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April 9, 2008

A Tragic Milestone - Abortion Deaths Daily far Exceed Iraq Conflict Casualties by Maria Vitale

Within the past week, newspaper headlines declared a tragic milestone: the overall death toll from the five-year war in Iraq has reached more than 4,000. Also, for every 15 troops wounded in Iraq, there has been one fatality. The war in Iraq will undoubtedly remain a key issue in the Presidential race. Newsmen and newswomen in particular are likely to focus much attention on that 4,000 fatality figure. Yet, I doubt whether a single questioner in a Presidential debate will point out a troubling truth: nearly that many American babies die in a single day from abortion. One day--nearly 4,000 deaths. A five-year war compressed into a single 24-hour period. Who will dare ask about an exit strategy for the war going on on our domestic front? Who will interview the grieving post-abortive mothers and fathers? Who will ask the grandparents where their grandchildren have gone? Who will grill candidates at the federal, state, and local level about their support for the war on unborn children and their mothers? Full story at LifeNews.com.

Kansas Health Dept. Won't Turn Over Abortion Records in Planned Parenthood Probe Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com)

-- The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is refusing to turn over abortion records a district attorney needs to determine if a Planned Parenthood business has done illegal abortions. It faces 107 criminal charges filed by the District Attorney's office in October of last year. Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline says Planned Parenthood violated state limits on late-term abortions and falsified medical records related to them. Other charges include failing to maintain proper medical records and failing to discern the viability of unborn children prior to doing late-term abortions. Last month, a grand jury failed to issue an indictment against the Overland Park Planned Parenthood but its decision did not affect Kline's case. Kline issued a subpoena for the health department to turn over abortion records that would assist him in prosecuting the case, but the agency filed a motion to quash the subpoena. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday before District Court Judge Stephen Tatum and, if the motion is affirmed, Planned Parenthood officials tell the Kansas City Star it could seriously hamper Kline's efforts at holding it accountable. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Indiana Komen Breast Cancer Group Says Race Proceeds Won't Support Abortion Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com)

-- On the heels of a request from the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette for parishioners to boycott the upcoming Komen Race for the Cure, race officials are seeking to reassure residents the proceeds from the event don't support abortion. Some Komen affiliates have given donations to the abortion business Planned Parenthood. The diocese has gone on record as urging Catholics and local parishes to boycott the Komen Race for the Cure because of the donations and because the group denies the abortion-breast cancer link. The race in Indianapolis this month is expected to draw 40,000 participants, including a sizable number of people from northwestern Indiana. Dana Curish, executive director of the Indianapolis Komen affiliate, told the Lafayette Journal-Courier on Tuesday that none of the money from the race will go to Planned Parenthood. "I respect everyone's faith, and I am a religious person myself," she said. "We just want to raise as much money as possible for breast cancer screenings." But Curish also admitted the affiliate previously gave Planned Parenthood $4,000 in 2004 for screenings in three counties. Full story at LifeNews.com.

More Planned Parenthood Abortion Businesses Accept Overtly Racist Donations Los Angeles, CA (LifeNews.com)

-- A second report from a student-run magazine at UCLA finds more Planned Parenthood abortion businesses accepting overtly racist donations. After the first report showed a Planned Parenthood in Idaho accepting money from someone who wanted to reduce the number of black babies, centers in Oklahoma and New Mexico followed suit. The Advocate magazine told LifeNews.com on Wednesday that it released another video exposing the racist attitudes at the nation's largest abortion business. Posing as a donor, UCLA law student James O'Keefe called facilities in Oklahoma and New Mexico and asked to make a donation specifically to be use to kill African-American unborn children. The abortion center staff are more than happy to accommodate his request, with one Planned Parenthood employee saying, "for whatever reason, we'll accept the money." The magazine told LifeNews.com that Irene Gray of Planned Parenthood in Albuquerque, New Mexico took the call from O’Keefe last summer. Gray replied in sympathetic tones, “Yes, yes, it’s a strange time for sure� to the caller’s rant about affirmative action and how he thinks there is a need for fewer black people because they compete with white Americans for admission to schools. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Aides Say John McCain Won't Weaken Republican Party Platform Against Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Aides to eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain say his campaign will not work publicly or behind the scenes to weaken the party's pro-life platform on abortion. This is the second time McCain or his campaign has confirmed he will support the current language, which calls for a constitutional amendment banning abortions. An unnamed advisor spoke with the Washington Times and denied rumors from some that the McCain camp would change the language. "Do you think we are crazy? Why would we want to change the platform?" the McCain advisor said. The same official also called "dead wrong" a rumor that GOP activist Bobby Kilberg, considered unfriendly to pro-life advocates, would be heading up the platform committee. During a March interview with Fox News Channel's Hannity and Colmes, McCain replied with a short "yes" that he would keep the abortion platform as it stands now. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Ohio Teen Wasn't Father of Unborn Baby He Killed in Attack on Pregnant Mom Cincinnati, OH (LifeNews.com)

-- DNA tests have shown 16-year-old Alfonso Price was not the father of the unborn child he killed when he allegedly assaulted his pregnant 19-year-old girlfriend Kerria Anderson. Price reportedly kicked Anderson, who was eight months pregnant, in the stomach and hit her causing her to miscarry the baby. Anderson had planned to name her baby Precious but Price wanted her to have an abortion. “B---- you should have got an abortion, now your baby is going to die,� Anderson said Alfonso told her during the attack.
Anderson was eventually able to contact authorities from an adjacent store but the baby girl wasn't able to be saved. Her skull had been fractured in the attack. Now, local officials say Price was not the biological father and the defense lawyers in the court battle are spinning the results in their favor. Mary Jill Donovan, Price's attorney, told the Associated Press the DNA results show Anderson could be lying about the attack. "She said emphatically he was the father," Donovan said. "If she lied about that, what else is she not being truthful about?" But Rich Gibson, an assistant county prosecutor, said the DNA results don't change the fact that Price violently attacked Anderson and killed her unborn child. Full story at LifeNews.com.

MacArthur and Ford Foundations Want Others to Promote International Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A two-year old report has come to light that encourages foundations to fund religious organizations who agree to push the abortion agenda around the world. The report, which was funded by the wealthy MacArthur and Ford Foundations, catalogues hundreds of religiously affiliated non-government organizations that are likely to include “sexual and reproductive health and rights� as part of their work. “Religion and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: An Inventory of Organization, Scholars and Foundations,� issued by the Center for Health and Social Policy, argues that the world’s religions play an undeniable role in shaping attitudes toward "reproduction and sexuality" and can “be an important ally in the effort to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (or, conversely, a key obstacle).� The report encourages foundations who are “striving to improve women’s health and rights (including sexual and reproductive health and rights) to incorporate religion in their grant-making,� as religions “have the power to influence government policy� both through the political process and through the religious belief of the policymakers. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Ted Turner Calls for Population Control, Wants Limit of Two Children Per Family Atlanta, GA (LifeNews.com)

-- Ted Turner, the eccentric pro-abortion billionaire and founder of CNN, wants more global population control. He believes the world's population is getting out of hand and that it will result in environmental problems -- and his solution is to ask people to voluntarily limit themselves to two children. His comments came during an interview with PBS's Charlie Rose that aired Tuesday. "We're too many people; that's why we have global warming," he said. "Too many people are using too much stuff." Turner suggested that "on a voluntary basis, everybody in the world's got to pledge to themselves that one or two children is it." Should the world not cave in to his demands, he worries global catastrophe will ensue. "Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals," said Turner. "Civilization will have broken down. The few people left will be living in a failed state -- like Somalia or Sudan -- and living conditions will be intolerable." Full story at LifeNews.com

Planned Parenthood Report: More Abortions, Fewer Adoptions and Prenatal Care Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A further examination of the new annual report Planned Parenthood recently released finds the abortion business is still the largest in the United States. As in previous years, the number of abortions it does has gone up and roughly 25 percent of all abortions in the United States are done at Planned Parenthood centers. The report shows that Planned Parenthood did 289,750 abortions, an increase over the 264,943 abortions it did during the 2005-2006 fiscal year. That's a whopping nine percent increase even though the number of abortions nationally are on the decline. "It claims to be reducing pregnancy; yet one out of every four abortions in the United States is committed at a Planned Parenthood facility," watchdog Jim Sedlak told LifeNews.com. The number of abortions dwarfs the number of clients receiving prenatal care -- which totaled just 11,058 in the new annual report. That number is almost a 20 percent decline from the 2005-2006 total of 13,261. The number of Planned Parenthood adoption referrals is also miniscule and continues to drop. The previous annual report showed a scant 2,413 referrals and the abortion business made three less in the last fiscal year. Full story at LifeNews.com..

Leading Pro-Life Group Supports John McCain, Says Abortion Contrast Significant Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- The National Right to Life Committee has announced it is supporting eventual Republican nominee John McCain for president. Officials from the prominent pro-life group told LifeNews.com the difference on abortion compared with the pro-abortion Democratic candidates is significant.
The announcement of support came after a unanimous vote of the group's board of directors. "National Right to Life supports Senator John McCain for election as President of the United States and strongly opposes both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and urges all pro-life citizens to do likewise," the group told LifeNews.com on Monday. On abortion issues, McCain has a strongly pro-life voting record and has supported bills to ban partial-birth abortions, respect parental involvement regarding teenagers and prohibit tax-funded abortions in a variety of situations. The Arizona senator has also repeatedly called for overturning Roe v. Wade, said he would appoint judges who won't legislate from the bench, and says he will keep the pro-life plank in the Republican Party platform. "Senator John McCain has consistently taken a strong pro-life position against abortion, has a strong pro-life voting record against abortion and opposes Roe v. Wade," NRLC said in its statement of support. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Poll Finds Women in Battleground States Don't Know John McCain's Abortion Stance Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A new poll commissioned by Planned Parenthood finds 16 percent of women in top presidential battleground states can't say whether John McCain's abortion views match their own. The abortion business worries the results show women who support abortion may back McCain because they don't realize he's pro-life. The poll also shows telling those voters McCain opposes abortion makes pro-abortion voters less likely to support him. Conducted by Hart Research Associates, the survey finds about 25 percent of pro-abortion voters who back McCain are less likely to support him when they learn he favors overturning Roe v. Wade and supports abstinence-only education. It found that 51 percent of women polled say they don't know enough about where McCain stands on abortion to say whether their abortion views match. According to Hart, "The simple arithmetic of these findings suggests that just filling in McCain’s actual voting record and his publicly stated positions on a handful of key issues has the potential to diminish his total vote share." Hart added that when matched up against either pro-abortion candidate, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, telling pro-abortion voters about McCain's abortion stance could cost him 17 to 20 percent of his current level of support. Full story at LifeNews.com.

