Obama Supreme Court Pick Coming Soon, Pro-Abortion Diane Wood Front-Runner
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama is expected to name his replacement for retiring pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice David Souter. When he makes his nomination, which could come as early as Tuesday, pro-abortion 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Diane Wood has become the front-runner. Wood is one of several pro-abortion judges or political figures observers have placed on Obama's likely short list of candidates. Over the weekend, she appeared to rise to the top of the list. Wood's relationship with Obama -- she also taught law at the University of Chicago law school where Obama was a colleague until 2004 -- may put her in the catbird's seat. Several top pro-life and conservative sources told LifeNews.com over the weekend that they believed Obama would select Wood. If he does so, Obama will be picking an abortion advocate who pro-life organizations will strongly oppose. As a member of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, she has a long history of taking the pro-abortion side when it comes to pro-life issues. Wood ruled against bans on partial-birth abortion in cases involving legislation from Wisconsin and Illinois. She joined the federal court in ruling that Wisconsin's law was unconstitutional under the Supreme Court's first ruling on partial-birth abortions in 2000. Judge Wood also ruled in favor of abortion advocates by allowing them to misuse the RICO law designed to control mob activities to sue pro-life protesters. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama is expected to name his replacement for retiring pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice David Souter. When he makes his nomination, which could come as early as Tuesday, pro-abortion 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Diane Wood has become the front-runner. Wood is one of several pro-abortion judges or political figures observers have placed on Obama's likely short list of candidates. Over the weekend, she appeared to rise to the top of the list. Wood's relationship with Obama -- she also taught law at the University of Chicago law school where Obama was a colleague until 2004 -- may put her in the catbird's seat. Several top pro-life and conservative sources told LifeNews.com over the weekend that they believed Obama would select Wood. If he does so, Obama will be picking an abortion advocate who pro-life organizations will strongly oppose. As a member of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, she has a long history of taking the pro-abortion side when it comes to pro-life issues. Wood ruled against bans on partial-birth abortion in cases involving legislation from Wisconsin and Illinois. She joined the federal court in ruling that Wisconsin's law was unconstitutional under the Supreme Court's first ruling on partial-birth abortions in 2000. Judge Wood also ruled in favor of abortion advocates by allowing them to misuse the RICO law designed to control mob activities to sue pro-life protesters. Full story at LifeNews.comLeading Senate Republican Confirms Filibuster Possible for Supreme Court Pick
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a weekend interview, the number two Republican in the Senate confirmed a potential filibuster is still on the table vis-a-vis a potential pro-abortion nomination from President Barack Obama for the Supreme Court. Most of the top names for the high court are pro-abortion activists who would abide in the 1973 decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions. Should Obama name one of those activists as the replacement for retiring pro-abortion Justice David Souter, Sen. Jon Kyl, a pro-life Arizona Republican, told the news program Fox News Sunday. Kyl said Republicans would follow through with a filibuster if Obama nominates someone who would legislate from the bench by following Obama's "empathy" guidelines for issuing rulings instead of the rule of law. Kyl admitted that the GOP likely doesn't have the votes to sustain a filibuster but that one would be used if Obama's nominee is outside the mainstream. "We will distinguish between a liberal judge on one side and one who doesn't decide cases on the merits but, rather, on the basis of his or her preconceived ideas," Kyl said. "That's probably not going to happen in this case," he said of a filibuster having enough votes to be sustained. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a weekend interview, the number two Republican in the Senate confirmed a potential filibuster is still on the table vis-a-vis a potential pro-abortion nomination from President Barack Obama for the Supreme Court. Most of the top names for the high court are pro-abortion activists who would abide in the 1973 decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions. Should Obama name one of those activists as the replacement for retiring pro-abortion Justice David Souter, Sen. Jon Kyl, a pro-life Arizona Republican, told the news program Fox News Sunday. Kyl said Republicans would follow through with a filibuster if Obama nominates someone who would legislate from the bench by following Obama's "empathy" guidelines for issuing rulings instead of the rule of law. Kyl admitted that the GOP likely doesn't have the votes to sustain a filibuster but that one would be used if Obama's nominee is outside the mainstream. "We will distinguish between a liberal judge on one side and one who doesn't decide cases on the merits but, rather, on the basis of his or her preconceived ideas," Kyl said. "That's probably not going to happen in this case," he said of a filibuster having enough votes to be sustained. Full story at LifeNews.com Poll: Majority of Americans Believe Abortion Hurts Women Physically, Mentally
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a new national survey conducted by the Polling Company for the pro-life organization Americans United for Life, a majority of Americans say they know someone who has had an abortion. A majority of those surveyed also believe that abortion hurts women. The Polling Company, a nationally known firm, asked the questions about abortion's effects during a May 17-18 survey with 800 adults across the country. Asked if they personally knew someone who has had an abortion, some 68 percent said they know a woman who had one while 30 percent said they did not. Of those who knew a post-abortive woman, 55 percent described her abortion as a negative experience while just 33 percent described it as a positive one and 12 percent either didn't know or would not answer the question. Asked to think of abortion and women in general, the survey asked respondents if they thought abortion "is almost always a good thing for a woman or almost always a bad thing for a woman." The survey found 53 percent say abortion is almost always a bad thing and a tiny 13 percent said abortion is almost always a good thing for women. Another 21 percent said neither and 13 percent didn't know or didn't answer the question. Full story at LifeNews.com Pro-Life Advocate: Supreme Court Pick a Chance for Common Ground on Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- If President Barack Obama is serious about his claims to want to find common ground on the abortion issue with pro-life advocates, then the head of the Knights of Columbus says his upcoming Supreme Court appointment is a good chance for him to demonstrate that. Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, tells LifeNews.com that Obama can either nominate someone who is not a pro-abortion activist or he can go against his common ground rhetoric with one of several abortion advocates. "The headlines for weeks were filled with the drama that unfolded over the propriety of President Obama's speech at Notre Dame," Anderson says. "But there was an even bigger - if less noticed - story: the growing consensus among Americans on abortion, and its relationship to a looming decision that could affect abortion law for decades." Anderson says the five different opinion polls released during the last month showing either a pro-life majority on abortions or public opinion moving in the pro-life direction, shows Americans don't support Roe v. Wade. "Roe v. Wade, which has been interpreted to allow abortion without restriction, is at odds with the overwhelming majority of Americans according to several recent public opinion polls," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- If President Barack Obama is serious about his claims to want to find common ground on the abortion issue with pro-life advocates, then the head of the Knights of Columbus says his upcoming Supreme Court appointment is a good chance for him to demonstrate that. Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, tells LifeNews.com that Obama can either nominate someone who is not a pro-abortion activist or he can go against his common ground rhetoric with one of several abortion advocates. "The headlines for weeks were filled with the drama that unfolded over the propriety of President Obama's speech at Notre Dame," Anderson says. "But there was an even bigger - if less noticed - story: the growing consensus among Americans on abortion, and its relationship to a looming decision that could affect abortion law for decades." Anderson says the five different opinion polls released during the last month showing either a pro-life majority on abortions or public opinion moving in the pro-life direction, shows Americans don't support Roe v. Wade. "Roe v. Wade, which has been interpreted to allow abortion without restriction, is at odds with the overwhelming majority of Americans according to several recent public opinion polls," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com Catholic Bishops Call for Obama, Congress to Expand Health Care Without Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The nation's Catholic bishops have sent a letter to President Barack Obama and members of Congress asking them to exclude abortion in any legislation seeking to expand health care. With calls for universal or expanded health care coverage, pro-life advocates are worried abortion will be promoted. The last time Congress considered a major health care expansion, during the Clinton administration, abortion promotion came in two ways. Abortions were included in the plan's section concerning taxpayer funding of various health procedures and language requiring insurance providers to cover abortions was also included. Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, authored the letter calling for better health care coverage without abortion expansion. “While we support reforming our nation’s health care system, we must also be clear in strongly opposing inclusion of abortion as part of a national health care benefit,” he said in the May 20 letter. “We also oppose inclusion of other procedures or technologies that attack or undermine the sanctity and dignity of life. No health care reform plan should compel us or others to pay for or participate in the destruction of human life," Bishop Murphy added. Full story at LifeNews.comMeeting of World's Richest Names Pro-Abortion Population Control as Main Cause
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Some of the richest people in the world met secretly in New York recently and talked about their favorite causes. The group, which includes some of the most well-known business people in the world, adopted population control, which would undoubtedly include abortion, as their main cause. The London Times indicates the rich elites spend 15 minutes each during the meeting talking about their favorite passions and issues and, led by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, they adopted reducing the world's population as the main issue to put their money behind. Patricia Stonesifer, former chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, indicated the billionaires would continue meeting over the next few months. The newspaper indicated the meeting took place at the home of Sir Paul Nurse, a British Nobel Prize-winning biochemist and president of Rockefeller University, and that Gates was the organizer of the gathering. The "billionaires club" meeting, according to the Times, included such notables as Bill Gates, David Rockefeller, Ted Turner, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, George Soros and Michael Bloomberg. They all have a history of promoting abortion and using their vast fortunes to benefit groups like Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business. Full story at LifeNews.comNew Survey Shows Hispanic Americans Want Abortion Illegal, Confirms Other Polls
