In Pennsylvania, NOW has decided to endorse one of Bob Casey’s primary opponents, Alan Sandals. Good. A couple months ago, I kicked off an energetic row over NARAL’s endorsement of Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island, arguing that the guy’s individuals votes in favor of choice were easily outweighed by his recurrent vote for the Republican Senate majority leader, which helps enable all the anti-choice action in the Senate. But NOW is going about this the right way: rejecting a candidate with a stated opposition to their agenda, but endorsing one who’ll actually protect abortion rights. Casey doesn’t deserve NOW’s endorsement, but in a close Senate, his vote for Harry Reid will likely do more for choice than every single one of Chafee’s individual pro-choice positions. From NOW’s perspective, though, Alan Sandal would be even better, so he got the endorsement. Good for him, and good for them.
Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more. More by Ezra Klein

