GOP ‘Wanted Poster’ Poses Threat, 7 Democrats Charge

Seven House Democratic women who appear on a GOP “wanted poster” accused Republicans Wednesday of putting their lives in danger.

“This ‘wanted poster’ is a scurrilous and irresponsible escalation of Republican hostility toward black, Jewish and women legislators,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles).

She said she was asking the FBI and House security to advise the 28 Democrats who appear on the poster of possible security risks. “This kind of racist, anti-government propaganda could place our lives in danger,” she said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee put out the poster, saying the “liberal Democrats” pictured on it were “wanted for voting against at least 7 out of 10 provisions of the ‘contract with America’ and for aiding and abetting President Bill Clinton’s big government, pro-tax, anti-family, anti-military agenda in the House of Representatives.” Clinton is pictured in the middle.

Democrats said that many in the party voted against at least seven of the items in the GOP agenda and that the Republicans had consciously targeted blacks, women and Jews. Ten on the poster are black, nine are women and eight are Jewish.

Rep. Bill Paxon of New York, who chairs the GOP committee, said in a statement that the poster is just a fund-raising vehicle. “It is about ideology and voting records. Any insinuation that it is anything other than that is outrageous.”

Besides Waters, the women criticizing the poster were Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma, Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, Carrie Meek and Corrine Brown of Florida, Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and Nita M. Lowey of New York. All are depicted on the poster.