Former Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director promoted to top Democrat role

by Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 8, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The co-founder and longtime executive director of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Philadelphia has been tapped for an expanded role heading up the Democrat party’s program for recruiting new members of Congress.

Last month it was announced that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) would promote U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania to run candidate services in addition to her current role as chairwoman of national recruiting. Schwartz, rated 100% pro-abortion by NARAL Pro-Choice America,  is overtaking a vacancy left by Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was chosen in April to head the Democratic National Committee.

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel said in a statement that Schwartz and other promoted leaders “perfect combination of drive, experience, political know-how and leadership savvy to make this the shortest Republican majority in history.”

But the nature of Schwartz’s experience has pricked the ears of the pro-life community. Matthew Archbold of the Creative Minority Report blog on Tuesday revealed that Schwartz has not only staunchly supported abortion, but helped found an abortion clinic called the Elizabeth Blackwell Center, where she served as executive director for 13 years, between 1975-1988.

Archbold notes, too, that the clinic has been hit with “an assortment of lawsuits” for violations including assault, battery, negligence, and even forced abortions, quoting a report from The Philadelphia Daily News.

The clinic reportedly declared bankruptcy in 2002. Schwartz, a member of the Pennsylvania Senate at the time, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives three years later.

The former Planned Parenthood executive also played a leading role in steering President Obama’s health care reform away from the changes demanded by leaders of the national pro-life lobby. Accordng to Jeanne Duncan of Emily’s List, the pro-abortion feminist PAC that has helped propel Schwartz’s career, Schwartz was “deeply involved” in the bill’s passage.

Emily’s List, which specifically aims to help elect pro-abortion women to public office has provided more to Schwartz’s career than any other group by far at over $470,000, according to the contribution tracking site Opensecrets.org.

In a column on the National Catholic Register, Pat Archbold took the promotion as a telling signal of the Democrat party’s interests: in her newly-expanded role, Archbold wrote, Schwartz “will be in charge of recruiting, vetting, and influencing considerable funding for all Democrat candidates for Congress.”

“The unholy alliance between the Democrat party and big abortion has moved to the next level. The Democrat party IS big abortion,” he wrote.