WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. October 29, 2005: A reader singles out Tony Castro's position on Choice:
Letter to the Editor
WCLA Choice Matters endorsed Tony Castro for District Attorney in 2001. His integrity and commitment to women’s reproductive rights were irrefutable. We still consider those two factors key in the endorsement process in 2005. WCLA Choice Matters has therefore again endorsed Castro, and not DiFiore.
(More)
Our endorsement policy is extensive but clear. For example, questionnaires aren’t sent to those seeking the Right to Life (RTL) line; we seek consistency between candidates’ actions and questionnaire responses; and attempts to mislead voters are noted.
Janet DiFiore’s actions, as reported in The New York Times (NYT), 9/27/05, run counter to these conditions. Attorneys for DiFiore “mounted a campaign to remove the Right to Life party from the ballot…” because “…it could have cleared the way for Mrs. DiFiore to win the 2 to 5 percent of voters who typically vote for the Right to Life Party.” (NYT, 9/27/05) The Westchester County Board of Elections rejected DiFiore’s attorneys’ efforts. The RTL candidate, De Cintio, remains on the ballot.
The RTL Party is a one-issue organization with a mission directly counter to that of WCLA-Choice Matters. RTL voters focus on denying women the right to terminate a pregnancy and, for many RTL voters, the right to any form of birth control.
Apparently, DiFiore hoped by eliminating De Cintio, she’d become the candidate for the RTL voters. These actions don’t demonstrate integrity. They show a desire to mislead pro and anti-choice voters. WCLA-Choice Matters is looking for a leader. That’s why we’ve endorsed Tony Castro!
Catherine Lederer-Plaskett
President/Chair WCLA Choice Matters
(Correctly described in the NYT as one of the largest abortion rights groups in NY state.)
