My views on Personal Pac's actions

In the race for the Democratic nomination for the 36th District Illinois State Senate seat we have just found out that a pro-choice group based in Chicago, Personal Pac, were the ones who had been calling voters and telling them Mike Jacobs was the only pro-choice candidate in the race. Their justification for their actions was that they had sent surveys to both candidates, warning them that a failure to return the surveys would result in the candidate being assumed to be anti-choice. Mike Jacobs had returned the survey but the challenger, Paul Rumler, had not.

In comments posted in response to my last blog entry it was suggested that Personal Pac was not, as I had charged, placing a higher emphasis on their egos and doing favors for the powerful than the cause of choice but were in fact ferreting out secret anti-choicers. It was suggested that I might change my mind after considering their arguments.

I believe that the only justification for Personal Pac's actions would be if there was a history of politicians telling voters when asked that they were pro-choice but then later voting anti-choice. But I have never heard of such a thing. Politicians who end up voting against choice always wear their pro-life credentials on their sleeve. Their pro-life beliefs are religious badges of honor that they are eager to testify to whenever asked.

If Personal Pac were in fact searching for secret pro-lifers in the ranks of the Democratic candidates that would be misguided. They should spend their resources on combating the numerous and easy-to-find true enemies of choice. But I don't think they are on any such campaign. I think they are just, in good Michael Madigan tradition, doing favors for incumbents just because they are Democratic incumbents, without even considering the merits of the candidates, in order to maintain the precious Democratic majority.