NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The Christian Coalition announced this week a new campaign to encourage conservative Christians to vote in the November 3 elections.

      The group said it would spend at least $2.7 million, depending on how much they can raise, to print 45 million voter guides that highlight particular issues and where candidates stand on them. They will also initiate a campaign of phone calls, mailings, and advertisements encouraging registered voters to go to the polls on November 3.

      Spokesman Arne Owens called the announcement a "blueprint to our supporters on how we envisioned allocating funds" so they "would have some degree of confidence that we would be good stewards of the hard-earned dollars they are providing to us."

      It will be important to counteract a coalition of pro-abortion groups who announced on Tuesday that it is planning to spend more than $1 million to help defeat pro-life candidates for Congress.

      The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), and others said their goal is to blunt expected Republican gains in the November 3 elections. In election years when the president is not on the ballot, the political party not holding the White House often gains seats in Congress. NARAL president Kate Michelman said about 60 vulnerable House and Senate seats would be targeted.

      PPFA, the largest abortion provider in the country, said it would spend more than $1 million on voter education and campaign contributions to pro-abortion candidates. NARAL has already aired television commercials in New York targeting GOP Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and in Washington state against GOP Rep. Linda Smith running for Democrat Sen. Patty Murray's seat.