April 1, 2008

Barack Obama Would Back Daughters' Abortion, "Don't Punish Them With a Baby" Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Barack Obama is drawing gasps from pro-life advocates today over comments he made during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania over the weekend. The leading Democratic presidential candidate appeared to back a potential decision by his daughters to seek an abortion saying he wouldn't "punish" them with a baby. Obama's comments came in the context of off-the-cuff remarks addressing the issue of AIDS. (see them here) The candidate indicated he favored teaching both abstinence education as well as sexual education and he appeared to be hard-pressed to come up with something else to say when he brought up his daughters. "When it comes specifically to HIV/AIDS, the most important prevention is education, which should include -- which should include abstinence education and teaching the children -- teaching children, you know, that sex is not something casual," he said. "But it should also include -- it should also include other, you know, information about contraception because, look, I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old," he added. "I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby," Obama said. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Terri Schiavo's Family Calls for Observance of Terri's Day to Honor Disabled Woman St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com)

-- Terri Schiavo's family and a leading pro-life group are calling on people to honor the disabled woman whose husband took her life in a painful euthanasia death. Together with Priests for Life, the Schindler family has established the observance of “Terri’s Day� each March 31. That's the day Terri succumbed to a 13-day starvation and dehydration death at the hand of Michael Schiavo, her former husband who won a court order to take her life. “This third anniversary should be an occasion for all of us to both remember the injustice done to Terri, and reach out to others with prayer and concrete action when they need the kind of help Terri needed," Terri's brother Bobby Schindler told LifeNews.com on Monday. Suzanne Vitadamo, Terri’s sister, added that Terri's Day is also a way for her family to encourage others to take better care of the elderly and disabled. “Our family continues to be consoled and uplifted by the many ways in which people honor my sister, learn from her story, and grow in compassion for all the disabled," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Planned Parenthood Abortion Business Makes $1 Billion Income for First Time Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A new annual report from Planned Parenthood shows the nation's largest abortion business has made over $1 billion in income for the first time in its history. The non-profit pro-abortion group shows the historical gain in its new annual report covering 2006-2007. While Planned Parenthood made $972 milion in its 2005-2006 annual report, last fiscal year it brought in $1.017 billion. On its web site posting of the annual document, Planned Parenthood says it "highlights our advancements in providing and protecting trusted health care services and medically accurate sexuality education." Instead, the report finds Planned Parenthood doing more abortions than ever before. The report shows an increase in the number of provided abortions from 264,943 in 2005 to 289,650 in 2006. Planned Parenthood reveals it has doubled “excess of revenue over expenses� funds from $55.7 million in 2005 to $112 million in 2006. Of concern to pro-life groups, Planned Parenthood acknowledges the receipt of over $336 million in government grants and contracts from both state and federal governments. Full story at LifeNews.com.
More: Life Decisions International - Press Room

Pro-Abortion Law Firm Wants United Nations Cmte to Make Countries Back Abortion

New York, NY -- The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) just released a new and updated version of their “signature� document that uses the non-binding recommendations of UN committees to argue that sovereign nations must legalize abortion as part of their international legal obligations. “Bringing Rights to Bear � claims that these recommendations reflect “the growing recognition among these UN bodies that reproductive rights are firmly grounded in international human rights treaties.� For years, CRR has been at the forefront of what some have called a "stealth strategy" to redefine longstanding human rights like the right to life, the right to privacy and the right to be free from discrimination and insert abortion rights into those broad provisions. An integral component of the CRR strategy is to get the UN committees that oversee nations’ compliance with their treaty obligations to reinterpret the treaties to include abortion. UN compliance committees contain a large percentage of personnel from pro-abortion groups and have become increasingly active in reinterpreting UN documents and pressuring governments to follow their interpretations. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Actress Kate Walsh Criticized for Promoting Abortion, Slamming Abstinence Ed Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Actress Kate Walsh is coming under criticism from pro-life advocates for promoting abortion and slamming abstinence education. Walsh plays a physician on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" programs but pro-life groups say she shouldn't be considered an expert when it comes to abortion and sexuality. Walsh, a member of Planned Parenthood's Board of Advisors, hosted a Congressional forum this week that the abortion business promoted. During the panel, Walsh advocated cutting out all government funding for abstinence education, but Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council tells LifeNews.com she's mistaken if she thinks it will reduce teen pregnancy or abortion. He pointed to statistics from Adolescent and Family Health showing that 67 percent of the reduction in teen pregnancies is a result of abstinence education. Meanwhile, On Friday’s CBS "Early Show," co-host Julie Chen teased her upcoming interview with Walsh by touting the event. Chen offered no counterpoint to Walsh's slamming abstinence: "Abstinence is one -- abstinence is one aspect of sex education, but it is not the complete aspect. And to expect, I think, everybody to remain abstinent is just -- it's like asking them not to grow. It's like we don't ask people to not try out for sports," Walsh claims. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Liberal Columnist Nat Henthoff Blasts Barack Obama on Terri Schiavo Flip-Flop Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Barack Obama made headlines last month for flip-flopping on whether or not the federal government should have helped Terri Schiavo's family to save her life. Now, Obama is coming under fire from liberal columnist Nat Henthoff for saying he should have opposed the bill allowing the Schindler family to help their beloved daughter. In March 2005, just weeks before Terri died from a painful 13-day starvation and dehydration death, Congress approved legislation allowing her family to take its case from state courts to federal courts in an effort to stop the euthanasia from proceeding. “It wasn't something I was comfortable with, but it was not something that I stood on the floor and stopped,� Obama said. “And I think that was a mistake." Henthoff takes Senator Obama to task for the flip-flop in a column published in the magazine Forward. He called Obama's decision to flip-flop an "irresponsible robot-like judgment " not based on the facts of the situation Congress considered. "He should be proud of the Senate vote he now recants--and learn a lot more about the disabled," Henthoff wrote. "The reason Congress asked the federal courts to review the Schiavo case was that the 41-year-old woman about to be dehydrated and starved to death was breathing normally on her own, was not terminal, and there was medical evidence that she was responsive, not in a persistent vegetative state," Henthoff explained. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Texas Pro-Life Group's Abortion-Breast Cancer Billboard Draws Newspaper's Ire Waco, TX (LifeNews.com)

-- A pro-life group in Texas is drawing attention to the Abortion Breast Cancer link and Planned Parenthood's relationship with the Susan G. Komen Foundation with a new billboard that raises serious questions -- and is drawing fire. Pro-Life Waco has set up a billboard on the 1700 block of Franklin Avenue that poses suggestive questions: "What? An abortion increases my risk for breast cancer? Why does the Komen Race grant $45,000 to Waco's Planned Parenthood abortion provider?" The billboard also shows a concerned woman and has a pink background –- a color now associated with the breast cancer awareness campaigns largely backed by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which conducts its annual Race for the Cure on May 3 this year. The billboard is also visible from the offices of the Waco Tribune-Herald, which has voiced support of Planned Parenthood's policies and agenda in the past. An editorial in the March 23, 2008 edition of the paper called the billboard's claims "false" and "specious." ACTION: Contact the Waco Tribune-Journal and voice your opinion on their criticism of the billboard. Call 800-678-8742 or email: Michael Vivio, publisher: mvivio@wacotrib.com; Carlos Sanchez, editor: csanchez@wacotrib.com; Letters to the Editor: letters@wacotrib.com Full story at LifeNews.com.

Electoral College Maps Show John McCain Leading Obama, Defeating Clinton Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- New electoral college map projections from LifeNews.com based on March polling data shows John McCain has built a solid lead over both Barack Obama and would defeat Hillary Clinton. The feuding within the Democratic camp has allowed McCain to surge in polls in top battleground states. The analysis relies on polling data from respected firms such as Rasmussen, Survey USA, and others with most of the surveys coming in the last two weeks. LifeNews.com analyzed the latest polls in each state and only tabulated a state when polling data revealed a candidate has a lead greater than four percent, the typical margin of error. In each comparison, McCain captures most of the traditionally Republican states in the South and West while Obama and Clinton lead in traditionally Democrat states in the Northeast and on the Pacific coast. When matched against Obama, McCain has a 268-191 electoral vote lead with 79 electoral votes undecided. When compared with Clinton, McCain wins with 281-177 electoral college votes -- getting him past the 270 vote threshold needed for victory. Another 80 electoral votes are undecided. Full story at LifeNews.com.

