Pro-life group asks Bill Wooton not to run for Senate

[Thom Little]

West Virginia’s leading anti-abortion group unveiled a full-page newspaper ad Wednesday asking Beckley attorney Bill Wooton to abandon his quest to return to his former seat in the state Senate. Ads depicting Wooton’s record opposing pro-life legislation were ticketed to run in three newspapers this week in Wyoming County, half of the two-county 9th District, by Morgantown-based West Virginians for Life.

“If you just look at the landscape, while he was chair of judiciary, we did not pass pro-life legislation,” the group’s legislative director, Melissa Adkins, said. “Once he lost his seat, we began to pass pro-life legislation.”

A reporter suggested the group’s tactic was tantamount to hectoring a candidate to bow out of a race.

“I wouldn’t call it intimidation,” Adkins shot back. “It’s a request. We can ask. He can always say no.”

Adkins charged that Wooton, in his former role as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, blocked many pro-life bills from reaching the Senate floor for a vote, then opposed those sent down by other committees. After holding it a dozen years, all but two of them as judiciary chairman, Wooton lost his seat in 2002 to politically unknown Republican Russ Weeks, the leader of a pro-life unit in Beckley and who seeks a second term next year. Besides Wooton, the Democratic primary includes Delegate Sally Susman and another newcomer, Beckley businessman Mike Green.


http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_334231402.html?keyword=topstory

[GrpCaptMandrake]

1. Make no mistake

"West Virginians For Life" is the single most morally bankrupt, ethically dead political organzation in West Virginians.

Now, that group thinks it has enough power to tell us which candidates may and may not run. Such hubris has not been seen in this state in a long, long time.

They are political thugs, and we normal people should stand up to them. How dare they say they are "for life?" When was the last time you heard a member of that vicious gang argue in favor of increases in funding for programs for poor children, or, for that matter, any child who is already alive? Try never. Nor will you ever see them do it.

These people have no interest in "life." Their interest is in the acquisition and use of political power.

[wallybarron]

2. They have a

tremendous amount of power. They defeated Wooton, Mary Pearl Compton,Barbara Fleischauer. In 2002 there were about 12 pro choice legislators defeated. The leafleting at churches the Sunday before elections is very effective. Since Manchin became governor they have a prominent place at the Democratic table. LifeGauge is also one to watch. http://lifegauge.org/history.htm They don't get as much press, but seem to be well funded.

Check out these names. For the most part Democratic legislators.
Melissa Adkins, legislative director for West Virginians for Life, was busy during interims passing out copies of the group’s 116-page 2005-06 Pro-Life Resource Manual to legislators who bought ads in the publication.

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Columns/200512184?pt=10

[MountainLaurel]

3. True dat

They wouldn't know a charitable act if it came up and hit them with a brick in the head. Sometimes, I wonder if they're really on the payroll of places like Massey and Mall-Wart, trying to get low-wage workers they can exploit in the next generation.