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Comments (0) Best Example of Political Courage - 2012

State Senator Jerry Lewis, for voting against Lesko's anti-birth control bill, twice

For those cynical Democrats who've argued that the recall of ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce only resulted in a Republican replacing a Republican, check out the way state Senator Jerry Lewis, the GOPer who beat Pearce in that contest, voted when it came to state Representative Debbie Lesko's anti-contraception bill, which allowed religious employers to deny their employees insurance that covered contraception: He voted against it, twice. If Lewis had never set foot in the Senate, the end result would have been the same. But the same could be said of every Democratic "nay." And Lewis is not a D. He's an R, and a highly religious member of the Mormon Church to boot. No, the recall did matter, and Lewis' profile in courage on the Lesko bill is just one reason why.

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donnagratehouse
donnagratehouse like.author.displayName 1 Like

Lewis would magnanimously allow middle class ladies to keep their contraception coverage in private plans but also voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which makes it harder for low income women to get birth control and a whole range of important health care services. Lewis was a sponsor of both the 20 week abortion ban considered the harshest in the nation and the the bill that allows doctors to lie to prospective parents about fetal anomalies. Profile in courage? Hardly.  And look, if you want to help Republicans win in Democratic districts please don't complain about the Democrats in Arizona ever again. With "friends" like you the large percentage of Democratic and left-leaning voters in this state don't need enemies.

arizonaeagletarian
arizonaeagletarian like.author.displayName 1 Like

How absolutely naive. Lewis was allowed to vote that way BECAUSE it had no bearing on the outcome AND he could use his vote to pull the wool over the eyes of some voters this fall. And OBVIOUSLY, that strategy worked to some degree because the Phoenix New Times fell for it. Whoever wrote this paragraph for the NT needs a cup of coffee, a can of Red Bull, a splash of cold water in the face or SOMETHING to wake HIM up. Jerry Lewis is a decent man. But he is NOT a profile in courage as indicated by his votes on bills that mattered. He voted WITH the Teabaggers when it was time to stop the attempted decapitation of the Independent Redistricting Commission and too many other bills.

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