"The View" Hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar Defend Jack Kevorkian
New York, NY (LifeNews.com)

-- Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, longtime hosts of the chatty television program "The View," praised Jack Kevorkian in a recent episode. Following news that Kevorkian has planned a Congressional bid, they praised him for killing more than 130 people in assisted suicides and murdering a disabled patient. Kevorkian, a convicted murderer and assisted suicide crusader, made his candidacy for a Detroit-area Congressional seat official on Monday. Justin McCarthy, a news analyst at Media Research Center, noted the comments from "The View" hosts in a recent post on MRC's blog Newsbusters. Goldberg said she’s a "big fan" of Kevorkian "because he believed that he could help people who were in, in a place where no one was helping them." "Euthanasia, like race, is one of those things nobody wants to talk about. It makes people very uncomfortable. I think euthanasia is, is an important thing and it should be there for people to make that decision if they chose to," she said. Joy Behar wondered: "Why is he a bad guy? I don't understand it...it’s over my head somewhere." ACTION: Send your complaints to The View by going to this web site. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Ohio Supreme Court Reverses Itself, Will Hear Case on Teen's Secret Abortion Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com)

-- The Ohio Supreme Court has reversed itself and will hold a hearing on a case involving a secret abortion on a 14-year-old girl who was a victim of rape. A Cincinnati couple is upset their daughter had an abortion at a local Planned Parenthood facility without their knowledge or consent as required by state law. The girl's parents filed a lawsuit against the abortion facility for violating the state's parental notification law by not telling them of her abortion, which may have been coerced. The girl in the case provided an incorrect phone number to Planned Parenthood officials for notification. Instead of giving the abortion center her parents' phone, she gave the number for her 21-year-old boyfriend. Planned Parenthood appealed a judge's decision requiring it to turn over to the family's attorney the abortion records of all women under the age of 18 to determine if there have been other cases and to show how the abortion business handles them. In August, the 1st District Court of Appeals determined that Planned Parenthood doesn't have to give the couple's attorney record of abortions done on other teenagers. In January, the Ohio Supreme Court decided on a 4-3 vote not to hear the appeal. On Wednesday, it reversed itself and agreed to review the case. Full story at LifeNews.com.

March 27, 2008

Activists Defend Barack Obama's Vote Against Victims of Botched Abortions
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Abortion advocates are defending votes Barack Obama cast in the Illinois Senate against a bill that would require medical facilities to provide appropriate medical care to babies who survive botched abortions. One pro-life blogger says the arguments make it less likely Obama will be elected president. In a recent editorial at the pro-abortion blog RH Reality Check, activist Dana Goldstein writes about a "conservative smear campaign" highlighting Obama's radical pro-abortion position. Goldstein says the "anti-Obama strategy" is based on Obama's votes against the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act. That's the measure that helps babies who are victims of botched abortions or left to die without any medical treatment following intentional premature births, otherwise known as induced-birth or live-birth abortions. Goldstein applauds Obama for voting against the bill, when a federal version passed in the U.S. Senate on a unanimous vote with the support of pro-life and pro-abortion lawmakers. "It is to Barack Obama's credit that, as an Illinois state senator, he voted against BAIPA twice, and then, as chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee in 2003, prevented it from advancing to the floor," she writes. Full story at LifeNews.com

Pro-Life Student Group Releases Full Tape of Abortion Speaker at NEA-Based Event Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A pro-life student group has released the full copy of the tape it made of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, who spoke at a pro-abortion event hosted at the National Education Association's building. During the speech abortion advocates applauded Tiller for showing pictures of babies who became victims of abortions. Members of Students for Life of America released the video footage on YouTube from the March 9 Feminist Majority Foundation event on Wednesday. It shows Tiller openly discussing children who "slip out" accidentally during an abortion and are "born alive" or with a "heartbeat." SFLA director Kristan Hawkins taped the event with a colleague. "What is most disturbing about this video is the point when Dr. Tiller shows footage of children he has aborted," she told LifeNews.com. "One had an extra arm: could not that child have survived and received corrective surgery? Was violently killing the child the only way to go?" she asked. Full story at LifeNews.com

British Figures Show 1,300 Women Have Had Five Abortions, Hundreds Have More

London, England (LifeNews.com) -- As members of Parliament prepare to debate some limits on late-term abortions and abortions on disabled babies, new figures show 1,300 women have had five abortions or more. The repeat abortion stats worry pro-life groups that some women are viewing abortion as a method of birth control. The figures came from the British government in response to Tory backbencher Mark Pritchard as MPs prepare to debate the human embryo bill and limits on abortion. The figures also show 950 women in England and Wales who have had four previous abortions at the time of their fifth. Another 200 had five abortions at the time of their sixth, 110 had six previous abortions at the time of the seventh, and 54 had seven or more previous abortions at the time they sought another. Those figures, covering 2006, show the number of repeat abortions skyrocketing as 58,740 women had at least one abortion when seeking their second in 2004. That increased to 61,904 having had a previous abortion when requesting one in 2006 Full story at LifeNews.com..

Don't Make Room for Daddy - The Problems With Assisted Reproduction
by Jennifer Lahl

Recently, I watched an Oprah show featuring children of sperm donation. Whatever your views are on the ethics of using sperm donation to make children, there was no denying the brokenheartedness of the three young women sitting on Oprah's stage that day. They wondered out loud to the audience: “Does he ever think about me?�, “Do I look like him?�, and “Does he know I'm out here?� Two half-siblings told their story. In their search to find their sperm-donor dad, they found each other. Oprah's crew filmed their first encounter, as one waited at the train station for the arrival of the other. It was hard for me to hold back the tears as I watched this brother and sister find each other for the first time. They couldn't take their hands off each other's faces. They found it impossible to stop looking into each other's eyes, as if looking at themselves in the mirror. “I belong. I look like someone. I am a part of something – a family.� The longing for community and family, perhaps the most important communal structure, is strongly present inside each of us. It's part of what makes us human. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Yeoman's Work -- How a Pro-Life Doctor Overcomes Abortion With Truth

As an OB/GYN, Dr. William Lile will take part in the miracle of birth more times than many of us will ever get to witness it. Medical practitioners in Dr. Lile's specialty have been immensely important to the pro-life cause for providing insight and information into the science and awe-inspiring wonders of pregnancy and birth. However, Dr. Lile is also aware of the terrible truth that it is his peers who perform most of the abortions in the U.S., and he is going the extra mile to let the truth be known about God's miracle of life and abortion's brutality. Although his respect for the sanctity of life began in childhood, Dr. Lile received a new perspective on abortion during his medical training when he came face to face with peers who had succumbed to the temptation of easy money. During his residency at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and the University of Florida, Dr. Lile was asked by abortionist Bo Bagenholm what he believed happened to aborted babies. Professing his belief in the soul, God's mercy and the infants' innocence, Dr. Lile said he believed they were welcomed into heaven. "He told me, 'I've sent more souls to heaven than most people, according to your religion,'" recalled Dr. Lile. "There was no guilt." "In my opinion my peers initially get involved with abortions for the quick money, and then it becomes a matter of ego," added Dr. Lile. "I find it amazing how these people are put on a pedestal, and thanked by other doctors for doing a procedure they are uncomfortable doing themselves." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Assisted Suicide Crusader Jack Kevorkian Makes Congressional Bid Official
Detroit, MI (LifeNews.com)

-- Convicted murderer and assisted suicide crusader Jack Kevorkian made his candidacy for a Detroit-area Congressional seat official on Monday. Kevorkian says his main agenda as a member of the august body would be promoting the Ninth Amendment as allowing a right to assisted suicide. State law required Kevorkian to gather 3,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot and he turned in papers with those signatures to local election officials. Kevorkian didn't say much else about assisted suicide during the formal press announcement but accused the current government of being tyrannical. ''You've been trained to obey it, not fight it because the tyrant doesn't like that,'' Kevorkian said, according to an AP report. "I have no ties, no fetters. I am free," the former pathologist added, saying he is beholden to no so-called special interests. He will run as an independent and will challenge pro-life Rep. Joe Knollenberg, a Republican who strongly opposes both abortion and euthanasia. Full story at LifeNews.com..

Pro-Life Film "The Human Experience" Promotes Consistent Respect for
Human Life by Colin Mason

I'm sitting at a worn desk in the headquarters of Grassroots Films in Brooklyn, NY. Humming Macs surround me as the company dog, a sand-colored mutt named Daisy, wanders aimlessly around my feet. Across the desk, Michael Campo is describing the experience of visiting a leper colony in Ghana. "At first I was a little afraid, because I didn't know what to expect," he reminisces. "But all that fear was gone in five or ten minutes . . . they found such great joy and happiness together." Campo, 28, co-stars in Grassroots Films' latest project, The Human Experience. Fast-paced and modern, The Human Experience is a you-are-there documentary that claims to offer an unprecedented look at the human condition. After being thoroughly excited by the trailer (available at www.grassrootsfilms.com), I had the pleasure of being invited to screen this film in Brooklyn, as well as speak to all of the major players at Grassroots Films. Simply speaking, I was deeply impressed by The Human Experience. It is possibly the most truly pro-life film I have ever seen. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Abortion Center Owner in California Faces Trial Wednesday for Unlicensed Medicine Los Angles, CA (LifeNews.com)

-- A woman who owns a chain of abortion businesses in southern California faces trial on Wednesday on charges of practicing medicine without a license. Last month, Bertha Bugarin pleaded not guilty to putting women's health in serious jeopardy after she and her sister were found doing abortions despite not holding a medical license. Los Angeles police began the case when a special unit of the LA Police Department called the Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force raided a handful of area abortion centers last August. They arrested the 47-year-old Bugarin, who was charged with five felony counts of practicing medicine without certification and two misdemeanor counts of dispensing medication without a license. Her 49-year-old sister Raquel Bugarin is charged with aiding or abetting the practice of medicine without certification. In anticipating the case, Operation Rescue president Troy Newman told LifeNews.com that the sisters should spend significant time in jail if they're found guilty. Full story at LifeNews.com

Elderly Australian Man Creates Suicide Robot to Kill Himself, Used Internet Guide Canberra, Australia (LifeNews.com)

-- In another case of someone using information gathered from the Internet to take their own life, an elderly man from Australia killed himself after making a robot. Francis Tovey, 81, lived alone and wanted to kill himself after enduring repeated requests from family to move to an assisted living facility. Unhappy with their request, Tovey scoured the Internet for information on making a robot capable for firing a semi-automatic gun pointed at his head. When triggered remotely, the gun fired four shots that killed Tovey. The Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper indicated Tovey set up the robotic device in his driveway early on Tuesday because he wanted construction workers at a nearby housing site to hear the gunshots and discover his body. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Netherlands Pro-Euthanasia Psychiatrist Publishes Do-It-Yourself Suicide Guide Amsterdam, Netherlands (LifeNews.com)

-- A Netherlands psychiatrist who assisted in the suicide of a grieving mother that ultimately led to the Dutch Supreme Court ruling that the depressed should have the right to kill themselves has now published a do-it-yourself guide to committing suicide. The guide is expected to go on sale soon in the European nation and it contains detailed information on how people can use drugs to kill themselves. It also contains information on how to perform other acts of suicide using starvation techniques and describes the quickest and least painful ways to do so. "Doctors learn little about this subject during their training," author and psychiatrist Boudewijn Chabot says, according to the London Telegraph. "This book is for people who want to make their own decisions about ending their own lives." Euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal in the Netherlands and, together, there are already about 4,400 suicides annually. Full story at LifeNews.com.

