President Barack Obama Makes First Pro-Abortion Judicial Pick in David Hamilton
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama has nominated his first pro-abortion judicial candidate as he named David Hamilton as his first Appeals Court nominee. Hamilton is a former Clinton nominee whom Obama has appointed to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Hamilton was initially appointed by President Clinton to a district judgeship in Indiana in 1994 even though the ABA gave him a "not qualified" rating. In that position, Hamilton issued a series of rulings over seven years that prevented Indiana from implementing its informed consent law that would give women information about abortion's risks and alternatives. In fact, the 7th Circuit Court, which overturned Hamilton's rulings and to which Obama has appointed him, issued a statement chiding him for holding up the law. "For seven years Indiana has been prevented from enforcing a statute materially identical to a law held valid by the Supreme Court in Casey, by this court in Karlin, and by the fifth circuit in Barnes," the appeals judges wrote in their decision. Although President Obama claims to want to reduce abortions, his appellate court pick prevented a law from going into effect that has been proven to reduce abortions when put in place in other states. Prior to becoming a federal judge, Hamilton was the vice president for litigation and a board member of the Indiana branch of the ACLU, a top pro-abortion law firm. ACTION: Contact your members of the Senate and express your opposition to Hamilton's nomination. You can find contact information for any senator at http://www.senate.gov/general/
Obama Pro-Abortion Appeals Court Pick Hamilton May Have Easy Senate Vote
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Early indications are that federal Judge David Hamilton, the abortion advocate President Barack Obama appointed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals as his first judicial pick, may have an easy Senate confirmation vote. At least one Republican has already indicated he supports the nomination. Obama also apparently spoke with other Republican lawmakers and is said to have earned additional support for the pro-abortion nominee. Senate Republicans have promised to filibuster any Obama judicial nominees where the home state Republican senator didn't sign off on the pick, but nominally pro-life Sen. Dick Lugar says he backs Hamilton. "I enthusiastically support the Senate confirmation of David Hamilton for U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals," Lugar said. Democrat Evan Bayh, the other Indiana senator for whom Hamilton served as a top staff attorney when Bayh was governor, also backs the nomination. Bayh is one of a few so-called moderate Democrats in the Senate whom pro-life advocates would need to peel away from the Obama camp to defeat pro-abortion judicial picks in a vote or filibuster. Full story at LifeNews.com
Catholic Leader Urges President Obama to Keep Protections for Pro-Life Doctors
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A representative of the nation's Catholic bishops is asking President Barack Obama not to rescind the protections the Bush administration put in place for pro-life doctors and medical centers. Obama has given the public 30 days to respond to his proposal to revoke them. The protections provide better enforcement for three existing federal laws that make it so medical professionals and facilities don't have to be involved in abortions. Cardinal Francis George, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is asking Obama to not follow through on his proposal to rescind the protections and he is asking pro-life advocates to send the president the same message. This is vital to keep the government from "moving our country from democracy to despotism," he told LifeNews.com in a statement. "Respect for personal conscience and freedom of religion as such ensures our basic freedom from government oppression. No government should come between an individual person and God -- that's what America is supposed to be about," Cardinal Francis George said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Obama Faith Council Member: Including Abortion Would Sink Health Care Reform
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- An evangelical member of President Barack Obama's faith council says any health care reform package would be sunk if it includes abortion. Including taxpayer-funded abortions and forcing insurance companies or medical facilities to include abortions has been a concern of the pro-life community. Reverend Jim Wallis, a member of the White House Faith Council, says in a new interview that Obama's health care plan would be dead in the water if it includes abortions. "Making abortion provisions part of healthcare reform will kill healthcare reform," Wallis, the president of Sojourners, tells CBN News. "There are a number of people who believe this is an issue of deep moral conviction and conscience and there are firewalls that if they are breached will really destroy common ground," Wallis added. Wallis advice doesn't mean abortion will be excluded from Obama's eventual health care package. Prior to the 2008 Democratic Convention, Wallis advised Obama to include language in the Democratic Party platform calling for the "reduction" of abortions. The platform instead called for unlimited abortions. Full story at LifeNews.com
