Below is a press release we just sent from my PAC:
TerriPAC.
As you can read below, across the country more than 20 Representatives and Senators who voted for or supported intervention in our private family matters lost on Tuesday. That's not a small number.
The partial list is below.
Also, maybe tomorrow I'll post about my election-eve rally with Bill Clinton in Florida. And, next week, TerriPAC will start our off-year fund raising drive to raise $56,000 by January, 2008. More on both of those later.
In the mean time, it was a great night for TerriPAC and those of us who understand the difference between politics and privacy...
Here's the release:
SCHIAVO ISSUE HAS ELECTION IMPACT
November 9, 2006
Contact: Derek Newton
786-499-8998
More than 20 Senators and Representatives
Who Supported the Schiavo Case Were Defeated
FLORIDA - More than 20 Representatives and Senators who voted for or supported Congressional intervention in the case of Terri Schiavo lost elections on Tuesday while every Republican - and all but one Democrat - who opposed the intervention was re-elected.
"It may not have been on the top of many voters' election lists, but it's hard to ignore the correlation between this issue and the election results nationally," said Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo - who became the center of an international controversy last year that triggered unprecedented action by Congress and the President.
Last December, Michael Schiavo started TerriPAC, a national political action committee, and has been supporting and opposing candidates nationally. "We started TerriPAC to keep this issue in the national political conversation and hold some of these politicians accountable for what they did. And I don't think there's any question we did that."
Below is a partial list of Senators and Representatives who lost on Tuesday and voted for or supported Congressional intervention in the Schiavo case:
Senator Rick Santorum
Senator George Allen
Senator Jim Talent
Senator Mike DeWine
Congressman Curt Weldon
Congresswoman Melissa Hart
Congressman Clay Shaw
Congressman Chris Chocola
Congressman Harold Ford
Congressman J.D. Hayworth
Congressman Jim Nussle
Congressman Mike Sodrel
Congresswoman Sue Kelly
Congressman Jim Ryun
Congressman Bob Beauprez
Congresswoman Katherine Harris
Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick
Congressman Jim Leach
Congressman Bob Sherwood
Congressman Charles Taylor
This list does not include other members of Congress who supported the Schiavo intervention but could not or did not seek re-election such as Senator Bill Frist and Representatives Bob Ney, Mark Foley and Tom Delay.
In contrast, opponents of Congressional action in the Schiavo case had outstanding re-election success. Only Democratic Congressman Jim Davis of Florida - who lost his bid for Florida Governor - was not successful. But even in this case, Davis was beaten by Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist who said publicly that he opposed Congressional action in the Schiavo case.
Every other opponent of Congress's actions, and significantly every Republican who opposed the intervention, won. Successful Republicans include Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut and Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida.
"It's hard to ignore those trends," said Michael Schiavo. "If you were a Republican and had the wisdom and courage to reject the far right-wing leaders in your party on this issue, you won on Tuesday."
For the 2006 elections, TerriPAC gave more than $30,000 in direct and in-kind support to more than 20 Congressional candidates. Of the ten Congressional candidates TerriPAC directly supported with PAC donations, six are going to Congress and three of those (Joe Sestak, Patrick Murphy and John Hall) are replacing members of Congress who voted for the Schiavo intervention.
In Florida, both legislative candidates that TerriPAC supported are going to Tallahassee and both are replacing legislators who voted to interfere in the Schiavo case at the state level.
"It was a good night for honoring the rule of law and respecting the rights and privacy of Americans," Michael Schiavo said. "I have no doubt that this new Congress will hold these values more dear than the last Congress did."
# # #
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.TerriPAC.com or 1-877-TerriPAC