Here at the Here at the Prospect, we've been covering for some time the controversy over Barack Obama's seven Illinois state senate "present" votes on bills that would have limited women's access to abortion. The Clinton campaign and the National Organization for Women -- which has endorsed Clinton -- have called Obama weak on choice. In December, a Clinton press release quoted Illinois NOW President Bonnie Grabenhofer saying, "When we needed someone to take a stand, Senator Obama took a pass. He wasn't there for us then and we don't expect him to be now." But Planned Parenthood has long disputed the charge, saying it asked Obama to vote "present" as part of a strategy for protecting pro-choice seats in the legislature. This is an ugly fight among individuals and groups all working for women's reproductive rights. And now in New Hampshire, it has reached epic proportions. Clinton has sent out a mailer that boasts of hew own pro-choice record and states, "A woman's right to choose demands a leader who will stand up and protect it. ... Barack Obama. Unwilling to take a stand on choice." Obama responded with a robocall featuring Wendy Frosh, board chair of Planned Parenthood Northern New England. On the call, Frosh says, "Barack has a 100 percent pro-choice record and has always been a champion for women’s rights. Hillary Clinton’s last minute smears won’t protect the right to choose. But as president, Barack Obama will. Please join me in supporting Barack Obama this Tuesday." And it gets even dirtier. The Clinton campaign says the call is illegal because it takes 38 seconds for the message, "Paid for by Obama for America," to be heard. The campaign endorsement is supposed to be within the first 30 seconds. I'll be reporting on the fracas more later today. Stay tuned. Also check out my reports from July on Obama's and Clinton's appearances before the Planned Parenthood executive committee. --Dana Goldstein