President Obama Brings Back Pro-Abortion American Bar Association Reviews
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama announced his first judicial nominee on Tuesday, but putting forward Judge David Hamilton wasn't his only pro-abortion decision. Obama is also bringing back the judicial reviews from the American Bar Association, the attorneys group that takes a pro-abortion position. Because the group had become so politicized, President Bush dispensed with the practice of having the ABA officially weigh in on any nominees to federal courts. Abortion advocates found the decision rebarbative even though the ABA would provide slanted reviews that favored pro-abortion nominees over judicial prospects who showed legal restraint from the bench. ABA President Thomas Wells Jr. confirmed the change today and praised the work of the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. "The Standing Committee makes a unique contribution to the process by conducting an extensive peer review of each potential nominee’s integrity, professional competence and judicial temperament," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Watchdog Group: Many California Wineries on Pro-Abortion Boycott List
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A watchdog group for corporate supporters of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, says dozens of California wineries have made the list. Life Decisions International knows millions of Americans enjoy wine but the group is asking consumers to check their winery first. LDI chairman Thomas Strobhar says most pro-life advocates are unaware of the fact that many winemakers give financial support to Planned Parenthood. "I like a glass of wine every now and then," Strobhar told LifeNews.com. "I am appalled that so many winemakers fund the Culture of Death." "I urge my fellow pro-life activists to let winemakers know that they have a 'choice'. They may continue to fund Planned Parenthood and lose a lot of business to competitors or they may stop funding Planned Parenthood and reap the benefits that come from happy consumers," he added. LDI has uploaded a list of dozens of California-based wineries that are supporters of the abortion business to their web site. Full story at LifeNews.com
Spain's Catholic Church Launches New Campaign to Oppose Abortion Expansion
Madrid, Spain (LifeNews.com) -- The Catholic Church in Spain has launched a new campaign to stop the expansion of the abortion law. The government of Spain has taken the first step to expand the nation's already-lenient laws to essentially allow abortion on demand. Abortion is already legal in Spain and the law requires a valid mental health reason for a woman to be allowed to have an abortion. Under Spanish law abortion is technically illegal and abortion is only allowed in case the pregnancy supposedly is a threat to the physical or mental health of the woman (despite the fact abortions typically cause medical and mental health issues). Though the law has been flouted by abortion centers and abortions have been routinely done throughout pregnancy, Prime Minister Jose' Luis Rodriguez Zapatero wants the statute removed. The Catholic Church has launched a massive campaign against the plan and the Bishops' Conference said Monday that unborn children already have their rights protected less than law pertaining to flowers and trees. The campaign will see 30,000 posters and 1,300 billboards across 37 Spanish cities, together with 8 million leaflets. Full story at LifeNews.com
South Carolina Senate Panel to Hear 24-Hour Abortion Wait Bill on Wednesday
Columbia, SC (LifeNews.com) -- A South Carolina state Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on a bill that requires abortion businesses to give women a 24-hour reflection period before an abortion. The Senate Medical Affairs will take up H 3245 and then the full committee will hear it Thursday. The current waiting period is just one hour and state legislators believe 24 hours gives women considering an abortion more time to reflect on its risks and alternatives and will lower the number of abortions. Rep. Greg Delleney, a Republican, is the chief sponsor of the bill, which the state House approved on a 83-23 vote last month. If an ultrasound is performed, the waiting period begins after the ultrasound. If no ultrasound is performed, the waiting period begins after the woman receives written materials describing the risks of abortion and alternatives to abortion such as adoption. Full story at LifeNews.com
