In the special election scheduled for February 6th in Nassau County, there's a lot of talk and counter-talk about reform; Craig Johnson, the Democrat, is endorsed by Eliot Spitzer, who of course brought reform to Albany in the first place. His opponent, Maureen O'Connell (google her), is campaigning on virtually the same platform of change; this because, presumably, reform is what Joe Bruno really wants to bring to the state capitol, along with democracy.

One thing O'Connell really seems to want to reform is that part of the law pertaining to a woman's right to choose. A fact sheet from a leading choice advocacy organization details her past record of extremist activism in the State Assembly:

Blocking Access to Birth Control
Maureen O’Connell vehemently opposed legislation that would reduce unintended pregnancy by permitting women to access the “morning after pill” directly from a pharmacy.

Criminalizing Abortion
Maureen O’Connell supported legislation that would send doctors and nurses to jail even when facing the most catastrophic situations.

In the universe of anti-choice activism, there are gradations. Opposition to emergency contraception and the demand to criminalize doctors and nurses are extremist by any standard; that's Operation Rescue territory.

What makes O'Connell's dogmatic anti-choice extremism so dangerous at this juncture is simply this: in the State Assembly, her views are harmless, because there's a strong, common-sense pro-choice majority in place. In the heavily gerrymandered republican Senate, by contrast, there is an anti-choice majority (led most often by Senator Serph Maltese), and O'Connell would be able to legislate her views, as far out of the mainstream as they are.

If you check out her web site, you won't find a word - not one - about choice. Presumably, that conversation is not one O'Connell wants to have; perhaps because she knows that in a pro-choice district in a pro-choice state, her extremism on the subject – throwing doctors and nurses into the slammer, for crying out loud – isn't going to get her elected.

Perhaps somebody – here's an idea: the media! - should ask her about that. The voters deserve to know these things.