victim from his or her mother, unlike the "single-victim" version backed by pro-abortion legislators. When a similar bill was approved by the U.S. House, almost all of the people that voted against the single-victim substitute that does not recognize that the unborn baby himself is a victim were bona fide pro-lifers, and almost all of those who voted for the sham substitute amendment were generally pro-abortion. http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/issues/votes/?votenum=30&chamber=H&congress=1082&tally=1
So the fact that Meier supported the unadulterated unborn victims of violance bill speaks well for his future votes on abortion-related issues in Congress.

BTW, here's the press release from the NY chapter of Feminists for Life regarding the bill, with a special mention of Meier's "impassioned plea" in favor of passage:

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2002

CONTACT: JESSICA C. SHANAHAN
PRESIDENT, FEMINISTS FOR LIFE OF NY
PHONE: (585) 385-2456

UNBORN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE PASSES THE NYS SENTATE

On Wednesday, May 15, the New York State Senate passed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (S.57-B) by a vote of 39 to 19. It marked the first time in history that either house in the New York State Legislature has taken action to include unborn children as individuals to be protected from crimes of homicide and assault under the state's criminal statutes.

“We are thrilled!” said Jessica Shanahan, President of Feminists for Life of New York, “Women who are pregnant face a significantly greater risk of being abused. Finally they will get the legal protection they deserve for their unborn children. Victories for the unborn and for women seem far and few, but this is definitely one we won. Now we just have to get the Assembly to act.”

FFLNY members went to Albany on April 16 and met with Legislators about the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

Senator Serphin Maltese (R - Queens), the prime sponsor of the bill, led the floor debate by defining his proposal as a "victims' rights bill," and a "women's rights bill." He cited horrific real life cases of violence against women and their unborn children in New York State, as well as strong public support for his bill, as reflected in an April 2001 Gallup poll.

Senator Richard Dollinger (D - Monroe) led the opposition to the bill, offering amendments that would simply increase penalties for crimes against pregnant women without recognizing the second victim of each such crime, the unborn child. The amendments were defeated.

Senator Ray Meier (R - Utica) offered an impassioned plea in favor of the bill, noting that both houses of the Legislature had recently passed "Buster's Law," making it a felony in New York State to torture or kill a domestic animal. "This state offers more protection to those who lose a dog or a cat than to a woman who loses a very much wanted child," he declared.

Feminists for Life of New York is a state chapter of Feminists for Life of America, a non-profit national organization headquartered in Washington, DC. We oppose all forms of violence, including abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment, as they are inconsistent with the core feminist principles of justice, non-violence, and non-discrimination.

[Clintonfatigued]

Given New York's current leanings politically, I'm inclined to think that Ray Meier is the best conservatives can do. And he appears to be pro-life.