Australia Internet Censors Fine Site for Link to Pro-Life Page With Abortion Pics
Canberra, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- The Australian Internet censorship agency has fined a web site several thousands of dollars per day for linking to an American web site that publishes pictures of babies who die from abortions. The Australian Communications and Media Authority issued the threat last week. The net nanny agency was created to help reduce the amount of child pornography online, but it has gone beyond that to prohibit Australians from accessing any sites it deems objectionable. ACMA notified the Australian-based web discussion site Whirlpool that it would pay an AUS $11,000 per day fine ($7,600 US), because a forum member linked to an American web site containing graphic abortion pictures. And when a governmental watchdog web site called Wikileaks published a list of web sites banned by other nations, ACMA threatened it with a fine as well. The action is causing a furor for some pro-life advocates because the Australian governmental agency doesn't publish a list of banned web sites. As a result, no one knows which pro-life web site has been banned on the island nation and if other pro-life web sites will be banned as well. Full story at LifeNews.com
Idaho Futile Care Bill Stalled in Legislature After Strong Opposition, Action Needed
Boise, ID (LifeNews.com) -- A dangerous futile care bill has been stalled in the Idaho state legislature, but one of the prime opponents says more action is still needed. The legislation is similar to a Texas law that has concerned pro-life advocates because it can easily lead to revoking lifesaving medical treatment and euthanasia. Opponents of the measure say it could put elderly, disabled and terminally ill patients at risk. The Idaho Senate has approved the bill, S 1114, and bioethics watchdog and attorney Wesley J. Smith is very concerned about it moving further. Smith says the bill "is so bad it permits doctors who want to refuse wanted treatment to violate a patient's written advance directive." Local pro-life advocates in Idaho have been working to defeat the legislation. As a consequence, a hearing that had been set in the House Health and Welfare Committee has been postponed. But Smith is asking pro-life and disability rights advocates there to do more. "That's good, but the bill--or at least the futile care part of it, since it is an omnibus involving many matters--isn't dead yet," he said. "Now is the time to finish it off: All who oppose futile care in Idaho have to put their shoulders to the wheel and write their legislators opposing passage in its current form." Full story at LifeNews.com
Luxembourg Officially Becomes Third European Nation to Legalize Euthanasia
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg (LifeNews.com) -- The tiny European nation has become the third to legalize the grisly practice of euthanasia on the continent. In February 2008, the parliament initially approved a bill to legalize the practice and then voted on a motion to strip the powers of Grand Duke Henri, who refused to sign the bill into law. Lawmakers approved allowing doctors to directly help patients kill themselves without facing any legal consequences. Henri's actions helped delay implementation of the bill, which the parliament had approved on a vote of 30 to 26. Eventually the parliament unanimously voted to remove the power of the Grand Duke by changing article 34 of their constitution. Alex Schadenberg, the head of the North American-based Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, ash been following the developments in Luxembourg and says he's disappointed the law will go into effect and put elderly and disabled patients at risk. Full story at LifeNews.com
Oklahoma House Votes for Resolution Condemning Radical Pro-Abortion FOCA Bill
Oklahoma City, OK (LifeNews.com) -- The Oklahoma state House has joined legislatures in other states passing a resolution condemning the Freedom of Choice Act. That is the Congressional bill pro-life advocates expect to be filed soon to make unlimited abortions for any reason throughout pregnancy the national law. Top abortion advocates in Congress have indicated they plan to introduce FOCA soon and make it a top priority. Drawing the ire of state legislators, FOCA would also overturn hundreds of pro-life laws states have approved that have helped reduce abortions to record levels. Rep. Sally Kern introduced House Joint Resolution 1009 and it declares that the Oklahoma legislature "strongly opposes the federal Freedom of Choice Act and urges United States Congress to summarily reject it." President Barack Obama has promised that one of his top priorities is to pass a so-called 'Freedom of Choice Act' that would classify abortion as a fundamental right similar to the right to free speech," Kern noted. Full story at LifeNews.com
