In something of an odd move, NARAL has given Lincoln Chafee their early endorsement, and their first of the 2006 campaign. Stupid stupid stupid. They've been missing the forest throughout the race, driving Langevin, who could've unseated Chafee (and was stomping him in the polls), out of the running, and now offering Lincoln their preemptive stamp of approval. Assumedly, this is to prove their independence from the party. But you know what? NARAL isn't actually independent from the party because choice, in reality, isn't actually independent from the Democrats.
That's why Langevin couldn't have done much harm. A Democratic majority is going to protect the right to choose even if one or two of its members are uncomfortable with the concept. A Republican majority is going to work feverishly to abrogate it even if one or two of its members, like Lincoln, support choice. I see where NARAL's coming from on this, but by cutting pro-life Democrats off at the knees they're keeping some Republicans in power, by doing that, they're helping to sustain the Republican majority, and by doing that, they're striking a grievous blow against their cause.
