NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, the state counterpart of the national abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America, conducted 8,500 robo-calls this afternoon in the wake of the national group’s endorsement today of Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama.

The robo-call emphasizes that Missouri NARAL is neutral in the presidential contest between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, said Missouri NARAL executive director Pamela Sumners.

Sumners recorded the call herself about 1:30 p.m., right after hearing of the national group’s announcement — and getting complaints from area abortion-rights activists.

“In our membership demographic, a lot of longtime women’s rights supporters are strong supporters of Hillary Clinton,” Sumners said.

“If we had been consulted, we would have said, ‘Let this play out,’ ” said Sumners. “We have two strong pro-choice candidates” in Obama and Clinton.

NARAL’s real focus, she said, should be to challenge the presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain, who opposes most abortions.