Report: 3 children, 3 adults fatally shot at Nashville elementary school
DNC Chair Tom Perez should “take a hike” because “he has no business being head of our party,” former Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) told CNSNews.com in response to Perez’s abortion-support mandate.
Reacting to a statement issued by Perez demanding that “every Democrat” must support abortion, and that the requirement to do so is “not negotiable,” Stupak, who served 18 years in Congress as a Democrat and fought to prevent pro-abortion elements of Pres. Obama’s Affordable Care Act, called for Perez to step down from his position as DNC chairman:
CNSNews.com: “Given DNC Chair Perez’s mandate that all Democrats support abortion, does this mean that pro-life Democrats need to leave the party?”
Rep. Stupak: “Well, I’ll go back to what I said earlier. We never were very welcome in the party to begin with. But, so, no, they don’t need to leave the party. I think Tom Perez needs to leave his chair of the party. That’s what I think.”
Perez’s demand flies in the face of the Democratic Party’s efforts to be a “Big Tent” party where members are free to do what’s best for their constituents, as well as for the country as a whole, Stupak said:
“I mean, it’s just such a dumb statement to make. I mean, why would you even make that statement? We were always the party of the Big Tent. You know, we take in everybody, even people I don’t agree with.
“In our party, you have the right to air your views, and what you believe in, and reflect those beliefs and honestly be able to say, ‘These are my beliefs, and if I’m elected, here’s what I’m going to do.’ And, you always felt that the Democratic Party would protect that right you had to cast the vote which you thought was most appropriate, not only for your constituency, but maybe for the country at the same time.”
Perez’s exclusionary mandate disqualifies him from leading the Democratic Party and “he should take a hike,” Stupak says:
“So, but if Perez does this, maybe he should take a hike. If he’s going to have a litmus test, he has no business being head of our party.”
Read DNC Chair Perez's full statement below:
