by Andrew Walden

One of the most surprising endorsements of the campaign season was forwarded to this writer by Adrienne King’s Republican Lt Governor campaign last Friday.  It reads:

(Honolulu, Hawaii), August 27, 2010 – Hawaii Right to Life (HRTL) has officially announced their endorsement for Adrienne S. King for Lieutenant Governor. King has signed a pledge showing her commitment to ensuring that all people enjoy their right to life.

The Executive Director for (Hawaii Right to Life) HRTL, Janet M. Grace, said “In the ongoing efforts of HRTL, to advance respect for sanctity of life, candidates must be morally qualified, held accountable and committed to restoring legal protection to all people both before and after birth regardless of age, condition or circumstance.” Janet M. Grace is happy to announce, “HRTL PAC is pleased to endorse Adrienne (King) because of her stated fact that she would strongly support measures that protect human life and if she were ever to become Lt. Governor, would sign those bills into law.”

King’s decision to sign the Hawaii Right to Life candidate pledge (see text below) will come as a shock to those with long political memories.  In the 1980s, Adrienne King was a trustee of Planned Parenthood Hawaii.  In the late 1980s King, who had been a lector at St. Anthony’s, abandoned the Catholic Church because if its pro-life stance and converted to Episcopalian.  Her campaign emails today tout her extensive involvement in the Episcopal St Andrew’s Cathedral.  

A flattering April 5, 1989 Star-Bulletin profile describes how King in 1987 wrote to the Hawaii State Health Planning and Development Agency in support of Planned Parenthood’s application to open an abortion clinic inside its Bishop Street offices.  King is quoted saying, “Women like the atmosphere at Planned Parenthood.  It’s friendly.  A lot of women didn’t like getting referred out” (for abortions with private doctors).

Titled, “King: Questioned value of conservatism in addressing problems”, the Star-Bulletin profile quotes King discussing the abortion issue: “(it) has nothing to do with life and everything to do with control…. I’ve been pro-choice as long as it’s existed.” Describing pro-life activists within the church, King says: “It’s easy for them to focus on one issue without questioning, because it would threaten their entire belief system.”

Quoting King, the Star-Bulletin explains: “She felt the church would be happier is babies could be conceived without sex; ‘and men cannot handle their sexual desires with with they’ve been taught is the supremacy of the spirit.  Instead they say women are evil.  Sex is evil.  Did they ever tell the guys to get their pants zipped?  The women who get pregnant aren’t Ethel Kennedy with 20 nannies.’”

King was not included in HRTL’s original list of endorsed candidates released August 3.  The pro-life group, which does make multiple endorsements for a single office, has already endorsed King’s Republican Primary opponent, Rep Lynn Finnegan, and Democratic Lt Governor candidate Sen. Norman Sakamoto “with reservation”.  The group was not caught flat-footed, a note added to the HRTL endorsement of King reads:

“Candidate has a past record supporting abortion, however, through an in-depth vetting process with HRTL PAC, she unequivocally stated that she has changed her position and is now fully in support of the right to life for all people. This change occurred over a period of time as the result of personal reflection and lengthy research on life issues including abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research.”

Contacted by Hawai’i Free Press, HRTL Executive Director Janet Grace did not wish to add to the statement.

With all that history behind her pro-abortion stance, Hawai’i Free Press asked if the King campaign would provide an accounting of Adrienne King's public activities and statements relating to the abortion issue in the past.  Certainly a candidate who after all those years had suddenly announced such a profound shift in outlook would want to talk about it. 

The only response came directly from Adrienne King herself in an email to her campaign staff which appears to have been accidentally forwarded to this writer: 

“I think we should ignore this guy the more we talk to him the more pumped up he gets to promote his rag. We are way beyond his pettyness.”

Fascinating.

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LINK: April 5, 1989 Star-Bulletin profile

RELATED: Hawaii Right-to-Life announces 2010 Political Endorsements, Former US Rep. Pat Saiki endorses Finnegan for Lt. Governor, CORRECTION: Maui, Kona TEA Party groups DO NOT back King for Lt Governor, Rep Pat Saiki challenges Adrienne King’s endorsement claim

Must Read: Hawaii Republican Assembly: Home to Hawaii's moderate Republicans

VIDEO: Adrienne King speaks to Hawaii Republican Assembly event

Lynn Finnegan: www.lynnfinnegan.com

Adrienne King:  http://adriennesking.com

Candidate Right to Life Pledge

I affirm that if elected to public office in the State of Hawai'i I will work to protect the right to life for all people.  The sanctity of life must be upheld to include the entire duration of a person’s life, from conception to natural death.

I believe that all people have an inalienable right to life. Moreover, I hold that our country was founded upon such principles that include the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, and the role of government is to ensure these rights are not infringed.

I consider it my duty to support laws that protect innocent human life and oppose laws which hasten the death of innocent human persons, including but not limited to abortion, assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, and medical futility.