As if having a right wing extremist governor (Mike Rounds) sign an almost total ban on abortion wasn't bad enough, now we have Alan Keyes coming here to bash gay marriage and campaign in support of the abortion ban. The abortion ban is on the ballot this year as Referred Law 6, and the Campaign for Healthy Families is leading the No on 6 fight. Keyes brought his friend Rick Scarborough from Houston, who wrote the page-turner "Liberalism Kills Kids."
Keyes brought out a big crowd in Rapid City last night. I can't blame it all on outside agitators, because one of the worst quotes came from this local:
"Rapid City pediatrician Don Oliver also commented during the rally. He said one of his patients gave him hope that voters would uphold the ban. The 16-year-old patient was raped by her brother and had decided to keep the baby.
'I have faith that if a 16-year-old can get it right, so can South Dakotans,' he said."
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/...
Never mind that she still had that choice and would not under the bill that Rounds signed. This is just an example of what we are up against, but I know that our side is really energized too. We have a great group of Democratic legislative candidates and Jack Billion, who is a strong progressive running against Mike Rounds. None of this would be happening here if Mike Rounds had been a leader and vetoed the abortion ban.
Conservatives are keeping a close watch on the South Dakota election, and other states are considering similar anti-choice legislation. If the steady barrage of Mike Rounds ads, Yes on 6 TV ads, billboards and yard signs are any indication, they must be dumping a ton of money into the state too.
South Dakota progressives could use some help. The Billion Campaign web address is: http://www.billionforgovernor.com