Schaffer Not "Right to Life" Enough

And so begins another sweaty week

for Sweatshop Schaffer. The base is looking a little wobbly.  

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid." - Nietzsche  

---

by: twas brillig @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 15:34:31 PM UTC

Wake up, Religious Right

This is how much right wing pols really care about those social issues they use to get you to vote for them and against your own economic interests.  

The Republican party has become the party devoted first, foremost and pretty much ONLY to the care, feeding and defense of the corporations and the corporate elite. They have been enjoying a good run by giving lip service to your issues and getting your votes but that's the beginning and end of their "Values" concerns. Profit is their only value.

---

by: BlueCat @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 16:25:41 PM UTC

When it is a choice

Between Mammon and the God of Abrabram, the GOP picks Mammon every time.

Schaffer is lying about not meeting with anyone who had knowledge of forced abortions.  He said he met with the archdiocese, but the archdiocese was one of the groups to testify before the congress about forced arbortions.  This means Schaffer did not find the Catholic Church credible on the issue of life.

on another note, he found this credible. What makes this ok?

According to Miss Y, if the company found out a worker became pregnant, they would fire her and return her to China where she would be 'forced to have an abortion.' Knowing this, workers who became pregnant either tried to self abort or find someone in Saipan to perform the abortion. Some women ran away and hid so they didn't have to have an abortion."

---

by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 19:08:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Can you

source that block quote?

---

by: RedGreen @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 19:35:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's from the same article n/t

---

by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 19:41:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks

---

by: RedGreen @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 19:57:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A hat tip to Colorado Right to Life

It is way too common for an interest group to, at most, just shut up about a candidate in the party they are tied to who violates their core beliefs.

Kudos to Colorado Right to Life for holding true to their beliefs over what is politically expedient. I'll never support them, but I do respect them for this.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

---

by: DavidThi808 @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 16:34:04 PM UTC

And as for the other so called

"right to life" groups who also look the other way and support Schaffer even in light of this?

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be American again" - William J. Kole

---

by: Go Blue @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 16:55:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Second the hat tip

Should have mentioned their honorable stand in my comment.

---

by: BlueCat @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 17:09:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

and another thing

It took the Right To Life to get this back to the real issue at hand: Bob Schaffer's direct participation in the whitewashing of human rights abuses.  

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid." - Nietzsche  

---

by: twas brillig @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 17:26:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Or supporting outright slavery

I don't think that part is going to go over so well either.

" The webinar is free, however, there are only 250 spaces available "

Some douche

---

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 17:28:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not only supporting it

in the Marianas, but recommending it as a model for U.S. immigration policies.

Has he renounced his earlier statement yet? Does he still think it's a good idea to bring these policies to the mainland?

---

by: RedGreen @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 17:47:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

bingo

I made both of those points at my blog this morning. RTL is at least consistent. I don't agree with them but intellectual consistency should be applauded in political debate.

Hopefully the press will now refocus back on the actual issue - Sweatshop Schaffer's endorsement of the NM model for US immigration policy.

It's the slavery stupid!

---

by: Steve Balboni @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 17:36:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's the slavery stupid !

Couldn't have said it better.  He just dosen't get it.

" The webinar is free, however, there are only 250 spaces available "

Some douche

---

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 21:28:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

If only Bob Schaffer

were making himself widely available to the press ... we could ask him how his favored Marianas Island guestworker program compares with the state House bill on temporary guest workers. Would he side with Doug Bruce? State voters deserve to know.

---

by: RedGreen @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 21:37:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Usually would never link to a letter-to-the-editor...

but I found the second one, written by a former resident of Saipan, of interest here:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/el...

Perhaps drinking from coconuts and parasailing so dazzled Schaffer that he could not see the thousands of women living in shipping containers that doubled as barracks in the hot sun. He could not see the factories with padlocks on the exits. He never bothered to talk to the local critics of the factories like the people sneaking into factory compounds to hold secret worship services with workers who were not allowed to go to church.

(The other two letters are hoots: the writer of the first, a Schaffer supporter, references the congressman's trip to "Guam," rather than Saipan; the author of the third letter admits to not living in Colorado long, but feels qualified to call Schaffer "honest.")

---

by: Canines @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 20:08:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Eyewitness account

It's a great letter, from a Carrie Ann Lucas of Denver, who says she lived on Saipan before Schaffer's visit. Another point she makes:

It was well-known by most residents in Saipan that the garment factory industry had a handful of model factories with pristine conditions to show to visiting dignitaries. Dignitaries were wined and dined with exotic flair. However, the abusive, illegal and disgusting environments of the remaining garment factories were in plain view island wide.

But go ahead and read the whole letter (it's the second of three in the link provided by Canines; all three appeared in the Sunday Perspective section.)

---

by: RedGreen @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 20:27:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Election fallout

The Post article also includes a look at how sweatshop apologists fare with voters:

In 2006, Ralph Reed, a top leader in the Christian conservative political movement who was a close associate of Abramoff's, ran for lieutenant governor of Georgia.

Casey Cagle, battered Reed with TV ads that said his primary opponent had defended "sweatshops" that forced women to have abortions and pressured children into prostitution.

The ads had an effect, analysts said. Cagle crushed Reed, 56 percent to 44 percent.

---

by: RedGreen @ Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 23:30:59 PM UTC

There's Something About Bob

Another ad that should give Schaffer chills. See post above about how well Reed fared in what should have been prime territory.

---

by: RedGreen @ Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 00:12:32 AM UTC

Please note

this is an ad from Reed's REPUBLICAN challenger in the Georgia primary.

---

by: RedGreen @ Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 00:13:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Paging Wayne Wolf...

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

---

by: DavidThi808 @ Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 02:42:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

This will only get worse for Schaffer

The Abramoff baggage has already spawned anti-abortion groups (his base) to denounce Sweatshop Schaffer, and there will be more groups who reject Schaffer's endorsement of Abramoff's Sweatshops for obvious human rights violations and possible corruption coordination.

Just remember, this is only the first real issue to be highlighted in this campaign. We have LOTS of issues to discuss, and Bob Schaffer will continue to show Colorado that he's still more extreme than Dick Cheney.  

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be American again" - William J. Kole

---

by: Go Blue @ Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 02:41:39 AM UTC

And it gets worse for him

every time he opens his mouth. Something stupid always seems to fall out. "I did not observe a forced abortion or meet anybody who had any knowledge of them." I mean, c'mon. This guy is obviously not made for prime time. More hilarity to come, I am sure.  

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid." - Nietzsche  

---

by: twas brillig @ Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 04:19:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That was such a dumb comment by Schaffer

It just defies common logic.  It's like saying I went to London last week and didn't ever see the London Bridge, so therefore the London Bridge dosen't exist.  C'mon Bob.

" The webinar is free, however, there are only 250 spaces available "

Some douche

---

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 14:49:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Unless of course. . .

you're looking for the London Bridge brought from London to Lake Havasu City, AZ, in the early 1970's.

---

by: The realist @ Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 00:57:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Marianas human rights abuses

Has anyone seen the report that one might expect should have been done by  a sitting congress person going on a "fact finding mission" to a commonwealth accused of human rights abuses?

 
"Endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights, that among these
are Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
 

---

by: les4life @ Tue May 27, 2008 at 04:08:28 AM UTC