March 24, 2008

John McCain Open to Pro-Life Perspective on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Though he has a pro-life stance on abortion, John McCain's votes for embryonic stem cell research funding have given some pro-life people pause. Yet, a pro-life Arizona attorney who has spoken with the senator on the subject says McCain is excited about alternatives and agrees with the pro-life movement on some aspects of the debate. McCain, an Arizona lawmaker, has already earned the support of numerous pro-life advocates because of his abortion opposition. Some of them, such as Sen. Sam Brownback, say they've tried to persuade McCain to oppose embryonic stem cell research as well. Former Arizona Right to Life president John Jakubczyk recently commented on McCain's position and said the senator is impressed by the success of embryonic alternatives. "This issue has been a concern and I have discussed the subject personally with the Senator on more than one occasion," Jakubczyk says. "I have asked him to realize that these are unborn human beings, to examine the recent breakthroughs in the field and to understand the scientific and moral significance of these latest trends," he explained. Jakubczyk says he has already seen some progress. He points to a statement on the McCain campaign web site that talks about McCain's opposition to "the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes." Full story at LifeNews.com

Bush Admin Asks Physicians Group to Not Attack Pro-Life Doctors on Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- The Bush administration has asked a national group for OBGYNs to not discriminate against pro-life doctors who don't want to be involved in doing or promoting abortions. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt opposes the new policy the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is considering. ACOG plans to review a policy. on Monday that says all doctors, including those who are pro-life, should refer women to abortion centers. The group has been criticized heavily for releasing the statement last year entitled "The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine" that insists that doctors who object to doing abortions should refer patients to physicians who will do them. ACOG also requests that pro-life doctors move their practices closer to abortion businesses so women can have a shorter drive to get an abortion when their physicians refuse to perform or refer for one. One of the biggest problems with the policy is that the college's board could adopt it and doing or promoting abortions could become formally linked to physician board certification. That could wind up making many pro-life obstetricians quit their jobs rather than be forced to do abortions. Leavitt, in a letter on Friday provided to LifeNews.com, called on the college's board to reject the policy and protect the conscience rights of physicians. In a letter to American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology director Dr. Norman Grant, Leavitt said the policy "would force physicians to violate their conscience by referring patients for abortions or taking other objectionable actions, or risk losing their board certification.� Full story at LifeNews.com.

Pro-Life Student Group Releases Full Tape of Abortion Speaker at NEA-Based Event Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A pro-life student group has released the full copy of the tape it made of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, who spoke at a pro-abortion event hosted at the National Education Association's building. During the speech abortion advocates applauded Tiller for showing pictures of babies who became victims of abortions. Members of Students for Life of America released the video footage on YouTube from the March 9 Feminist Majority Foundation event on Wednesday. It shows Tiller openly discussing children who "slip out" accidentally during an abortion and are "born alive" or with a "heartbeat." SFLA director Kristan Hawkins taped the event with a colleague. "What is most disturbing about this video is the point when Dr. Tiller shows footage of children he has aborted," she told LifeNews.com. "One had an extra arm: could not that child have survived and received corrective surgery? Was violently killing the child the only way to go?" she asked. Full story at LifeNews.com

New York Abortion Bill's Fate Questionable With New Governor David Paterson Albany, NY (LifeNews.com)

-- The fate of a bill that would significantly expand unlimited abortions in New York is still in question with new Governor David Paterson taking the place of Eliot Spitzer. Paterson is a long-time abortion advocate but he hasn't said whether he will continue Spitzer's aggressive efforts to get it approved. Pro-life organizations have strongly opposed the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act. because it would enshrine abortion in state law and overturn virtually every pro-life limit. The measure would also force Catholic and other pro-life hospitals to change their policies and do abortions upon request. Last week, Paterson indicated he supports the measure and told a pro-abortion group's annual conference he fully embraced its fight to keep abortions legal. Alan Mehldau, chairman of Westchester-Putnam Right to Life, said he's hopeful Paterson will see the tremendous opposition to the bill and back off. "I'm hoping that he'll look at it and he'll see the reaction to this bill, which has been outstanding as far as people finally waking up," Mehldau said. He might say, 'Hey, this is one we'll leave out for the time being.'" Full story at LifeNews.com.

Oregon Assisted Suicide Report: Deaths Increase, No Psychological Referrals
Salem OR (LifeNews.com)

-- Oregon officials have released their tenth statewide report on the status of assisted suicide there and it found the number of people who died is on the rise. The report also showed the number of people getting drugs to use in taking their own lives is increasing as well. More people received lethal drugs from doctors to kill themselves than any previous year under the state's first-in-the-nation law legalizing assisted suicide. The report showed 85 people received the drugs (an increase of 20 from the year prior) while 49 people had their physicians help them kill themselves (up slightly from 2007). Three of the people who killed themselves in 2007 receive the prescription for the lethal cocktail in 2006. Since the Oregon assisted suicide law took effect, 341 patients have killed themselves. One leading euthanasia opponent, Rita Marker, of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, said she's concerned doctors don't do more to help patients address the mental health issues that likely prompt them to consider suicide. "During 2007, not one patient who died under Oregon's assisted suicide law was referred for psychiatric or psychological evaluation before receiving the prescription for lethal drugs," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Abortion Advocacy Group Launches New Web Site Attacking John McCain
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A leading abortion advocacy group has launched a new web site attacking presidential candidate John McCain and saying it exposes his "real record" on abortion. NARAL president Nancy Keenan has gone after McCain over the last few weeks saying her supporters don't all know that McCain opposes abortion. The new web site is an effort to get pro-abortion voters to "meet the real McCain," Keenan told donors Tuesday in an email LifeNews.com received. "Since he's so fond of 'straight talk,' let's be blunt - John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, is staunchly, rigidly, undeniably anti-choice," Keenan said. "But to hear the media and absorb the conventional wisdom, you'd never know it," she worried. "It's time we strip off the 'maverick' disguise and reveal the anti-choice stalwart beneath - the real McCain." Keenan says the new web site has already received visits from over 12,000 people but she is hoping for 327,001 to visit. That's the number of people her group says it reached during the 2006 Congressional elections. Full story at LifeNews.com..

Members of Congress Sign Letter Asking For Complete Cut in Abstinence Funding Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Several dozen members of Congress, all abortion advocates, have signed a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey asking him to cut all funds for abstinence education. They don't want any money spent in the FY 2009 Health and Human Services appropriations bill spent on abstinence. Congressman Jim Moran, a pro-abortion Virginia Democrat, led the letter campaign and gathered the signatures of 76 of his Congressional colleagues. "We urge you to reconsider funding for the [abstinence programs] and to devote those dollars to other more effective programs," the letter reads.
They want the money axed from the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program. It called "an important first step" Obey's decision last year to not increase the current level of funding despite requests from President Bush to do so. The letter complains that $1 billion has been spent on abstinence education programs and the letter claims several studies shows them ineffective. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Baby Whose Mother Saved Her From Abortion Gets Life-Saving Heart Surgery Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com)

-- Twenty-three year old Avery Milne received terrible news from doctors about her unborn child during her pregnancy. Mommy-to-be found out her unborn child Bela had little chance of survival as she was afflicted with a rare combination of Turner syndrome and hypoplastic left-heart syndrome. Turner syndrome occurs in about 1 out of every 2500 female births and female sexual characteristics are present but generally underdeveloped. In hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, the left side of the heart -- including the aorta, aortic valve, left ventricle and mitral valve -- is underdeveloped. Babies with this syndrome become ashen, have rapid and difficult breathing and have difficulty feeding. Together the conditions made Bela's prognosis so poor that physicians suggested Milne consider an abortion because they didn't know if Bela would live or die. "It was just a shock to find out because they didn't know what to tell me," Milne said. "It was just a big guessing game until she was born." Avery declined and, shortly after Bela's birth, doctors performed a new procedure that is minimally invasive but allowed them to correct the problems with Bela's heath without stopping it. Full story at LifeNews.com.

