NARAL has pulled the ad against John Roberts.
An abortion rights group is withdrawing a heavily criticized television ad that linked John Roberts to violent anti-abortion activists, saying its attempt to illuminate the Supreme Court nominee's record has been "misconstrued."
[...]
"We regret that many people have misconstrued our recent advertisement about Mr. Roberts' record," NARAL President Nancy Keenan said.
"Unfortunately, the debate over that advertisement has become a distraction from the serious discussion we hoped to have with the American public," she said in a letter Thursday to Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who earlier in the day had urged the group to withdraw the ad.
Specter, himself an abortion-rights supporter as well as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will question Roberts next month, said the ad was "blatantly untrue and unfair."
"Serious discussion?" Oh, come on now. NARAL didn't want a serious discussion on Judge Roberts, they wanted to demagogue the abortion issue and change Roberts' name to Eric Rudolph in the public's mind. Even Specter, who, as noted above, supports abortion rights said the ad was "blatantly untrue and unfair," and FactCheck.org said the ad "falsely accused" him.
A serious discussion always starts with a serious respect for the facts. If you don't have that you're not serious, you're a cartoon. You're Wile E. Coyote running off the cliff standing suspended in midair.
The media will probably still treat them as serious participants in the debate, but they shouldn't. NARAL moved themselves to the sidelines of the discussion with this stellar effort.
Earlier:
Why Is It Always About Abortion?
8/12/05 0740: Captain Ed Morrissey has more from the Washington Post, and picks winners and losers in the tiff.
8/12/05 1615: Also Wizbang, Rob in Kevin's absence.
8/13/05 2130: More on the ad-pulling at Michelle's place.
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