Bob Casey, Jr.

Bob Casey, Jr.
U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania From: January 3, 2007 - Present
Predecessor	Rick Santorum
Successor	Incumbent (no successor)
Information
Party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	Terese Foppiano Casey
Religion	Roman Catholic

Robert Patrick Casey, Jr., born April 13, 1960 (age 66), is an American politician and is the current Democratic United States Senator from the state of Pennsylvania.

Biography

Casey, one of eight children, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, of Irish American descent on his father's side. He is the son of Ellen Harding Casey and Bob Casey, the 42nd governor of Pennsylvania. Casey graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1982, and received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in 1988. Between college and law school, Casey served as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and spent a year teaching 5th grade and coaching basketball at the Gesu School in inner city Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Casey practiced law in Scranton from 1991 until he ran for and was elected Pennsylvania State Auditor General in 1996. In 2002 he attempted to follow in his father's footsteps by running for Governor, but lost by 12 percentage points in the Democratic primary.

2006 Senate Campaign

Casey was drafted to run for the Senate by DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. He easily won the Democratic primary with 85% of the vote. Then Casey defeated incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum with 59% of the vote in the general election.

Abortion views

Bob Casey is generally known to be a conservative Democrat. Unlike his father, he isn't strongly pro-life.

During the 2008 Democrat Presidential primaries in Pennsylvania, Bob Casey Jr. gave his super delegate and backing to Barack Obama. Conservatives of both parties began to wonder about his true conservative principles due to his support of abortion candidates. By selecting Obama, he is pocketing his pro-life views in favor of the 100% NARAL rated Obama. He supports a candidate that feels partial birth abortion is not a travesty but a right to protect. Also rated by NARAL, Casey sides with pro-life legislation only 1/3 of the time. For 2007, his NARAL ratings was 65%.

Casey voted against the Mexico-city policy, lifting restrictions on funding international abortion programs with U.S. taxpayer money.

Casey voted to confirm Kathleen Sebelius to head the Health and Human Services Dept. in objection to the Pro-life movement.

Casey has introduced the Pregnant Women Support Act which has bi-partisan support and is supported by the Catholic Church, "which he [Casey] believes provides life-affirming support for pregnant women and their unborn children."

Casey disagrees with 15 pro-life House Democrats that abortion should be removed from any future universal healthcare reform bill. “I think it is abundantly clear what my position is on the issue of abortion.” Casey fails to understand that without an explicit exclusion, abortion would be federally funded.

2008 Democratic Convention

Barack Obama's campaign has held discussions with Bob Casey, Jr. regarding a speech at the convention in late August. "I don't necessarily think there has to be a 'Catholic strategy,' because I'm not sure the Catholic vote is any more monolithic or predictable than any other vote," "The most committed pro-life voter and the most committed pro-choice voter can come together over the issue of how do we help pregnant women," Casey said. For Casey to call a child in the womb "a choice" shows he is out of touch with Conservatives on this issue. To say he is the most committed pro-life voter is bold face lie, in stark contrast to his Presidential endorsement. Considering Bob Casey, Sr. was unable to speak at the 1992 convention due to his pro-life stance, the 2008 Democratic party jubilantly embraces Bob Casey provided that Casey doesn't interfere with their abortion as-a-right platform.

Criticisms

Rick Santorum and other Republican leaders have criticized Casey as being an "opportunist." Citing that he ran for four different statewide offices in six years. Another issue that Casey has been criticized for is his attendance as Pennsylvania state treasurer (a position he held from 2005-2007). During his first year as a candidate for U.S. Senate, State Treasurer Bob Casey spent half of his work days away from the office, according to an analysis of records provided by his campaign.

Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, questioned Casey being a speaker at the Democratic convention. Donahue said the Pennsylvania senator is pro-life “in name only” – unlike his late father.

Casey voted for lifting the ban on family planning funding called the Mexico City policy. The policy lifted expands abortions out of the country, with taxpayer-funded money. Casey defends his vote, says it is not about abortion. In Casey's Catholic diocese, Bishop Martino wrote, “The Mexico City Policy is, first and foremost, about abortion, not about family planning.” In addition, the senator was persisting in "formally cooperating with the evil" caused by the policy.

External Links

• Official Website