If you favor women's right to choose, you may want to contact your Senators and Senator Bill Frist today, to defend the possibility of the choice of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) as chair of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. Specter is the only pro-choice Republican on the committee.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is playing a crucial role in this matter.  You may want to read a little backgrounder about him, below.

Thousands from the Religious Right are calling and e-mailing, and those who favor choice must be heard from too. Also, perhaps let Specter's office know that he has your support.   [11-9-04]

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Action Alert

Support Specter--Contact Your Senators Now!

Less than a week after the election, the first battle over reproductive choice has begun. At stake is the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the only pro-choice Republican on the committee, was expected to head the committee next year. Now, thousands of anti-choice activists are protesting his appointment. Pro-choice people of faith need to make their voices heard, quickly and effectively.

Specter set off a furor last week with an apparent warning to President Bush not to select Supreme Court nominees who oppose abortion rights. On Sunday, Specter clarified his statement. He said that he was merely recognizing the political fact that nominees who oppose abortion rights are likely to be defeated because the GOP does not have the 60 votes needed to break a Democratic filibuster.

Specter needs our support.

Call both your Senators at 202-224-3121 (the U.S. Capitol Switchboard) or call or email them directly. Their contact information is available on our website at www.rcrc.org. Just click on Legislative Action Center in the left hand column. Also call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist at the same number.

More on contacting Sen. Frist:

His Washington phone is (202) 224-3344, but it is mostly tied up today. Direct contact is through his web site, frist.senate.gov (click to "About Senator Frist" and find the third heading).

Here's a sample message:

I am a person of faith and a values voter. Because of my faith, I support religious freedom and reproductive choice. Therefore, I strongly protest any effort to punish Senator Specter, or deny him the chair of a committee, because of his views. I am hoping and praying that you will not do so.

Faith groups worked so well together during the campaign to energize people of faith, bring new people to the polls, and ensure that people would be allowed to vote. We must continue to build, and we need to act-quickly and effectively-at this time.

Please take time now to call your Senators.

Thank you for keeping the faith for choice.

Rev. Carlton W. Veazey
President, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

A little background on Sen. Bill Frist from our person in Tennessee, GeneTeSelle:

Earlier this year, Presbyterian Bill Frist, Majority Leader of the Senate, was given special recognition by the secretive Council for National Policy. In 1999 President George W. Bush assured the group about his agreement with their agenda.

The Council does not announce its meetings or invite reporters, but in most years enterprising newspapers (usually not the New York Times) get enough information to print a story.

The Council was founded in 1981 by Tim LaHaye with many well-known conservatives as members. Participants have included political figures like Dick Armey, Tom Delay, Jesse Helms, Ernest Istook, Jack Kemp, and Trent Lott; businessmen like Joseph Coors and J. Peter Grace; strategists and publicists like Gary Bauer, Grover Norquist, Oliver North, Phyllis Schafly, Richard Viguerie, and Paul Weyrich; and religious conservatives like Bill Bright, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Bob Jones, Gary North, Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson, R.J. Rushdoony , and Donald Wildmon. Pat Robertson was chair 1985-86; Paul Pressler, who masterminded the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention, was president 1988-90.