Planned Parenthood Votes Amplifies Efforts to Educate Ohio Voters on Josh Mandel’s and Mitt Romney’s Harmful Agenda for Women

New Campaign Mailer “Julie” Hits Ohio Mailboxes

Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Votes is amplifying its outreach to women voters in Columbus and Toledo on the heels of Mitt Romney’s renewed promise to “immediately” get rid of federal funding for the preventive care services that Planned Parenthood health centers provide.

In a new mailer, out this week, the group is highlighting similarities between Senate candidate Josh Mandel and Mitt Romney on issues of importance to women, women’s health and women’s economic security, including that they would both eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

The mailer highlights that “Mitt Romney and Josh Mandel would go too far and interfere in personal health decisions that should be left up to a woman and her doctor.” The mailer is part of the organization’s campaign targeting women voters in key battleground states. A similar mailer was distributed this week in Northern Virginia and Richmond highlighting George Allen.

You can view the “Julie” mailer, which will reach 121,023 Ohio households here.

The mailer highlights the positions that Romney and Mandel share (copied below), and features a Planned Parenthood supporter sharing her story about making a very difficult medical decision about her pregnancy after an abnormality was found. In it she says, “My husband and I had to make a deeply personal decision. It was not easy, and it had nothing to do with politics.”

“The more women learn about Mitt Romney and Josh Mandel’s record and positions on women’s health, the more appalled they are,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. "Politics has no place in a woman’s personal medical decisions. Women voters in Ohio believe that, and in November their votes will reflect it.”

Additional Ohio Mail Pieces: “Julie” is the third mail piece in a combined campaign from Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which together are working to educate Ohio voters about the stark differences between President Obama and candidate Romney and to highlight the policy positions that Mitt Romney and Josh Mandel share.

You can view the first Ohio mailer “Mitt Romney” from Planned Parenthood Action Fund (also went out in Virginia) here.
You can view the second Ohio mailer “It’s Personal” from Planned Parenthood Votes (also went out in Virginia targeting Senate candidate George Allen) here.

Mitt Romney and Josh Mandel on the issues:

Romney and Mandel would overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to end safe, legal abortion, even in cases of rape, incest or when a woman’s life is at risk.
Romney and Mandel would eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood, denying women access to preventive health care, including cervical cancer screenings, breast exams, well-woman checkups, birth control, and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Romney and Mandel would allow businesses to deny essential health care they object to, including coverage for birth control.
Romney and Mandel’s plan would make a woman pay up to $600 more out of pocket for birth control and other preventive health care each year.