China Court Hears of Man Who Killed Pregnant Wife After Abortion Refusal
Beijing, China (LifeNews.com)

-- A Chinese man appeared before a court on trial for killing his pregnant wife after stabbing her more than 30 times following her refusal to have an abortion. Chen Min had accused his wife of having an affair and having someone else's baby, but he has admitted he knew he was the father of the child. Shanghai No. 1 Prosecutors' Office said the 30-year-old man killed his wife after she refused his suggestion to have an abortion. During the trial prosecutors added that DNA tests confirmed Chen was the father of the baby. Xiao Ying was five months pregnant at the time of her death and she became pregnant one month after the couple met. They were married last July, according to a Shanghai Daily report. Prosecutors say Chen twice tried to talk Xiao into having an abortion and, after the second refusal, he grabbed a knife and repeatedly stabbed her in the stomach and chest. Last December, in another case, a Chinese man was sentenced to death for burning his girlfriend and causing her severe burns after she refused to have a sex-selection abortion. Full story at LifeNews.com

The Siren Call of Barack Obama -- Part Two of Two

It is by now a commonplace that what launched the career of pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama was his "electrifying speech" (as it is often described) to the 2004 Democratic national convention, the same year he was running for the Senate from Illinois. But it can be argued that what really elevated Obama from crowd pleaser to rock star was his "Call to Renewal" keynote speech delivered at a "Faith, Values and Politics" forum sponsored by Sojourners magazine. The forum can probably best be seen as a dry run, testing themes that would help a party dominated by secularists to "get right" with people of faith. The speech seems to be largely an abridged and slightly altered version of what Obama wrote in his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope. The following analysis of his observations on abortion will move back and forth between the shorter speech and the longer and more in-depth observations found in the book. (TIME magazine ran the relevant excerpt when The Audacity of Hope was first published. You can find it at www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546298,00.html.) I hope it is obvious that I would not take issue with Obama's call for civility when debating abortion. Nor would I find fault with what he says was his decision to take down from his web page what Obama described as "within the bubble of Democratic Party politics … standard boilerplate [on abortion], designed to fire up the base." The words were his staff's, not his, Obama writes, and he removed the language in response to a thoughtful letter from a physician. The gentleman was considering voting for his opponent not because of "my position on abortion as such," Obama writes, but because of the aforementioned "standard boilerplate" which included the usual cant about "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." So far, so good. However, from that point on, although leavened with a powerful narrative of his faith journey, the discussion heads south. Obama writes about an exchange with a pro-life couple who, along with their children and a few others, was standing outside a building where he was to give a speech. After listening to the man, Obama writes that: "I told him I understood his position but had to disagree with it. I explained my belief that few women made the decision to terminate a pregnancy casually; that any pregnant woman felt the full force of the moral issues involved and wrestled with her conscience when making that decision."
Complete story: The Siren Call of Barack Obama -- Part 2

March 14, 2008

The Siren Call of Barack Obama -- Part One of Two

Editor's note. Please send your comments to daveandrusko@hotmail.com.
By the time we finally reach the day when a bitterly divided Democratic Party has to choose a presidential nominee, I strongly suspect that more than a few voters will be telling themselves that on abortion pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama is "better" than pro-abortion Hillary Clinton. How can that be, you might ask, when both sing full-throatedly from the same pro-abortion songbook? Well, it's certainly not that the junior senator from Illinois has a voting record on abortion less uniformly pro-abortion than the junior senator from New York. Take a minute and go to NARAL's webpage (www.prochoiceamerica.org/elections/statements/obama.html).
There you find a thumbs up to Obama for his 100% pro-abortion record for 2005–07. Not a single deviation, no sir. NARAL includes several of Obama's full-bore expressions of enthusiastic support for abortion in general, Roe v. Wade in particular, and staunch opposition to the Supreme Court for upholding a ban on partial-birth abortion. For those who don't remember, they are called "partial-birth" abortions because this "procedure" crushes skulls and vacuums out brains of children inches away from full delivery. And at the top of its web page is Obama's statement to NARAL: "A woman's ability to decide how many children to have and when, without interference from the government, is one of the most fundamental rights we possess. It is not just an issue of choice, but equality and opportunity for all women. "I have consistently advocated for reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. I oppose any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's ruling in this case.
COmplete story: "The Siren Call of Barack Obama

Pro-Abortion Group Calls John McCain's Abortion Opposition "Best Kept Secret" Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A leading pro-abortion group says John McCain's position against abortion the "best-kept secret in politics" and continued to attack the likely Republican nominee. NARAL president Nancy Keenan sent a fundraising letter to her group's supporters on Wednesday and urged them to make his pro-life views more well known. "You want some straight talk? John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, is anti-choice - period," Keenan starts off the letter. "But thanks to a well-cultivated, media-abetted "maverick" image, McCain's anti-choice record is the best-kept secret in politics," Keenan adds. "The fact is, during a quarter century in Congress, Sen. McCain has shown nothing but contempt," for abortion, she explained. "Funding for discredited Bush "abstinence-only" programs - he's for it. Clarence Thomas, John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court - he's for them." Ultimately, Keenan worries that unsuspecting voters who support her group's position that all abortions should remain legal and funded with taxpayer dollars won't found out about McCain's views until it's too late. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Bank of America, Wachovia Accused of Denying Gifts to Abortion Business
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A pro-life organization that monitors corporations that provide contributions to Planned Parenthood says Bank of America and Wachovia need to come clean about donations the companies have made to the nation's largest abortion business. Both corporations appear on Life Decisions International's boycott list. LDI president Douglas Scott tells LifeNews.com that "Bank of America continues to play word games in an attempt to mislead consumers" and "Wachovia is not any better." The pro-life says Bank of America Foundation President Andrew Plepler defended the donations to Planned Parenthood saying they are "primarily" driven by its employees through a matching gifts program. Scott says the wording leaves the door open to the question of whether Bank of America is also funding Planned Parenthood outside of its program to support its employees' charitable gifts. He says LDI has been trying since 2003 to get company officials to answer the question without success. Meanwhile, Scott says Wachovia has told customers it has not made donations to Planned Parenthood for many years. Yet, Scott points to an article in the Weekly Standard magazine last year saying otherwise. Full story at LifeNews.com

Lawsuit: California Planned Parenthood Overcharged State Millions for Birth Control Los Angeles, CA (LifeNews.com)

-- A former Planned Parenthood official has filed a lawsuit against affiliates in California saying they overcharged the state hundreds of millions of dollars on birth control. P. Victor Gonzalez says the abortion business fired him because he raised concerns about the illegal practices. Gonzalez says his own internal audit estimates that Planned parenthood overcharged California taxpayers for purchasing birth control by at least $180 million. He was the vice president of finance and administration for Planned Parenthood of Los Angles and, according to a Los Angeles Times report, the overbilling began in the late 1990s. While other public health facilities and private facilities charged the state between $8 and $9 for a cycle of birth control pills, Planned Parenthood charged almost $12. The Planned Parenthood charge to the California government was several times more than it paid for the drugs originally. That practice occurred until former state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara sponsored legislation allowing Planned Parenthood to charge more based on concerns the abortion business presented her that it would suffer financial problems without it. However, altering the statute didn't address the billing practices prior to it and the Times says a 2003 state audit found at least $5.2 million in overbilling in 2003 alone from just one of the nine California Planned Parenthood affiliates. Full story at LifeNews.com..

Catholic School Boycotts Parade Over Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Funds
Chicago, IL (LifeNews.com)

-- A Catholic high school in Illinois boycotted Sunday's South Side Irish Parade because some of the money raised form the event will fund a group that supports embryonic stem cell research. The parade has been an annual event since 1979, but part of the funds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which backs the controversial research. Archdiocese of Chicago didn't name the school with the concerns, but an official spoke with local media about the problems. Mary Louise Kurey, director of the archdiocese’s Respect Life office, told the Chicago Tribune, "We live in a sinful world where there are many problems. We want to promote life saving cures of these diseases." "That's an extension of the respect life message. But we do want to make sure the organizations that are working toward this mission respect all human life," she added. JDRF has come under fire for supporting embryonic stem cell research, which requires the destruction of human life for scientists to obtain stem cells. William Ahearn, JDRF's vice president of strategic communications, admitted to the Tribune that JDRF directed $5 million to the controversial science last year. Full story at LifeNews.com.

American Idol Under Fire for Second Program Supporting Pro-Abortion Groups Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com)

-- Popular television talent show American Idol is under fire again for a second anti-poverty campaign that will funnel donations to international groups that support abortion. The program has aligned itself with Save the Children and UNICEF, two groups that actively work with pro-abortion organizations. Last year, the project generated more than $75 million and, this year, American Idol will air its second Idol Gives Back program on April 9, 2008. As was the case before, several celebrities will appear on the show to urge Americans to make a donation. Life Decisions International, an American pro-life group that organizes boycotts of companies that support the Planned Parenthood abortion business, tells LifeNews.com that UNICEF has a long history of supporting abortion. As recently as October UNICEF sponsored a campaign that included a call for "safe abortions." Meanwhile, LDI tells LifeNews.com that Save the Children has a "working relationship" with several pro-abortion groups. "It is laudable that the people involved with American Idol want to help the poor," LDI president Doug Scott told LifeNews.com. "But it is tragic that they would choose to do so through groups like UNICEF and Save the Children." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Pro-Abortion Group Honors Abortion Practitioners, Ignores Illegal Activities
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- The national trade group for abortion businesses issued a statement on Monday honoring abortion practitioners across the country. However, the National Abortion Federation ignored the significant number of abortion practitioners who lost their medical licenses for breaking the law or abusing patients. In 1996, abortion advocates named March 10 as a day to honor abortion practitioners for killing unborn children and injuring women through abortion. However, the celebrants of the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers have never acknowledged how these abortion practitioners frequently violate the law. Vicki Saporta, the president of NAF, said she was proud to celebrate the day to "honor the men and women who ... make reproductive choice a reality." '[A]bortion providers remain dedicated to protecting the lives and health of women by providing them with quality reproductive health care," Saporta said. "[T]he men and women who brave this path are truly heroes." As LifeNews.com has reported and as pro-life nurse Jill Stanek noted in a recent editorial, abortion practitioners continue to violate the law and, in some cases, are losing medical licenses and facing jail time as a result. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Medical Waste, Patient Records Found in Michigan Abortion Center Dumpster Lathrup Village, MI (LifeNews.com)

-- Acting on a tip from a local pro-life group, Michigan officials have found parts of unborn children, medical waste and patient records in a dumpster outside an abortion center. The potentially illegal dumping occurred outside the WomanCare abortion center on Southfield Road and the contents are believed to be from the abortion business. Sgt. Vincent Lynch of the Lathrup Village Police Department told the Detroit Free Press newspaper that a local pro-life group tipped off officials about the problems. He said the contents of the dumpster were inspected and cataloged and a licensed hazardous waste hauler removed the contents. Lynch also indicated local officials will investigate the improper disposal of medical records -- a surprise given abortion advocates' refusal to turn over medical records in other cases in other states citing supposed privacy violations. According to Lynch, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will conduct a probe into the medical waste, including surgical pads, gloves and other items found in the dumpster along with the records. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Revisionist History: Misrepresenting President Ronald Reagan's Abortion Record by Samantha Singson

