Mr Mahoney's Contradiction On The Right To Life

Ronald Reagan believed in the right to life.  Sean Mahoney, who makes the claim that he came to the Republican Party under Ronald Reagan (before he and his checkbook flirted with the democrat party) has this to say about life on his campaign site.

Sean Mahoney is pro-life and will work to protect the lives of the unborn when he is in Congress. In addition, Sean Mahoney will work to promote healthy, pro-life option to abortion, like adoption. Sean Mahoney believes every human life is sacred and that the federal government has a responsibility to protect those lives.

This seems like a solid enough statement, and Sean seems proud of this position but that's all he has to say.  So can he back it up in principle?  Principle, if you remember was part of what he claims drove him to abandon his GOP committeeman position a few weeks before announcing his run for Senate--no wait, Governor--no that's not it, I mean congress.  So can his pro-life claims be backed up on principle?

Let's look to Mr. Mahoney's association with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF) for clues.  The Foundation does some good things, so it is probably something most anyone would be proud to be a part of.  Sean's proud and he's got it right there on his web site.

Sean believes strongly in giving back to his community and has served New Hampshire non-profits in a variety of capacities. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Piscataqua Charitable Foundation.

The Piscataqua chapter is the local arm for the NHCF on the Seacoast and as I said the NHCF does do plenty of good, but like most groups or organizations, (even political organizations) sometimes they, or people in them, do some things that may violate your principles and you have to decide if you need to separate yourself from them, sort of the way Sean claims he had to separate himself from the role of Committeeman in the GOP.  

So given that metric, just how hard has citizen Sean Mahoney been working to promote healthy, pro-life options to abortion?  In fiscal 2008 the NHCF donated over $44,000.00 to Planned Parenthood of New England, and over $28,000.00 dollars to NARAL.

As of this writing, he's still on the board of directors.

Can we then have any expectation that he would work to protect the lives of the unborn if elected to congress?

Should he have known that by association he has directly or indirectly sanctioned at least $72,000.00 dollars in donations to the abortion industry and it's advocates?

How important is it to know who your foundation donates too?  It is usually critical if you are a donor with principles.  Is Mr. Mahoney a donor as well?

And how about as a member of a board of directors for part of the state? Should he have known given that kind of access that the NHCF supported the abortion industry in contradiction to his pro-life position?

And is Sean Mahoney really Pro-Life, or is this just another one of those flip-flops we are meant to ignore?

It's in the public record.  It's on Mr. Mahoney's campaign site.  The voters deserve to hear an explanation.

Cross Posted at Granite Grok

Comments

[Ed Holdgate]

Hello Steve -

I sincerely appreciate your rigorous attention to pro-life matters, even your exaggerated expose' of Sean Mahoney's connection with NH Charitable Foundation.

Since you and GraniteGrok are apparently firmly in the Guinta camp, your focus on this matter is not surprising.

I would hazard a guess that while you were still in High School, Sean Mahoney was out in the freezing January cold of Concord, elbow to elbow with hundreds of us pro-life activists at the annual March for Life sponsored by NH Right to Life. Since it was so bitterly cold (like minus 10 degrees!) during his first participation in roughly 2000, he saw fit to pay for and host an annual coffee break for us in a restaurant near the route for years and years afterwards. And as I recall Sean has been marching there on behalf of Moms and Babies pretty much every year since.

While Frank Guinta was casting four (count 'em 4) pro-abortion votes (including votes against parental notification) Sean Mahoney was there in the trenches with us Marching, and at the lectern eloquently championing the right to life.

I think I have a photo somewhere of Sean testifying in Concord in support of pro-life legislation too. Can anyone produce something similar from Frank Guinta?

While Frank Guinta was Mayor in 2008 (not long ago!) endorsing pro-abortion Rudy Guiliani for President, Sean Mahoney was with the pro-lifers again. Remember that in a field of some 7 GOPers, Rudy was pretty much the only through-and-through pro-abortion-death-choice candidate in that NH Primary.

If you check out the NH Right to Life Newsletter now in the mail (you subscribe, right?), then you shall see a full page advertisement from Sean Mahoney, but nothing from Frank Guinta. How can that be?

I conclude Frank Guinta is afraid of his current pro-life shadow. He is talking the talk now-a-days, but I have seen precious few examples of walking the talk.

Back to your gotcha-gram about the NH Charitable Foundation. You asserted, "he's still on the board of directors" yet I do not see him at the Director list on http://www.nhcf.org/page.aspx?pid=395

Instead, I only see him listed as one of ten people on the Advisory Board over in Piscataqua per http://www.nhcf.org/page.aspx?pid=694

Consequently, I conclude you have immensely exaggerated his ability to influence the direction NHCF money has been woefully flowing. To be sure it is wrong for NHCF to be involved in that blood money, so a tip of the hat to you today. If he stays on that Advisory Board, I am comfortable knowing Sean Mahoney will strive to eliminate that funding, and probably has been trying.

Meanwhile, Steve, Ronald Reagan should not be used as the epitome of saintly pro-life Republican principles. He's the guy that gave us Sandra Day O'Connor on SCOTUS. You're probably too young to recall her, but she cast dozens of votes that kept the blood flowing from millions of babies who would now be about your age, perhaps even your friends.

Finally, candidates come and candidates go, but we pro-lifers need to overcome the wedges they bring between us because desperate moms keep enduring the Choice shoved in their face, and babies keep dying. Therefore, when this election season is over, I hope far more genuine pro-lifers shall frequent the pro-life events, testify on legislation, directly support the CPCs, and/or pray for an end to this horror.

Best regards, and His Peace to you,

Ed Holdgate
Former NH Right to Life President