Franks, Beaubien: "RETREAT!"

The pressure from the Northwest Herald newspaper ad, the protesting on a very cold Saturday in front of State Rep. Jack Franks' Route 47 office, the YouTube video of lament and anger, the letters from Cardinal Francis George and Bishop Doran and countless individual contacts between constituents and the two McHenry County legislators must have gotten to them.

On the day the expand-abortion-rights-bill-as -as-Personal-PAC-could-image was temporarily aborted, both Franks and State Rep. Mark Beaubien withdrew their names as co-sponsors of House Bill 2354. (Click to enlarge.) That's what I first read on Illinois Review.

They both understand that intensity counts in politics.

Beaubien may be able to beat an underfunded pro-life challenger, but not having a primary opponent is a lot less stressful and cheaper than having one.

And, if you can see and hear intensity in this YouTube video, you are tone deaf. Be alert and you may even see someone who would be willing to run for state representative motivated by this issue.

I still think Franks is posturing to run for statewide office, but he might be trying to minimize the cost to his local base of support--just in case he doesn't decide to run for attorney general, just in case Lisa Madigan decides for run for re-election, rather than for governor against Pat Quinn.

Posted first on McHenry County Blog.

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Not safe for work---Jerk in Rockford harasses pro-life protesters

If you are working, save this one for home. It is NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

When you are ready, click on this Google video link, and you'll see a rude jerk harass an anti-abortion protester with the repeated use of the "N" word in Rockford.

Don't we have hate crime laws against this kind of activity?

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Parental Notice Rollback Fails

Thanks to Family PAC's Paul Caprio for alerting me to the vote taken on the rollback attempt on parental notice prior to a girl's getting an abortion.

As I wrote earlier, I think the existing language is weak. In fact, I voted against it when it passed, outlining ten ways to avoid telling your parents before getting an abortion, if that House Bill 955 passed.

But this vote was a test between current pro- and anti-abortion forces in Illinois and pro-abortion Personal PAC, Planned Parenthood and their allies lost.

State representatives having constituents in McHenry County split 3-2.

Republican Mark Beaubien of Barrington Hills and Democrat Jack Franks of Bull Valley voted in favor of the weaker notification standards. Republican Mike Tryon stood in support of current law by voting, "No."

Caprio said that Family-Pac had initiated 33,000 grassroots calls to parents in eleven districts where House members were undecided prior to the vote.

And McHenry County Right To Life leader Irene Napier was certainly involved in stimulating calls in several districts.

“I understand that the pro-abortion lobby is threatening to launch a $250,000 campaign against members who voted with parents against HB317" Caprio continued. "

"Such a campaign of intimidation and misinformation against members will be met by Family-Pac with a massive grassroots response by parents:

'Bring it on.'”

The bill was sponsored by Chicago Democrat John Fritchey.

You can enlarge the roll call by clicking on it. More on McHenry Count Blog.

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