eva young
Eva Young is President of Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota and lives in Minneapolis with her cat, Kiddleleewink. You can also read her other blog here.
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January 21, 2005

From the New York Times:

Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, has asked an Ohio Republican who supports some abortion rights to be his co-chairman, stirring the ire of social conservatives.

Mr. Mehlman's choice is Joann Davidson, who was chairwoman of the Bush campaign in the pivotal Ohio Valley region and a former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. In an interview on Thursday, Ms. Davidson declined to discuss her views on abortion. ''My focus is on building a stronger party,'' she said.

Her nomination awaits approval by the Republican National Committee.

She has been a member of the advisory board of the abortion rights group Republicans for Choice since its founding in 1990, according to a statement posted on the group's Web site congratulating her.

''We look forward to working with her to help make sure the concerns of pro-choice and moderate Republicans are heard within the Republican National Committee headquarters,'' the statement said.

I was unable to find this statement on the Republicans for Choice website.

They are criticising her for being Pro-Choice on abortion, and Pro-gay. Horrors! From the Wingnut Daily:

The Pro-Family Network of Ohio, however, says Davidson "does not represent the values of the rank and file of the GOP."

Greg Quinlan, executive director of the group, disputes part of a New York Times story in which Davidson says the issue of homosexual rights "had not come up" during her tenure as speaker.

"Ms. Davidson is suffering from a lapse in memory," said Quinlan in a statement. "Legislation to add sexual orientation to the existing hate-crimes laws in Ohio went down to defeat when three former homosexuals testified against the measure while Ms. Davidson was speaker. She told her Republican caucus at that time that she supported the sexual orientation legislation, even though it was introduced by a Democrat."

Quinlan also goes after Davidson for not killing a bill on marriage.

"Davidson's memory loss becomes even more suspect with the Defense of Marriage Act in Ohio," he said. "Not once, but twice, the measure was introduced and never had a vote in committee because, as speaker, Ms. Davidson had the measure killed and is on record calling the legislation 'unnecessary.'"

Though the party is hailing Davidson as being key to Bush winning Ohio, Quinlan says it was pro-family voters who came to the polls to support Issue 1, which banned homosexual marriage and civil unions in the state, that made the difference for the president.

"Issue 1 was the mobilization for the grass roots," said Quinlan. "These citizens and their churches registered Ohioans to vote and got them to the polls. Davidson had nothing to do with these pro-family, pro-life, pro-parent voters going to the polls."

Concludes Quinlan: "The RNC needs to ask Ms. Davidson why she supports gay marriage and abortion. After all of our hard work in the past election, Republican voters have a right to these answers."

The Family Research Council is also disturbed.

Devaluing the Values Voter

The New York Times reported today that incoming RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman
has tapped former Ohio legislator and pro-abortion activist Joann Davidson
as the party's vice chairman. Davidson established a poor rating with Ohio
Right to Life during her tenure in office and serves on the advisory board
of the Republicans for Choice PAC. Yesterday, the Republicans for Choice
website had a congratulatory message for Ms. Davidson saying,
"Congratulations to JoAnn Davidson (OH) one of our RFC Advisory Board
Members, who is going to be named as the co-chair of the Republican Party
at the Winter Meeting of the GOP. JoAnn Davidson has been a member of the
Republicans for Choice Advisory Board since our founding in 1990. She has
proven to be a tireless campaigner and brilliant political strategist so it
is no wonder Ken Mehlman and the Bush operation have tapped her to be the
Party's new national co-chair. We look forward to working with her to help
make sure the concerns of pro-choice and moderate Republicans are heard
within the Republican National Committee Headquarters..." This morning
after The New York Times story was released, the message on the RFC website
was taken down and replaced with a message that the site was under
construction. While many people vouch that Ms. Davidson is a tireless
campaigner, her record and reputation on life and key family issues like
marriage put her at odds with the hundreds of thousands of families that
worked tirelessly, not only in Ohio, but across the nation to protect
marriage and advance life. Some say that Davidson's elevation is a bow to
the GOP's "Old Bulls,"but those bulls are old for a reason. They remind us
of the party's minority past not its hopes for a majority future.

Agape Press:

...Pro-family groups are demanding the Republican National Committee reconsider a proposal to appoint a pro-abortionist to be the party's vice chairman. After learning late last week that Joann Davidson of Ohio is being considered for the high ranking job, a long list of pro-family leaders signed a statement expressing outrage over the selection. Davidson has served for more than 10 years on the advisory board of Republicans for Choice PAC, and many Christian leaders feel it is nothing short of a betrayal, after pro-life Christians and other pro-family values voters did so much to help re-elect President Bush, to even consider giving the vice-chairmanship to someone who favors so-called "abortion rights." Also, the protesting pro-family groups note that Davidson, during her tenure as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, refused to endorse Ohio's recently passed marriage protection amendment. Meanwhile, she supported a failed attempt to add sexual orientation to that state's existing hate crimes law, even though it was introduced by a Democrat. Obviously, pro-family groups hold out little hope that an apparently pro-abortion, pro-homosexual Republican will represent their interests. The signers of the protest statement, which has been sent to the White House and members of the RNC, charge that the personnel in an organization or party have dramatic influence on its policies, and pro-family conservatives simply do not trust Davidson to uphold the GOP's pro-life and pro-marriage platform. [Fred Jackson]

Despite the whining from the wackos, Davidson was elected unanamously to this post. From GOP USA/Talon News

Davidson's selection to become co-chairman of the Republican Party was unanimous at the RNC Winter Meeting in Washington, DC on Wednesday. She succeeds outgoing RNC co-chairman Ann Wagner.

"I look forward to spending the next two years traveling the nation exciting the grassroots base that is the heart of our party and spreading the President's conservative message," Davidson stated upon becoming RNC co-chairman. "Grassroots supporters propelled the GOP to historic gains last year, and will be the key to our success as President Bush implements the American people's Election Day mandate."

Congratulations to Joann Davidson!