Conservative voters long for another Ronald Reagan as president and his deeply felt pro-life views are still alluring to pro-life people long after his administration. Pro-life advocates always felt Reagan was "one of us" and understood their passion to protect unborn children -- but some revisionist historians would like nothing more than to confuse the record. By misrepresenting President Reagan's abortion record, these historians can confuse and divide the grassroots pro-life community and make it more difficult to rally around future presidential candidate. Florida State University associate professor of history Michael Creswell is the latest to engage in the practice. In a Tuesday editorial, Creswell accuses pro-life advocates of "remembering Reagan's record selectively" and claimed "Reagan often embraced policies sharply at odds with conservative philosophy." "Almost all conservatives oppose abortion," Creswell writes. "But in 1967, only four months into his first term as governor of California, Reagan signed into law a bill that resulted in millions of abortions due to a provision in the bill allowing abortions for the well-being of the mother." Creswell conveniently tells just half of the story. And if his recounting of the history of Reagan's abortion actions ended there, pro-life advocates would have reason to be concerned. But the facts go well beyond Creswell's revisionist history. In the 2005 book "Essential Ronald Reagan," writer Lee Edwards points out that Reagan felt duped into signing the measure because his legal advisors told him it would leave the vast majority of abortions illegal. He writes that Reagan came to "deeply" regret signing the bill. Full story at LifeNews.com.

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer Resigns But David Paterson Backs Abortion
Albany, NY (LifeNews.com)

-- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned his post on Tuesday after a national scandal involving his participating for six year sin a prostitution ring. However, when it comes to pro-life issues, Spitzer will be replaced on Monday by Lt. Governor David Paterson, who strongly supports abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Spitzer's first action as Attorney General was to try to close down crisis pregnancy centers in the state by claiming they misled women when giving them tangible abortion alternatives. He later proposed an abortion bill so radical it would overturn every pro-life limit on the books, make legalized abortion the law of the state and force Catholic hospitals to do abortions. Ironically, while Spitzer had to cancel a speech before the Family Planning Advocates of New York State on Monday to address the scandal, Paterson made the trip for him. In a letter to the group at its conference lat year, Paterson said he had "attended many FPA conferences in the past" and "know the importance of this event for" promoting abortion in New York. He applauded the group's efforts "to keep abortion safe and legal" saying it "benefited women and families throughout the state" and the pro-abortion group's "leadership on these issues has made New York a model for other states." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Jack Kevorkian Plans Run for Congress in Michigan Against Pro-Life Advocate Detroit, MI (LifeNews.com)

-- Convicted murderer and assisted suicide crusader Jack Kevorkian plans to run for Congress from his hometown in the Detroit area. The former pathologist has admitted to killing more than 130 people, including the televised death of Thomas Youk netted him a 25-year prison sentence. Kevorkian told the Oakland Press on Wednesday he plans to run as an independent for Michigan's 9th Congressional district. "We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington," Kevorkian said. "I plan to" run as an independent, he said. "I wouldn't do this otherwise." Kevorkian picked up petitions on Tuesday from the Oakland County Clerk's Office to get voters to sign to qualify him for the ballot. Should Kevorkian make the bid official by gathering the necessary 3,000 signatures, he would face pro-life Rep. Joe Knollenberg, a Republican who strongly opposes both abortion and euthanasia. Full story at LifeNews.com

James Dobson: Future Pro-Life Leaders Needed With Death of Christian Advocates Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Dr. James Dobson is concerned that the old guard of Christian pro-life leaders is passing away and that new leaders are needed to take their place. During a speech at the National Religious Broadcasters conference, Dobson noted the recent passing of pro-life advocates like Jerry Falwell and Rev. D. James Kennedy. He noted that other pro-life luminaries like himself, Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, and Chuck Swindoll are aging and that new pro-life leaders are needed. "It causes me to wonder who will be left to carry the banner when this generation of leaders is gone," Dobson told the convention. "The question is, will the younger generation heed the call? Who will defend the unborn child in the years to come? Who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world?" "Who in the next generation will be willing to take the heat, when it's so much safer and more comfortable to avoid controversial subjects," Dobson added. Full story at LifeNews.com..

February 18, 2008

ll Clinton Lashes Out at Pro-Life Advocates During Ohio Stop for Hillary
Steubenville, OH (LifeNews.com)

-- Former president Bill Clinton made a campaign stop for Hillary in Steubenville, Ohio on Sunday and found himself greeted by more than 100 pro-life students from nearby Steubenville University. According to eye witnesses accounts, Clinton lost his temper and lashed out at the pro-life students during the speech. Clinton's heated response came after being questioned on his support of abortion-on-demand. "I gave you the answer. We disagree with you," Clinton said about the position he and Hillary Clinton hold on abortion. Clinton relied on the old argument that pr-life advocates want to put women in prison, even though abortion bans have never targeted women because they are a second victim in the abortion process. "You want to criminalize women and their doctors and we disagree,” he said of the pro-life advocates. “If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison. And you won't say you want to do that because you know that because you know that you wouldn't have a lick of political support,” he added. Full story at LifeNews.com.

University of North Carolina Prof Suggests Abortion for Down Syndrome Babies Chapel Hill, NC (LifeNews.com)

-- A University of North Carolina professor is under fire for suggesting that parents who discover their unborn child will have Down syndrome should have abortions. The comments offended one student who has a brother with the condition and highlighted attempts by disabilities groups to head off abortion as a solution to the disability. Professor Albert Harris told his embryology students last week that babies who have Down syndrome should be aborted. "In my opinion, the moral thing for older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during pregnancy as is safe for the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21, and abort the fetus if it does," he said. Harris has taught at the college for 35 years and he told the newspaper he's made the pro-abortion statement several times before in an attempt to spark discussion. He told the newspaper he has no apologies for the remark. "I know somebody who had a child like this, and it ruined their life," he said. ACTION: Contact UNC about Professor Harris at Office of the Chancellor, 103 South Building, Campus Box 9100, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-9100. Email chancellor@unc.edu, call (919) 962-1365 or fax (919) 962-1647. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Catholic Belmont Abbey College Honors Pro-Life Values on Abortion Coverage

Belmont Abbey College is one of the few Catholic colleges in the southeastern United States, located about ten miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. Unfortunately, its president and chancellor are currently embroiled in a defense of the college’s Catholic identity against eight faculty members who insist on insurance coverage for voluntary sterilization, abortion, and contraception. Founded by Benedictine Monks in 1876, Belmont Abbey College has 120 faculty and 1,200 students. Under its new president, Dr. William Thierfelder, the college has begun to get national attention with an aggressive and innovative advertising campaign. I talked with Ken Davison, Vice President for College Relations, about the sequence of events that led to the present controversy. The college asked its insurance carrier, Wellpath, to meet with faculty and staff to brief them on their various insurance options. Following the meeting, a faculty member, reading the documents closely, discovered the coverage for voluntary sterilization, abortion, and contraception, and alerted the administration by e-mail. The president immediately asked Wellpath to remove this coverage, since they ran contrary to Catholic teaching. Full story at LifeNews.com.

New Zealand Abortions Wrongly Classified as Mentally Necessary, Prof Challenges Wellington, New Zealand (LifeNews.com)

-- The New Zealand government has released new figures for abortions there showing 17,934 abortions in 2006. The Abortion Supervisory Committee Report also determined that 98.9% of the abortions were approved on mental health grounds, but a leading abortion researcher challenges that contention. The abortion reporting agency indicated having abortions will prevent women from developing mental health problems. But, Professor David Fergusson of Canterbury University, challenges that notion and points to his own working showing women who have abortions are 40 percent more likely to have mental health problems. His 2005 study found nearly half of women who had abortions "had elevated rates of subsequent mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors and substance abuse disorders.” Ferguson wants the committee to commission more research and "have an assessment six months later to see what the evidence is revealing.” "That would have been the responsible and sensible course of action to take," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Terri Schiavo's Family Lobbies Canadian Hospital on Samuel Golubchuck's Behalf Winnipeg, Canada (LifeNews.com)

-- The family of Terri Schiavo is coming to the aide of Samuel Golubchuck and has lobbied a hospital in Canada to not revoke his food and water or his lifesaving medical treatment. The Schindler family's help comes just as Golubchuck's family celebrated a court decision in their favor. Golubchuck's family won a victory this past week when a court issued an injunction preventing Grace General Hospital from removing Samuel Golubchuck's life support and killing him. His family has been arguing with hospital officials who claim he is to far gone to receive proper medical care. Grace Hospital will not be allowed to remove the respirator, dehydrate, or starve Golubchuck while the family presents more evidence at a trial. The family is getting help from Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo's brother, who says their situation is worse because they are in agreement about Golubchuck's care but are fighting hospital officials who are bent on letting him die. "We're against what the hospital is doing," Schindler told the Canadian Press. "This is alarming when you have hospitals making these decisions." Schindler said he wrote hospital officials on Samuel's behalf and, "They did respond, but it basically said they were giving the gentleman the best care they could." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Pro-Abortion Magazine “The Nation” Paints Worldwide Pro-Life Group as Racist Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A leading magazine with a pro-abortion slant has painted an international pro-life group as racist because it is concerned about the severe underpopulation problems plaguing, Europe, Russia, Japan and other parts of the world. The magazine will release an article on the World Congress of Families in its March 3 issue. The article, "Missing: The 'Right' Babies," written by reporter Kathryn Joyce, attempts to paint the pro-life group and others sounding the alarm about the coming demographic winter as concerned only with preserving the white majority of Europe and the United States. The organization told LifeNews.com that characterization is ironic given that the population control movement, which The Nation supports, was started by Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger to limit the birth of ethnic populations. The group said the article calls the World Congress of Families an organization made up mostly of “Mormon, Catholic and evangelicals” and “token links” to Jews, Muslins or others with a pro-life perspective who aren’t of European decent. But Alan Carlson, the international secretary of the group, told LifeNews.com that the organization has worldwide support from nations and ethnic groups considered minorities in the United States and Europe. ACTION: Send your complaints to The Nation, 33 Irving Place New York, New York 10003, (p) 212-209-5400, (f) 212-982-9000, or send a letter to the editor. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Ohio Policeman Bobby Cutts Guilty of Killing Pregnant Girlfriend, Unborn Child Canton, OH (LifeNews.com)

