Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York: Does Ford Know What It Means to Be Prochoice?

• by Family Planning Advocates of NYS

ALBANY, NY (01/15/2010)(readMedia)-- "Harold Ford Jr. and his spokespersons continue to assert he is prochoice, which calls into question their understanding of what it means to be prochoice," asserts M. Tracey Brooks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York (PPANY). "As evidenced in the Jan. 13 article in the New York Times, Ford made contradictory statements within the same interview, demonstrating his lack of understanding."

A prochoice individual supports a women's right to access safe, legal abortion care without government interference. He made statements in the interview that shows he continues to support anti-choice positions.

His anti-choice statements from the past have not been misconstrued---as Ford asserts---nor have his views on reproductive rights evolved. "Obviously, he doesn't know the definition of prochoice, otherwise he would not be hanging on to these anti-choice positions," Brooks said.

New Yorkers demand that 100 percent pro-choice champions represent them in the U.S. Senate. If Ford wants to understand the true definition of a pro-choice individual, he need only look at the voting records of New York's U.S. Senators and compare them with his own.