AP Does Final Disservice to Voters, Hides Barack Obama's Pro-Abortion Stance
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Associated Press has done a final disservice to voters as it has through the presidential elections by hiding Barack Obama's pro-abortion stance. In a final comparison piece that will appear in newspapers nationwide today and tomorrow, AP continues to apply just three words to its description of Obama's abortion views. For months, AP has maintained a two-page summary of Obama's and John McCain's stands on various top political issues. Most of the brief position descriptions contain a paragraph or two for each candidate on the given issue. Yet, on the issue of abortion, AP mentions only that Obama "favors abortion rights." There is no mention in the Associated Press piece about how Obama supports abortion throughout pregnancy for any reason, has voted repeatedly for taxpayer-funding of abortion, and opposes a ban on partial-birth abortions. AP also fails to mention anything about Obama's position saying he will sign a bill that would make unlimited abortions the national law and overturn every pro-life law nationwide. Nor did it include any mention of the controversy surrounding his votes in the Illinois legislature against bills to make sure hospital staff provide adequate medical care for newborns who survive failed abortions. Full story at LifeNews.com
Monday Polls Show McCain Tied With Obama in Most Top Battleground States
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Several new polls on Monday show John McCain making the presidential election a tight contest the day before voters head to the polls. Political pundits who say there will be an Obama blowout may be in for a surprising McCain victory or a much closer contest given the survey results. New polls in battleground states from the respected Rasmussen polling firm show Obama and McCain within the margin of error in six key states. McCain holds leads of one percent in Florida and North Carolina, where he leads Obama 50-49 in both. Virginia and Colorado have identical 51-47 leads for Obama and the two candidates are tied at 49 percent each in Missouri and Ohio. Those numbers are all an improvement for McCain as he was tied in just two of those states last week and ran behind Obama in four others. Should the momentum continue to shift towards McCain today and tomorrow it is conceivable that he could win four or more of those battleground states making the election close or winning a narrow electoral college victory. Full story at LifeNews.com
Gallup Poll Shows Advantage for John McCain Over Barack Obama on Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new Gallup poll finds the issue of abortion gives Senator John McCain a 5-1 advantage over his pro-abortion rival Barack Obama. The survey results are consistent with exit polls and surveys from the 2004 race showing President Bush with an abortion advantage over John Kerry. The new Gallup survey asked respondents to tell the pollster in their own words why they were supporting McCain or Obama, without ticking off a list of issues. Three percent of all voters named abortion as the reason for their vote. While five percent of McCain voters specifically said abortion is the issue that is motivating them to support McCain just one percent of Obama backers said abortion is the reason for supporting him. Gallup noted the abortion advantage for McCain calling it "a significant draw to his candidacy." The results should come as no surprise to political observers as the fact that a majority of Americans are pro-life on abortion and pro-life voters more strongly support their candidate than do pro-abortion voters has played out in previous elections. Post-election polling after the 2004 presidential elections found that President Bush's pro-life stance gave him an edge over pro-abortion Sen. John Kerry. Full story at LifeNews.com
Catholic Bishop: Voters Who Support Pro-Abortion Obama Put Salvation at Risk
Kansas City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- In one of the most far-reaching statements about Catholics and the presidential election, Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City has urged Catholics not to vote for Barack Obama. Bishop Finn says Catholics who support him put their souls at risk by supporting Obama's "fanatical" stance on abortion. The comments came in an interview with KCMO 710's Chris Stigall. "There are Catholics listening to me right now who are thinking strongly or are convinced that they will vote for Barack Obama. What would you say to them?" Stigall asked the bishop. "I would say, give consideration to your eternal salvation," Finn responded. "To vote for a person who has a fanatical determination to not only support abortion as it is now but to remove all limitations on it through the Freedom of Choice Act and to extend it without any recourse -- throwing out all of the efforts of citizens over the last 35 years to place reasonable limits on abortion," Bishop Finn explained. "By voting for a person who has expressed his determination to do this to Planned Parenthood and NARAL -- you make yourself a participant in the act of abortion and you mustn't do it because your eternal salvation is tied up with that important choice," Bishop Finn said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Archbishop Chaput: Catholic Bishops Must Address Abortion, Election Issues
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The nation's Catholic bishops need to take a clearer and stronger stance when it comes to abortion and instructions for Catholic voters on how to handle pro-abortion candidates. That's the view of Archbishop Charles Chaput, who talks about several controversial topics in a new interview. Some pro-life Catholics have criticized the nation's bishops for not taking a stronger line on urging Catholics to not vote for pro-abortion candidates like Barack Obama. Others are upset how supposedly pro-life Catholics like Douglas Kmiec have been able to twist the words of the "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" document to make it appear voting for someone like Obama is justified. In the interview with the blog American Papist, a conservative Catholic web site, Chaput says the "bishops are aware" of the problem and that "a quieter approach to these things has not been effective." Chaput, who has already taken Kmiec to task, may be one of the top bishops seeking a stronger stance when the nation's bishops meet in Baltimore next week, saying "we have to be stronger in what we say. We've just had it." On the Faithful Citizenship document, Chaput says he believes it is "not very clear" when it comes to how Catholics shouldn't support pro-abortion candidates -- adding, "We either ought to get rid of it, or say things much clearer." Full story at LifeNews.com
Catholic Leader Pavone Urges Pro-Life Votes on Abortion, Assisted Suicide
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Largely overshadowed by the enormity of the presidential race, several states have key pro-life issues at play with statewide ballot proposals. They range from abortion measures in California, Colorado and South Dakota to assisted suicide in Washington and embryonic research in Michigan. Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life urges pro-life advocates to pay attention to those votes and to vote pro-life in each of the five states where the issues are in play. "There are a number of crucial state initiatives that impact the pro-life cause in the 2008 elections," Pavone told LifeNews.com. "Voters nationwide should talk to those they know in these states, educate them about these initiatives, and urge them to vote appropriately." Full story at LifeNews.com