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new survey conducted by a popular Latino social networking web site finds a plurality of Hispanic Americans believe abortions should be illegal. The informal poll confirms others which show a majority of Hispanics do not support abortion, would back limits and want most abortions made illegal. Asked whether they think abortion should be illegal, 47% of the members of the SusOpinions web site said yes, 38 percent disagreed and 15 percent had no opinion. SusOpiniones.com is a bilingual market research panel and social community of U.S. Hispanic residents, 18 years or older. Registered members log in daily to express their opinions by taking a daily poll, posting in a forum, and uploading content. Raimundo Rojas, the Hispanic Outreach Coordinator for the National Right to Life Committee, previously told LifeNews.com that "in this country, we Hispanics bring our morals and our cultural abhorrence for abortion with us when we migrate." "Though some Hispanic political groups back abortion, the vast majority of us know what's right," Rojas explained. "We know that every child has a place en nuestras casas y nuestras familias -- our homes and families. We know and cherish and honor the sanctity of motherhood and of life." Full story at LifeNews.comDignitas Assisted Suicide Clinic in Switzerland Probed, Killed Man With Depression
Zurich, Switzerland (LifeNews.com) -- The Dignitas assisted suicide facility in Switzerland is coming under investigation for allegedly killing a man with depression. Under the euthanasia law in Switzerland, someone can only be killed in an assisted suicide if they suffer from a terminal illness. Swiss Judge Philippe Barboni has ordered an investigation of the death of Andrei Haber, a Romanian who lived in Fribourg. Relatives notified Swiss authorities that he had planned to kill himself at the Dignitas facility. "This case presents a particular fact: that the person didn't suffer from a serious or incurable disease, provoking severe pain. His motives were essentially psychological," Judge Barboni said, according to Swiss media reports. Care Not Killing, a British-based group that opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia, commented on Haber's death and the resulting probe, which it called felicitous given that euthanasia advocates appear to prey on the depressed. "Almost invariably, they change their minds over time... and die in due course peacefully and with dignity," a spokesman said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Zurich, Switzerland (LifeNews.com) -- The Dignitas assisted suicide facility in Switzerland is coming under investigation for allegedly killing a man with depression. Under the euthanasia law in Switzerland, someone can only be killed in an assisted suicide if they suffer from a terminal illness. Swiss Judge Philippe Barboni has ordered an investigation of the death of Andrei Haber, a Romanian who lived in Fribourg. Relatives notified Swiss authorities that he had planned to kill himself at the Dignitas facility. "This case presents a particular fact: that the person didn't suffer from a serious or incurable disease, provoking severe pain. His motives were essentially psychological," Judge Barboni said, according to Swiss media reports. Care Not Killing, a British-based group that opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia, commented on Haber's death and the resulting probe, which it called felicitous given that euthanasia advocates appear to prey on the depressed. "Almost invariably, they change their minds over time... and die in due course peacefully and with dignity," a spokesman said. Full story at LifeNews.comNew Jersey Governor Race Tightens as Christie and Lonegan Focus on Abortion
Trenton, NJ (LifeNews.com) -- The polls in the New Jersey governor's race are tightening as two Republican candidates square off to face pro-abortion Governor Jon Corzine. Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan are talking abortion as they prepare for the primary election. As polling numbers tighten in the primary race, both candidates are facing more questions on abortion. As a prosecuting attorney, Christie, who was formerly pro-abortion but says he changed his mind on abortion after seeing an ultrasound of his daughter, hasn't tackled the abortion issue frequently. On the other hand, Lonegan, a prior candidate, has held a longtime pro-life view on abortion. Christie recently added a "Shared Values" page to his campaign web site stating he is pro-life. "I am pro-life," Christie declares. "I am devoted to giving a voice to and taking action for those that are unable to protect themselves." However, Lonegan has gone after Christie repeatedly on abortion during the campaign and says the gubernatorial candidate isn't sufficiently pro-life. "On the social issues, he's been very vague. He's waffled all over the place," Lonegan told CBS News. "You can't say you're morally opposed to abortion but say that Roe v. Wade is the law and you accept it. If you take this issue seriously, you do push your views on people." Full story at LifeNews.com
Fredericton, Canada (LifeNews.com) -- A staff member of an abortion business infamous abortion practitioner Henry Morgentaler runs in New Brunswick claims the provincial government is stalling on a lawsuit he filed to force taxpayers there to pay for abortions through the government's health care program. Last November, the provincial government appealed a court decision allowing Morgentaler to sue to require it to pay for abortions at his business. Last week, the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled against the province and upheld the ruling of Court of Queen's Bench judge who said Morgentaler's could sue New Brunswick to get taxpayer-funded abortions for his customers. Morgentaler's bid to make citizens fund abortions at his private abortion business , at a cost of $750 each through the medicare program, dates back to 2003. Now, Peggy Cooke, who works at the abortion center, told the CBC she thinks the province is trying to stall the case as long as possible. Because Morgentaler is 86 and his health has begun to fail, Cooke believes new Brunswick officials are hoping he will eventually die, which would halt the legal proceedings. Full story at LifeNews.com
