Abortion a key issue in AG race
Timesunion.com
ALBANY -- Forget Wall Street and public corruption: If you've been following Democratic attorney general candidate Eric Schneiderman's rhetoric for the past few days, you might think abortion was the top issue in one of November's most competitive races.
While surrogates for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo have unleashed a flood of criticism against his Republican opponent Carl Paladino -- who opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest -- some of these organizations are also lining up behind Schneiderman in his race against Republican Dan Donovan.
The latest salvo will come Tuesday, when Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York endorses Schneiderman in Albany.
But wait a minute: Aren't this year's elections all about jobs and fixing a broken state government? Certainly those topics are dominating the broader political discourse, especially at the top of the ticket and in legislative races.
And aren't abortion laws set largely by the federal government? That may be, but for Schneiderman, who has a lengthy record of advocating abortion rights, seizing upon the issue could be seen as a strategic move against Donovan.
And for Democrats in general, anything that can bring more women to the polls on Nov. 2 is worth trying, especially given the enthusiasm that Paladino's tea party-backed run has sparked among male Republican voters.
PPA President and CEO Tracey Brooks noted that Schneiderman's support for choice issues dates back decades, from when he escorted women to abortion clinics and worked pro bono for abortion-rights causes. He has also supported numerous abortion-rights bills while in the state Senate.
On the other hand, NARAL Pro-Choice New York's Samantha Levine noted that Donovan in the past has drawn support from anti-abortion groups, including a 2007 endorsement from the largely defunct Right to Life party for his re-election bid as district attorney in Staten Island.
"It's worrisome," said Levine.
In the AG's race, New York State Right to Life has yet to make any endorsements and are studying their options.
Donovan, who is not seeking the group's endorsement, has repeatedly stressed that despite his personal anti-abortion beliefs he would defend a woman's right to choose.
"The law in our state is that every woman has a right to choose her reproductive health care, and I have promised every woman not only would I protect that right, but that I would take appropriate action against anyone who tried to interfere with that right," Donovan said last week in an interview for WMHT's "New York Now."
Schneiderman has hit Donovan for refusing to condemn Paladino's abortion stance as extreme.
"State Sen. Schneiderman is yet again trying to shift the conversation away from the pressing issues facing our state," said Donovan's spokeswoman Virginia Lam. "Namely, rooting out corruption and fraud in our state government -- a government he has been a part of the past 12 years."
Aside from the back-and-forth between the two candidates, the abortion divide may be one of several issues that Democrats will employ to galvanize women voters. Polls suggest the gender gap is spawning an enthusiasm gap.
A Marist poll released last week showed Cuomo's support divided almost evenly between men and women, while those choosing Paladino were more than twice as likely to be male. (A Quinnipiac poll found similarly large gender gap.) But men, the Marist survey found, were 12 percent more likely to be "very enthusiastic" about voting next month.
If that trend holds through election day, it could help Republicans statewide in down-ballot races such as those for attorney general, comptroller or legislative seats.
And with polls also showing both Schneiderman and Donovan to be relatively unknown, any issue they can seize upon could give one or the other an edge.