WASHINGTON, DC--Douglas R. Scott, president of Life Decisions International (LDI), today expressed his disgust at the plethora of supposedly pro-life individuals who have endorsed pro-abortion Arnold Schwarzenegger in his campaign to become the governor of California.

"Arnold Schwarzenegger has called on social conservative to join his campaign so that pro-abortion Governor Gray Davis will be defeated. Schwarzenegger has essentially asked pro-life Californians to sell out on abortion for the possibility of a better state fiscal policy," Scott said. "What is thoroughly unconscionable is that far too many pro-life Californians are willing to do as he says." Scott notes that allowing this to happen will mean that pro-abortion Republicans will legitimately expect pro-life people to roll over and do whatever they are told.

"We have been asked to trade Gray Davis, whose political career is clearly over regardless of how much longer he serves, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose political career is just beginning. I call on pro-life Californians to end both careers by voting against the recall and for Senator Tom McClintock." Scott points out that this is strictly a political position. "I would be holding my nose while voting against the recall but it would be for a much greater good in the long-run. This is clearly the wise choice for pro-life Californians." Scott said he waited until the final hours to make a recommendation in the hope that the McClintock campaign would take off.

Polls currently indicate that Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was called a "Republican in name only" by actor and liberal activist Martin Sheen, will be elected to the top office of the most populous state in the Union. The candidate was endorsed by a wide range of people. Pro-abortion people who have endorsed the candidate include actor and Democratic Party activist Rob Lowe, former California Governor Pete Wilson, R., former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, R, billionaire Democrat Warren Buffett, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, R. "This is to be expected," Scott said. "But I can assure California pro-lifers that not all of these men would have endorsed Schwarzenegger if he were pro-life."

Scott criticized several members of the California Republican Congressional delegation, including Reps. Christopher Cox, David Dreier, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, and Dana Rohrabacher, along with several other officeholders. Even televangelist and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson refuses to say that Schwarzenegger is unacceptable. "All of these men have run for office touting a pro-life position. Rather that wondering where a candidate stands on abortion, maybe we should be asking where abortion stands with a candidate. It is clear to me that it does not rank very high with some people."

"How Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) can serve as Schwarzenegger's campaign co-chairman is beyond me. He is serving alongside Riordan and Wilson to elect the same man to office," Scott said. "What appalls me, even though it is not particularly shocking, is that pro-life people are willing to put party over principle. It seems that the goal is to defeat Davis and few people are particularly concerned about who will replace him. This is just the most recent case of pro-life people being willing to give in where pro-abortion people would never do so. How many pro-abortion people vote for pro-lifers because they like the candidates' position of economic issues? Few to none. We do not need the pro-abortion lobby to destroy us as we are doing a fine job ourselves-even when dealing with the most elementary political strategy."

Scott was highly critical of the Republican establishment, including the California Republican Party, the California Young Republicans, the California Republican Congressional Delegation, and the Republican Leadership Council, for endorsing the inexperienced Schwarzenegger over qualified candidates such as Tom McClintock. "It is like a football game or horserace to some of these people. It's all about winning. They are totally oblivious to the consequences."

"What's especially sad is that the three leading candidates, Davis, Schwarzenegger and Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, claim to be Catholic," Scott said, lauding the American Life League for its newspaper advertisement which exposed the three men. "Schwarzenegger is not only Republican in name only. He is Catholic in name only," Scott said. Senator McClintock is not Catholic but he is pro-life. Scott also praised Californians for Moral Values, a division of the Traditional Values Coalition, for pointing out that "there is little difference between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis and if that is the voters' choice then the recall is pointless." Scott said he concurs with the analysis but that he would say the recall would be a disaster if Schwarzenegger is elected. "Both are pro-abortion but only one is truly dangerous."

Scott concedes that some people will not understand his suggestion that voters oppose the recall and support Senator McClintock. "I am trying to convince people to look at the long-term effect. If the recall is successful and Schwarzenegger wins, it is a disaster for the unborn child and another pro-abortion 'Catholic Republican' will be given a national platform. If the recall is not successful and Davis stays in office, it is a sad day for the unborn-but those days are numbered. If I saw any chance of McClintock winning, I would suggest voting in favor of the recall. But this is my head thinking and not my heart wishing." Scott said that under no circumstances would he actually cast a vote "for" Davis and if this were a head-to-head match between two pro-abortion candidates, he would vote for neither. "A pro-abortion Democrat is easier to deal with than a pro-abortion Republican as the latter will undermine and seek to change the party's position on abortion.  At the very least, an elected pro-abortion Republican weakens the impact of a pro-life plank in the party platform."

"If there were an Eleventh Commandment it would certainly be this: 'Thou Shall Never--Not For Any Reason Whatsoever--Support A Pro-Abortion Politician.' To do so is the equivalent of sending a donation to the local Planned Parenthood office. You did not do the abortion yourself, but you made it possible for others to do so," Scott said.
 
"Pro-life Californians need to send a message to pro-abortion Republicans by returning Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Kennedy clan with a friendly, 'hasta la vista, baby,'" Scott said.


NOTE: Any endorsement, implied or explicit, is that of the individual making it. LDI does not and cannot endorse candidates for public office. This press release is provided as a news source only.