There's a new article in Salon.com on the Reverend Howard Bess, a Baptist minister from outside Sarah Palin's Wasilla compound who regularly fought Palin and her right wing church. He wrote a book, "Pastor: I am Gay," that reports say Palin tried to ban from the local library.
Buried in the article is a little nugget. Palin was involved in an effort to take over the local hospital board and block all abortions in the facility. This forced any woman -- including women who were raped and had to pay for their own rape kit -- who even wanted counseling on abortion to travel to Seattle.
Locals sued the hospital and won an injunction from the state Supreme Court that required the hospital to provide the option, and the local religious right went nuts. They held a picket line to block access to the clinic. And on the picket line?
At one point during the hospital battle, passions ran so hot that local antiabortion activists organized a boisterous picket line outside Dr. Lemagie's office, in an unassuming professional building across from Palmer's Little League field. According to Bess and another community activist, among the protesters trying to disrupt the physician's practice that day was Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin is not only opposed to abortion, she is willing to block access to legal and certified clinics that provide it as an option.
But, no, she's not a threat to women's right to choose. Not at all.
UPDATE: Thanks for the recommendation! I'm flattered.
UPDATE, 5:48 edition: Still rec'd after all this time? Now that's flattering.
UPDATE, 24 hours later edition: A full day rec'd? You guys are awesome.