Schaffer's anti-abortion credentials questioned

Campaign chief scoffs at those raising doubts

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Bob Schaffer faces U.S. Rep. Mark Udall in Senate race.

Republican Bob Schaffer, an ardent anti-abortion advocate in the state legislature and Congress, now faces critics who question his commitment.

The criticism, which comes as Schaffer campaigns for the U.S. Senate, has upset some of his backers.

"Of all the Colorado politicians that we have, this is one of the few where I would not question his commitment to pro-life," said state Rep. Kevin Lundberg, a fellow Larimer County Republican.

In recent days, Schaffer has been accused of ignoring forced abortions in a U.S. territory and of refusing to meet with a Colorado anti-abortion group.

But Dick Wadhams, Schaffer's campaign manager, ripped the credibility of those questioning him. He said Schaffer, a Roman Catholic and father of five, remains strongly opposed to abortion.

Steve Curtis, spokesman for American Right to Life, said his group wants to question Schaffer on two issues: China and a proposed "personhood" ballot measure for November.

"I believe Bob Schaffer believes he's pro-life, but there's an inconsistency here," said Curtis.

And an American teacher who helped blow the whistle on guest-worker abuses in the Marianas Islands, a U.S. territory, says that as a congressman, Schaffer ignored evidence that pregnant workers there were urged to have abortions.

Wendy Doromal said when she lived in the Marianas, her Filipino husband went undercover, posing as the husband of a Chinese guest worker who claimed she was pregnant. They were steered toward abortion clinics.

Couldn't confirm claims

Schaffer said he inquired about the issue, but was unable to find any confirmed instances of forced abortions.

Doromal, however, said Schaffer didn't want to see anything wrong during his 1999 trip to the Marianas because he was doing the bidding of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who had been hired by the territory to thwart congressional reforms.

"Bob Schaffer was part of the 'A' team, the Abramoff team," Doromal said. "All he cared about was proving that (negative) reports were false, not finding out if they were true."

Schaffer's trip was arranged by Abramoff's lobbying firm and a California-based Christian group with ties to the lobbyist.

Schaffer, of Fort Collins, faces Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Udall in November.

Wadhams and Curtis tangled in 1998, when Wadhams ran Republican Bill Owens' successful gubernatorial campaign. Curtis, then the state GOP chairman, said he couldn't endorse Owens.

"That helped Bill Owens win the election. Need I say more?" Wadhams said.

But Curtis said the issue isn't personal. He noted he left the GOP after 1998 but rejoined specifically so he could vote for Schaffer in his 2004 U.S. Senate primary against Pete Coors, which Schaffer lost.

Curtis said Wadhams last week declined his group's request to meet with Schaffer.

One issue, Curtis said, was Schaffer's congressional vote giving favored-nation trading status to China. American Right to Life wants to know whether Schaffer would reconsider that support, given reports of forced abortions in China and involving Chinese workers in the Marianas.

"We think it is inconsistent to reward China with trillions of dollars of free trade with the United States when they're committing atrocious human rights violations," Curtis said.

'Personhood' proposal

In addition, Curtis said there is concern that Schaffer so far hasn't publicly supported a proposed ballot measure that would change the state constitution to define a fertilized egg as a person entitled to constitutional protections of inalienable rights, justice and due process.

"It's not on the ballot yet so we haven't taken a look at it," Wadhams said.

Abortion foes are split over the measure, with some thinking it goes too far.

As for Doromal, Wadhams called her a "left-wing activist who came up with her own version of events."

" 'Big deal' is all I can say about her," he said.

The criticism doesn't surprise those who know Doromal, including Dennis Grennia, who works for a social justice group in Washington, D.C. He said Abramoff's strategy called for discrediting Doromal at every step, and Wadhams appears to be following the script.

Doromal, who received an award this month from Archbishop Desmond Tutu for her teaching and human rights activities, now lives in Florida. She taught in the Marianas during the 1980s and '90s and said she became a human rights activist after workers - many in textile factories - came to her about their working conditions.

She served as investigator for the U.S. Department of the Interior and helped write its 1998 report outlining worker abuses in the territory. That report was forwarded a congressional committee of which Schaffer was a member.

"I have the documents where a Chinese worker states she was told to have an abortion on Saipan or return to China," Doromal said. "Everything was documented."

Schaffer said he discussed the issue of forced abortions with the Catholic bishop and other Catholic leaders during his trip.

"None of them could confirm any examples or episodes of this," he told the Rocky Mountain News.

But Doromal said it was a human rights advocate for the Catholic diocese who first exposed the abortions.

"Bob Schaffer's comments don't make sense," she said.

bartels@RockyMountainNews.com

• April 22, 2008

  4:13 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  windbourne writes:

  Imagine that. A pub who speaks about balanced budget but voted repeatedly for increased spending, tax cuts, and large deficits, is now found that he spoke so adamantly against choice, and ignores those that are forced.
  So, he has lied on the first, but told the truth on the second; He really is opposed to choice. He is just not against abortions.

  In the 60's, it was obvious that USSR and America were very different. In this day and age, It is hard to tell the difference between an American or Chinese politician.

• April 22, 2008

  7:41 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Froward69 writes:

  Big Oil Bob votes for anything that will make a profit regardless of working conditions, or Human rights. He will lie and discredit persons in his own Party to achieve power. he and Douglas Bruce are of the same mentality.

• April 22, 2008

  8:54 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Marshdale writes:

  I don't know congessman Schaffer. He may be an ok guy personaly, but if his views are anything like what we have seen with the Republican/Neocon agenda in the last 30 years, it is scary. Practicing the politics of fear, paranoia, limiting civil liberties etc. I would rather be maimed or die in a terrorist attack than give up one single civil liberty. In part because this is exactly what Bin Ladin was hoping for. I just hope, if he is elected, he will be like the true conservatives of old and protect the constitution and the liberty it provides us all , instead of this radical situation we are faced with right now.

• April 22, 2008

  9:03 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Spencer writes:

  Well he is consistently against choice. He only supports forced abortions.

• April 22, 2008

  9:17 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Froward69 writes:

  Marshdale,

  As for Bob Schaffer, his views are Indeed, Lockstep with Republican/Neocon agenda of the last 30 years, it is scary. Practicing the politics of fear, paranoia, limiting civil liberties smoke and mirrors in regard to immigration...is just the tip of the iceberg for those anti American nutjobs.

• April 22, 2008

  9:29 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  PajamaPulitzer writes:

  Lynn Bartels. When you look into the mirror do you really believe an unbiased reporter is looking back at you? If so, there are some very nice people at the State Hospital in Pueblo who might do you some good.

  P.S. We eagerly await a similar hit piece on Mr. Udall. Forgive us though if we don't hold our breath.

• April 22, 2008

  9:38 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  mytwosense writes:

  Sweatshop Schaffer's "fact finding" trip was paid for by the very people he was supposed to be investigating. Is it any surprise he came back with glowing reports, and to this day, insists they've created a "model" of guest worker immigration we should follow here?

• April 22, 2008

  11:17 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  EdArcuri writes:

  I have a question for the RMN Editor. Why don't you just endorse Colorado's member of the Udall family dynasty directly on your news pages?
  Otherwise, you should fully report on the background and motives of these critics. This report is an inadequate disquisition. Thus, it appears that the Rocky is dissembling when this story is reported as news.
  Specious attacks from people with unreported agendas don't belong in the pages of a good newspaper.
  The choice is yours.
  Cheers.