-- Former Canton police officer Bobby Cutts was found guilty on Friday of killing his pregnant girlfriend Jesse Davis and her nine-month unborn child Chloe. After deliberating for more than 21 hours about the case, the jury of six men and six women reached a unanimous verdict. The case is one of the latest to draw the nation's attention to violence against pregnant women and how they are frequently targeted because of their pregnancy. The jury found Cutts guilty of aggravated murder in the death of Chloe and guilty of a lesser murder charge related to Davis' death. Because Chloe's death occurred during the commission of another crime, Ohio law makes Cutts eligible for the death penalty. During the trial, Cutts sobbed on the witness stand as he admitted killing Davis and Chloe, though he claimed their deaths were an accident and he didn't mean to harm them. Prosecutors contended Cutts strangled Davis because of disagreements about child support and financial issues. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Mike Huckabee Vows to Continue Campaign Despite John McCain's Inevitability Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- John McCain may be the inevitable Republican nominee, but GOP hopeful Mike Huckabee says he's in the race to stay until one of the candidates winds up with the delegates needed to officially capture the nomination. Huckabee and his supporters appear to want to continue pressing pro-life themes as long as possible. “People ask me, why am I staying in this race? Well, first of all, I got in it to win and I’m staying in it to win," Huckabee told a crowd of 500 supporters in Wisconsin. “If nobody gets 1,191 delegates before the convention, then we’ll settle it at the convention like it used to be done in the old days and I’ll take my chances there like anybody else," he added, according to a CBS News report. Huckabee appears to want to carry the banner for issues he hopes McCain will press during the campaign -- ones that chagrin pro-life voters and conservatives on other topics. “In many ways, the discussion over the next several weeks is not just about the next election, it is about the next generation,” he said. "It’s not just about the politics of the Republican party, it’s about the principles of the Republican party." Full story at LifeNews.com.

How lying marketers sold Roe v Wade to America

"Women must have control over their own bodies."
"Safe and legal abortion is every woman's right."
"Who decides? You decide!"
"Abortion is a personal decision between a woman and her doctor."
"Who will make this most personal decision of a woman's life? Will women decide, or will the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington?"
"Freedom of choice – a basic American right."
In one of the most successful marketing campaigns in modern political history, the "abortion rights movement" – with all of its emotionally compelling catch-phrases and powerful political slogans – has succeeded in turning what once was a heinous crime into a fiercely defended constitutional right. During the tumultuous 1960s, after centuries of legal prohibition and moral condemnation of abortion, a handful of dedicated activists launched an unprecedented marketing campaign.
Their aim was twofold: first, to capture the news media and thus public opinion, and then, to change the nation'sabortion laws.Their success was rapid and total – resulting in abortion being legalized in all 50 states, for virtually any reason, and throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Since the Supreme Court's controversial Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, American doctors have performed well over 40 million abortions.
Although polls consistently show a clear majority of Americans disapprove of unfettered abortion-on-demand, the movement's well-crafted, almost magical slogans – appealing to Americans' deeply rooted inclination toward tolerance, privacy and individual rights – have provided the abortion camp a powerful rhetorical arsenal with which to fight off efforts to reverse Roe, which struck down all state laws outlawing abortion.
Complete story: How lying marketers sold Roe v. Wade to America - David Kupelian

February 15, 2008

Catholic Bishops in Kentucky Say Abortion the Top Priority for Pro-Life Voters
Frankfort, KY (LifeNews.com) -- The Catholic bishops in Kentucky have released a joint letter making clear that, for pro-life Catholic voters, abortion should be the top issue considered when heading to the polls. With a presidential election featuring a clear contrast on abortion, the letter will motivate many Catholics to get involved. The bishops of each of the four Catholic dioceses in Kentucky released the letter, entitled "Reverence for Life: Conscience and Faithful Citizenship." "Our religious beliefs affirm basic human rights and obligations that are essential to the fabric of our social life. In particular, respect for human life is numbered among those basic values that underpin the very foundation of civilization," they wrote. "The recognition of abortion on demand as (a) legal situation that sanctions an intolerable moral evil calls for a response," they added. "A moral evil that negates a public good demands the exercise of a moral responsibility to limit and eliminate that evil." Full story at LifeNews.com

Abortion Backers Can't Ignore New York Times Story That Babies Feel Pain
by Laura Echevarria

Sunday’s New York Times contained an article that was out of the ordinary—at least for the New York Times. “The First Ache” by Annie Murphy Paul was a balanced look at the issue of fetal pain. Pioneering the field of fetal pain is Dr. Kanwaljeet (Sunny) Anand. Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Anand was a resident in the neonatal intensive care unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England. Many of his patients were preterm infants in need of surgery and Dr. Anand soon discovered that infants returning from surgery were in significant distress and he had to spend considerable time stabilizing them. Getting permission to observe the surgeries, Dr. Anand realized that the problem was likely that these tiny children were given a paralytic to hold them still during surgery but no anesthesia. The assumption was that their nervous system was too immature to register pain. Dr. Anand thought the opposite was true. Full story at LifeNews.com..

Study Finds Women Who Have Abortions Experience Post-Traumatic Stress
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A new study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry finds that women who have abortions typically experience high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings mirror other research reports showing women are more likely to suffer mental health issues following abortions compared with keeping the baby. The study appeared in the July 2007 issue of the professional psychological publication but it only coming to light now. The research involved 155 women from South Africa who had abortions and were evaluated one month and three months afterwards. Approximately 20 percent of the women had post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms just one month later. The results led the authors to note that "high rates of PTSD characterize women who have undergone voluntary pregnancy termination. Looking at the women three months after the abortion, the number of women experiencing the PTSD symptoms increased 61 percent. Dr. David Reardon, the head of the Elliot Institute and a post-abortion research who has been involved in more than a dozen studies documenting the psychological impact of abortion on women, notified LifeNews.com of the new study. "The abortion industry should not be subjecting women to a procedure that is likely to increase or cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress or other mental health problems," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Portland, Oregon Pro-Life Advocates Lobby Builder of New Abortion Business Portland, OR (LifeNews.com)

-- Pro-life advocates are lobbying the builder of a new abortion center in the heart of the black community in Oregon's largest city. They hope Ankrom Moisan Architects will step down from its position as the main designer of the new abortion business Planned Parenthood is building. Bill Diss, a member of St. Francis Parish in Sherwood, is organizing a prayer vigil in opposition to the firm's involvement. He says the firm is taking a double standard by having previously built a Catholic assisted living center and a Catholic school and now building an abortion facility. “How can they build a worship center one day and a place that kills babies the next day?” he told the Catholic Sentinel newspaper. ACTION: Contact Ankrom Moisan Architects and urge it to withdraw from building the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Contact it at 6720 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97219, phone (503) 245-7100, fax a letter to (503) 245-7710, or use the form here to send an email message. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Washington Pro-Abortion Groups Upset Drug Stores Not Selling Morning After Pill Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com)

-- Abortion advocates in Washington are upset that drug stores are not all making the morning after pill available for sale. The Washington affiliate of NARAL conducted a statewide survey and claims about 10 percent of the drug stores do no sell the Plan B pill, which can cause an abortion in some cases. The group says its survey found those stores either do not sell the drug or have a pharmacist who refused to dispense it. Karen Cooper, the head of the pro-abortion group, held a news conference and told reporters that the group surveyed 80 percent of the pharmacies in the state and she said some of the pharmacists refused to answer her questions. Warren Hall, the head of the Washington State Pharmacy Association, told AP he doesn't think the NARAL figures are correct. He said one of his three pharmacies shows up on NARAL's list as refusing to dispense the drug even though he sells it to customers. The state has over 1,000 pharmacies and whether pharmacists should be forced to dispense the controversial drug has been a major debate. Full story at LifeNews.com.

