Pro-Choice Activists Declare South Dakota Campaign "Hero of the Year" in 2006; Eric Keroack Clear Winner for "Zero of the Year"

Washington, D.C. - Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, announced the winners of the fourth annual online poll to decide the pro-choice "Hero and Zero of 2006." NARAL Pro-Choice America supporters named the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, a bipartisan coalition formed to repeal South Dakota's abortion ban, as the Hero of the Year. Eric Keroack, Bush's anti-choice appointee to direct the country's family-planning program, is the Zero.

'"These results confirm that Americans want an end to the divisive, politically motivated attacks on a woman's right to choose of the last six years," Keenan said. "Voters don't want politicians - or political appointees - to interfere with personal, private decisions.

"What a difference between the Hero and the Zero," Keenan continued. "The Hero is a group of teachers, nurses, doctors, clergy, and community leaders who acted on their pro-choice values and turned back a direct attack on Roe v. Wade. The Zero, on the other hand, is yet another example of how out of touch the Bush White House is with mainstream America. It is appalling to appoint someone like Keroack to be chief of our nation's family-planning program. This is a person who used to work for an organization that considered birth control "demeaning" to women. The Bush administration needs to remove this 'Zero' from such an important position for women's health."

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families is a coalition of clergy, nurses, doctors, and elected officials that worked to reject the abortion ban in their conservative state. The coalition succeeded with a decisive 12-point victory.

Last night NARAL Pro-Choice America honored the coalition's leaders with its Champions of Choice Award at the national dinner commemorating the 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

President Bush selected Keroack to oversee the nation's family-planning program just days after November's elections. Keroack is now in charge of a $286 million budget to provide birth control and family-planning services to women nationwide. Previously, Keroack oversaw a network of anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers that believes birth control is "demeaning" to women. More than 43,000 NARAL Pro-Choice America supporters have sent messages to Keroack's boss, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, telling him to ask for Keroack's resignation.

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032