Democratic women defend Bayh

By George Stuteville

June 29, 2000 Web posted at: 11:56 AM EDT (1556 GMT)

WASHINGTON (Indianapolis Star) -- Indiana Democratic women are rallying behind Sen. Evan Bayh, who has been criticized by national feminist groups for his record on abortion issues.

Their support comes as Bayh appears headed toward the top of Al Gore's short list of running mates. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Tuesday that Nebraska's ban on so-called partial-birth abortions is unconstitutional could make abortion a major issue in the campaign.

Ann DeLaney, former chairwoman of the Indiana Democratic Party, sent a letter to the National Organization for Women on Tuesday saying the group has misrepresented Bayh's record on abortion rights and women's issues. She was joined by 16 other Hoosier women, most of whom had prominent roles in state government during Bayh's tenure as governor.

DeLaney was responding to a reports that officials with NOW and the National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League would not support Bayh as as Gore's choice for vice president.

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"We can only assume that the disparity between your conclusions and the fact stems from ignorance of his record and not willful misstatement," DeLaney wrote in the letter to Kim Gandy, executive vice president of NOW.

Though agreeing that Bayh supports abortion rights, Gandy said her organization's problem with Indiana's junior senator is his Senate vote to restrict late-term abortions. Last October, Bayh was among 14 Senate Democrats and 48 Republicans to vote to ban a late-term abortion procedure.

But the groups distributed inaccurate information that Bayh, as governor, supported a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion. In fact, Bayh in 1995 vetoed an 18-hour waiting period.

Gandy said Bayh's late-term abortion vote in October was disturbing. She said it called into question his real commitment to women's rights.

She added that abortion is the one large issue that clearly distinguishes abortion-rights supporter Gore from Republican George W. Bush.

Though abortion is consistently a major issue in national elections, it has not emerged as a real volatile issue this year. Yet.

Gov. Bush of Texas, the expected Republican presidential nominee, has been hearing from his conservative supporters that they don't want him to pick Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge as his running mate because Ridge supports abortion rights.

The high court's decision in the Nebraska case, said Gandy, could put the issue front and center and make it a major factor in Gore's and Bush's selections for vice president.

"Our interest is in protecting women's rights and protecting the Supreme Court from ever becoming a branch of the Christian Coalition," Gandy said. She fears that a future president's appointment of Supreme Court justices could threaten Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 law that legalized abortion.

Dinah Farrington, vice president of public policy for Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana, said she is convinced of Bayh's commitment to an abortion-rights agenda, despite his vote on late-term abortion.

The other side was so well-organized that it became difficult for her side to convince lawmakers that the late-term abortion vote was really about eroding Roe vs. Wade, Farrington said.

Bayh was unavailable for comment, but his press secretary, Mary Meagher, said he wanted to make his record clear to NOW and other groups. "Bayh has a strong record in support of women's issues, and no one appreciates it when the record is distorted," she said.

Meagher said Bayh's staff is meeting with NOW and other groups in an effort to fully discuss his background on abortion and women's issues.

Some of the women who served in Bayh's administration when he was Indiana's governor believe that he would be a strong advocate for their concern.

"I was flabbergasted," said Cheryl Sullivan, who was the head of Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration under Bayh. "Bayh's record is clear."

Sullivan, who co-signed DeLaney's letter, said Bayh is a champion of women, particularly in judicial matters. He appointed Indiana's first-ever female Supreme Court justice, two women on the Indiana Court of Appeals and 33 women to judicial benches and a black woman as state attorney general.

Sullivan recently joined Gore's campaign staff as an adviser on domestic issues.

Clinton hopes Sen. Bayh becomes president someday

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