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Published: February 13, 2007
Condoms at Republican Convention
Pro-lifers confront pro-abortion California Republican League at state convention
The California Republican Party held its Spring 2007 Convention Feb. 9-11 at the Sacramento Convention Center and Hyatt-Regency Hotel. About 1,000 GOP activists from all of the state’s 58 counties attended.
As usual, many organizations and political campaign businesses wishing to communicate with Republican Party leaders and members had exhibits at the host hotel and Convention Center.
On Saturday morning, Feb. 10, a prolonged confrontation occurred at the exhibit table of the pro-abortion California Republican League. Pro-life activists discovered that the pro-abortion California Republican League had pro-abortion NARAL Pro-Choice California staff, political paraphernalia, “Vote Pro-Choice” buttons, pens, post cards, posters, and newsletters -- and even condoms -- for distribution at their exhibit table adjacent to the Convention Center’s main meeting hall.
NARAL originally was an acronym for National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, and then became the National Abortion Rights Action League. NARAL’s abortion advocacy newsletter even boasted of their efforts to defeat Proposition 85, the Parents’ Right to Know and Child Protection initiative, which was endorsed and supported by the California Republican Party and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reelection campaign.
A loud confrontation lasted for about an hour and a half, as pro-life Republicans protested that the NARAL staff members were really pro-abortion Democratic Party operatives, and had no right to distribute their propaganda at a California Republican Party convention.
California Republican Party staff became involved in the effort to have the NARAL staff, paraphernalia, and condoms removed from the convention. NARAL had not contracted for exhibit space, but had come in under cover of the California Republican League. NARAL staff rudely refused to remove their materials and leave -- and even threatened legal action if they were removed.
California Republican Party legal counsel Chuck Bell did not back up staff and party members’ demands that NARAL remove their pro-abortion paraphernalia, propaganda, and condoms and leave.
As a minor concession, NARAL staff did remove their condoms from the table.
Arguments and confrontations continued to occur on Saturday afternoon and Sunday as Republicans, mostly young, engaged in arguments with the militantly pro-abortion NARAL staff. One exasperated Young Americans for Freedom activist was seen taking a quantity of NARAL’s pro-abortion paraphernalia and posters from the table and stuffing it in a nearby trash can.
The question remains whether the California Republican Party will assure in future contracts for exhibitors that they cannot disrupt conventions with pro-abortion political propaganda, whether brought in by pro-abortion organizations like the California Republican League, which contracts for space, or smuggled in by organizations like NARAL.
Posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 8:55 AM By Trisha
As a Republican delegate at the convention this weekend walking by the "Pro-Abortion" table I didn't believe what I was seeing! I thought it was a joke! When someone told me those orange packages on the table were condoms my reply was "For what?" I was still not believing that a group so opposite from our Republican values would actually have a table at our convention! I am still wondering what NARAL's motives were for being there. Did they think they would change minds or were they there for a battle? I watched as staff tried to get them to leave but to no avail. I believe they should have been forced out the door with a swift kick in the arse! Shame on staff for being intimadated by their "legal" threats! I say BRING IT ON!
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Posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 10:45 AM By sanjoaquinsara
I saw the same booth w/NARAL info, but by the time I got there the condoms were gone. Go, YAFers! Maybe we should do what we did a few years ago, when the CRP passed a rule that the CTA cannot have a booth or be considered a Republican organization within our Party until the CTA's endorsements of Republican candidates increases to at least 40%. We should consider that for all organizations wishing visibilty at our conventions, both as sponsors or smugglers through other sponsors, and we may want to require that all workers (paid or vol) at booths or hospitality suites be registered Republicans.
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Posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 1:15 PM By Gary Duerst
It's often better to let extremists display their over-reaching positions than to try to muffle them and look as bad or worse yourself.
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