Here's the statement from NOW:

A member and officer of the Los Angeles NOW chapter, Shelly Mandell, recently introduced Governor Sarah Palin at an event in Carson, California. Ms. Mandell was speaking as an individual and was not authorized to represent NOW, the NOW PAC or LA NOW in any capacity in connection with a federal candidate endorsement. As NOW President Kim Gandy said upon Palin’s selection , "Not every woman supports women's rights."

The use of Shelly Mandell’s Los Angeles NOW title was apparently intended to mislead the public, and indeed has resulted in local television outlets and internet reports misstating that LA NOW has “endorsed” Sarah Palin or that she has a record of supporting women’s rights. This in fact is not the case.

As President of California NOW and as a member and officer of Los Angeles NOW, I can assure you that there is no local or state affiliate of NOW, including LA NOW, which endorses or supports the McCain/Palin ticket. John McCain and Sarah Palin oppose many of the rights and freedoms we have fought for throughout NOW's 42 years, and we will not be pushed back to the days of back-alley abortions, forced pregnancies, and pay discrimination without remedy.

You make it sound like she is entitled somehow to stay in this organization regardless of her position.

Not that NOW is considering "kicking her out of the clubhouse" but if they were...so what?  They should.

This is a private organization with a very specific and clear mission, especially as it relates to abortion rights.  If anyone in the organization is using their position (even in a subtle way, in other words she is not speaking FROM her position) to bring attention to a candidate that is clearly opposed to the mission of NOW, then that person should be expelled.  There is nothing wrong with that.

You may not agree with the mission of NOW - and you have a right to disagree.  But there is nothing wrong with NOW dumping her because of this.

It would be like the local chapter president of the NRA "personally" endorsing someone opposed to gun rights, and using his position as a platform to introduce this opposing candidate and get press coverage as a result.  Personally I find the mission of the NRA repulsive, but I would certainly understand if they dumped that person as a member - he/she is hurting their cause.

Get it?