John McCain's Campaign Begins Effort to Reach Out to Pro-Life Voters
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- John McCain's presidential campaign is beginning its effort to reach out to pro-life voters now that the Arizona senator is a virtual lock to become the Republican nominee. Campaign staffers talked with CBN News correspondent David Brody about the efforts to work with pro-life advocates to oppose Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Brody writes in an article on Wednesday that McCain has already started calling top pro-life leaders across the country in an effort to assure them he will carry the pro-life banner on abortion as president. He says McCain hopes to build a network of top pro-life advocates like Sen. Sam Brownback and Gary Bauer, both former presidential candidates, to make his case. "The sales pitch to social conservatives is basically this: McCain is solidly pro-life, he'll be good on judges and do you really want a Democrat in the White House?" Brody writes. Brody says the argument about judges -- namely that Obama and Clinton will appoint judges who will keep abortions legal for another 35 years while McCain would likely appoint judges who will be willing to overturn Roe v. Wade -- is a "compelling one." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Canada Court Prevents Hospital From Killing Samuel Golubchuk in Euthanasia Winnipeg, Canada (LifeNews.com)

-- The family of Samuel Golubchuck won a victory on Wednesday when a court issued an injunction preventing Grace General Hospital in Winnipeg from removing Samuel Golubchuk's life support and killing him. His family has been arguing with hospital officials who claim he is to far gone to receive proper medical care. Grace Hospital will not be allowed to remove the respirator, dehydrate, or starve Golubchuck while the family presents more evidence at a trial. Samuel Golubchuk is an elderly Jewish man who is on life support. His children are strongly opposed to removing him from a ventilator and feeding tube and have cited Jewish law which forbids such actions depriving people of their right to life. The children also say that their father would oppose the stopping of lifesaving medical care if he could express his treatment wishes. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Senate Questions Pro-Life Judicial Nominee Richard Honaker on Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday held a hearing on Wyoming pro-life advocate Richard Honaker for a federal district court judge post. Honaker told members of the committee he would not legislate from the bench but at least one pro-abortion member of the panel said his answers weren't good enough. Honaker, an attorney and former state legislator, received an appointment from President Bush to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. Pro-abortion groups have fiercely opposed Honaker's nomination because of his efforts to prohibit abortions in Wyoming. He is known in pro-life circles for proposing the Human Life Protection Act in the state legislature in 1991 and was behind a subsequent state ballot vote in 1994. Voters defeated the ballot measure that year. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, most strongly questioned Honaker on abortion and his legislation to make abortion illegal in Wyoming. Honaker confirmed his legislation was an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade but he said his role as a legislator is “absolutely contrary” to the role a judge plays and promised he would not legislate from the bench. ACTION: Contact your senator and urge support for Richard Honaker's nomination by calling 202-224-3121 or going to http://www.senate.gov. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Catholic College in Texas Under Fire for Hosting Pro-Abortion Hillary Clinton Rally San Antonio, TX (LifeNews.com)

-- A Catholic college in Texas is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for hosting a rally for pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Clinton's campaign has set up a rally at Greehey Auditorium on the campus of St. Mary's University and Catholic leaders there are concerned. News of the rally reached San Antonio Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, who said the Catholic educational institution is wrong to give Clinton a platform to air views that go against Catholic Church teaching against abortion. "Our Catholic institutions must promote the clear understanding of our deep moral convictions on an issue like abortion, an act that the Church calls 'an unspeakable crime' and a non-negotiable issue," he said. "It is clear that the records of Senator Clinton and some of the other candidates for President on important life issues are not consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church," Gomez said. ACTION: Send your comments about the Clinton event to St. Mary's University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, Texas 78228, call (210) 436-3011 or go here to send an email note. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Battle Over Samuel Golubchuk, Canada's Terri Schiavo, Advances "Futile Care"

Wesley J. Smith, a noted bioethicist and attorney, says euthanasia is becoming less and less about a patient's "choice" and more about a so-called duty to die. He said euthanasia advocates "will impose the duty to die, first through futile care theory--which is just beginning now--and then later through more explicitly terminating actions." He worries cases like Golubchuk's will advance the notion that doctors or medical bean-counters will have a significant influence over who lives and dies. Smith says "doctors are presuming the right to terminate Mr. Golubchuk's life support and have the temerity to claim that they have the right to decide when the burden of treatment outweighs the benefit of being alive." "If futile care theory prevails, what in the world makes anyone think that the forced removal of people from wanted treatment will stop at the ICU?" Smith concludes. "People who only need feeding tubes will soon be dehydrated (if they are not lethally injected first), and care will be rationed based on other criteria." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Catholic Archbishop Warns Pro-Life Voters on Supporting Pro-Abortion Candidates Denver, CO (LifeNews.com)

-- Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput says pro-life Catholics should only considering backing pro-abortion politicians in very limited circumstances -- such as cases when both candidates are pro-abortion. Even then, Chaput admonished Catholics to lobby the candidate to change his abortion views. Chaput addressed the thorny issue of abortion and voting during a speech at the new Augustine Institute, a Catholic graduate school in Denver. Asked whether Catholics should not vote or vote for the candidate who is least pro-abortion, Chaput said "there's no one Catholic answer to the question." "If you're a Democrat can you legitimately vote for someone who is pro-choice? I imagine so," Chaput told the audience, according to a Rocky Mountain News report. However, Catholics shouldn't vote for pro-abortion candidates without making a concerned effort to tell them their views are wrong. "But you have to tell them forcefully you want them to change . . . voting is (just) the minimum," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com.

February 12, 2008

Pro-Life Leader Gary Bauer Endorses John McCain for President, Cites Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Gary Bauer, the former Republican presidential candidate and chairman of pro-family group America's Values, issued an endorsement of John McCain for president on Monday. The pro-life advocate cited McCain's opposition to abortion -- in contrast to the pro-abortion positions of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- as a main reason. "John McCain has dedicated his life to defending human rights around the world, including the rights of the unborn," Bauer told LifeNews.com in a statement. "I admire his consistent 24-year pro-life record and demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong," Bauer added. "I am proud to support John McCain for president." McCain said he appreciated the support of the former president of the Family Research Council. "I have long admired Gary's commitment and passion for our shared pro-life and pro-family values," the Arizona senator said in receiving the endorsement. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Planned Parenthood Radio Ad Bashes John McCain for Opposing Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood has joined its colleague NARAL in launching an attack on John McCain because of his pro-life position and voting record against abortion. However, the abortion business went further by airing the first advertisement blasting McCain and saying he would oppose abortion as president. The 60-second ad started on Sunday and will air in the Washington, D.C. area through Tuesday as voters in Maryland, Virginia and the nation's capital head to the polls in the next Republican primaries. In the ad, Planned Parenthood's Action Fund says McCain has voted against abortion throughout his entire career and supports overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed unlimited abortions. The ad attacks McCain, saying he has an “anti-choice” stance on abortion and that his “plan to outlaw abortion threatens the lives and health of women.” “I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned," the ad says. "That’s John McCain, not Mike Huckabee, and those are his real views. Even though John McCain knows what’s at risk, he wants abortion to be illegal again, just like it used to be," it adds. The radio spot adds that McCain has a “zero percent rating from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the lowest rating in the US Senate." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Pro-Life Advocate: Mike Huckabee Should Stay In to Lobby McCain on Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A leading pro-life advocate who works on international population and abortion issues says Mike Huckabee should stay in the Republican presidential race. Steven Mosher, the head of the Population Research Institute, believes Huckabee's presence will help John McCain acknowledge he needs to strengthen his pro-life views. "The pro-life cause benefits from Governor Huckabee's continued presence in the race," Mosher tells LifeNews.com. "Of all the candidates, Huckabee has run the most gracious--and issues oriented--campaign," Mosher explains. "That means that, as long as Huckabee is in the race, McCain will be forced to address the issues that separate him from his conservative, pro-life base." Full story at LifeNews.com

Barack Obama Tops Hillary Clinton in Maine, 20 Delegates Behind for Nomination Augusta, ME (LifeNews.com)

-- Barack Obama captured another victory in the Maine Democratic caucus on Sunday by a good margin over Hillary Clinton. The win landed the pro-abortion Illinois senator another 15 delegates to nine for Clinton and helped bring him to only a 20 delegate deficit on the way to the nomination. With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Obama captured the support of 59 percent of Maine Democrats compared to just 40 percent for Clinton. As a result of the victory, CNN estimates that Obama now has 1,121 delegates -- just a short step behind Clinton, who has 1,148 pledged delegates and super delegates. Other media outlets watching the race have different delegate tallies. According to an Associated Press tally, Clinton has 1,136 delegates compared to 1,108 for Obama. Real Clear Politics now has Obama in the lead for the first time with 1,143 delegates compared to 1,138 for Clinton. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Polls: John McCain Trails Pro-Abortion Barack Obama, Leads Hillary Clinton Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- Several new polls of the three most likely candidates to appear in the November presidential elections show John McCain ahead of Hillary Clinton, but trailing Barack Obama. McCain appears to be the likely nominee while Obama and Clinton are in a close race for the right to represent Democrats. A new poll from Rasmussen Reports of registered voters nationwide shows McCain running three points ahead of Clinton, 46 to 43 percent, with 11 percent undecided. However, he trails Obama by a 44 to 41 percent margin with 15 percent of Americans undecided. Six of the last seven national polls show Obama ahead with just one showing McCain with a one percent lead over his Illinois colleague. On the other hand, McCain has a lead in five of the last surveys against Clinton with one from Time showing the two candidates tied at 46 percent apiece and the CNN survey having Clinton ahead by three percent. Full story at LifeNews.com.

Oregon Man Who Killed Wife in Test of Assisted Suicide Law Indicted for Murder Salem, OR (LifeNews.com)

-- An Oregon man who killed his disabled wife in a test of the one-of-a-kind state law that allows assisted suicide there was indicted on a murder charge by a grand jury on Friday. John Roberts, 51, was arrested on February 2 after he called police to inform them that he killed his wife Virginia Roberts. John Roberts says Virginia was afflicted with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease and he took her life to see if the state would allow him to get away with voluntary euthanasia, or so-called mercy killing. However, court documents show Virginia had never been diagnosed with any terminal or life-threatening disease. A doctor’s report showed Virginia in good health other than having carpal tunnel syndrome and indicated she was never diagnosed with ALS. "We'd be remiss in doing our job if we didn't do a thorough investigation, if we didn't look at all the evidence and say ‘what is this telling us?’” Claudio Grandjean of the Gresham Police told KGW Channel 8 television. “The evidence will speak for itself." Full story at LifeNews.com.

Pro-Life Groups to Release Documentary on World's Underpopulation Crisis
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)

-- A slate of pro-life groups are set to mark the release of a new documentary that focuses on the underpopulation crisis around the world. European nations are seeing births at below replacement rate, abortion has decimated the population of Russia and nations like Japan may be unable to support an aging population. Those are some of the issues profiled in "Demographic Winter: the decline of the human family." Organizations including the Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, World Congress of Families, and the Latin American Alliance for the Family are unveiling the film tomorrow. In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, they say Demographic Winter highlights the "global phenomenon" of the "catastrophic consequences of rapidly fal