Sonia Sotomayor Worse on Abortion Than David Souter, Pro-Life Leader Says
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a new editorial column appearing in the Washington Times, Charmaine Yoest, the president of Americans United for Life, makes the case that Sonia Sotomayor is worse on abortion than David Souter, the Supreme Court justice President Barack Obama appointed her to replace. "Team Obama knows something most Americans don't. When it comes to the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade and the abortion cases that have since made it to the Supreme Court, Sotomayor is no Souter," Yoest contends. "Rather, her record shows that for the overwhelming majority of Americans who support at least some restrictions on abortion, she is worse than Justice Souter," Yoest continues. Yoest explains that Souter has supported some abortion limits even though he is part of the six member majority that supports legal abortions. "He has refused to take the opportunity, in cases such as Planned Parenthood v. Casey, to re-examine the judicial basis for permitting legal abortion. But when it comes to common-sense restrictions on abortion, Justice Souter has voted repeatedly to uphold laws such as informed consent and parental notification," she explains. "Not so Justice Sotomayor, whose activism before becoming a federal judge reveals strong and consistent opposition to common-sense regulations." Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a new editorial column appearing in the Washington Times, Charmaine Yoest, the president of Americans United for Life, makes the case that Sonia Sotomayor is worse on abortion than David Souter, the Supreme Court justice President Barack Obama appointed her to replace. "Team Obama knows something most Americans don't. When it comes to the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade and the abortion cases that have since made it to the Supreme Court, Sotomayor is no Souter," Yoest contends. "Rather, her record shows that for the overwhelming majority of Americans who support at least some restrictions on abortion, she is worse than Justice Souter," Yoest continues. Yoest explains that Souter has supported some abortion limits even though he is part of the six member majority that supports legal abortions. "He has refused to take the opportunity, in cases such as Planned Parenthood v. Casey, to re-examine the judicial basis for permitting legal abortion. But when it comes to common-sense restrictions on abortion, Justice Souter has voted repeatedly to uphold laws such as informed consent and parental notification," she explains. "Not so Justice Sotomayor, whose activism before becoming a federal judge reveals strong and consistent opposition to common-sense regulations." Full story at LifeNews.comHouse Health Care Restructuring Bill Funds Pro-Abortion Planned Parenthood
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- While pro-life advocates battle the rationing portions of the Kennedy health care restructuring bill in the Senate, the House version presents other problems. House leaders introduced their own measure on Friday that sneaks Planned Parenthood funding into its 852 pages. Several pro-abortion congressmen, including Reps. George Miller and Henry Waxman, both California Democrats, and Democrat Charlie Rangel of New York, are behind the measure. The bill includes almost everything on President Obama's wish list including, for the first time in either chamber of Congress, the "family planning" nightmare the Family Research Council has been warning about. FRC president Tony Perkins says the House health care bill calls for even more government funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which has seen its abortions increase as it receives more taxpayer support. "For weeks, key players in the abortion movement have been working with the Obama administration to guarantee that they would profit from any health care overhaul," Perkins said Tuesday. "That lobbying could pay off--quite literally--in the House." Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- While pro-life advocates battle the rationing portions of the Kennedy health care restructuring bill in the Senate, the House version presents other problems. House leaders introduced their own measure on Friday that sneaks Planned Parenthood funding into its 852 pages. Several pro-abortion congressmen, including Reps. George Miller and Henry Waxman, both California Democrats, and Democrat Charlie Rangel of New York, are behind the measure. The bill includes almost everything on President Obama's wish list including, for the first time in either chamber of Congress, the "family planning" nightmare the Family Research Council has been warning about. FRC president Tony Perkins says the House health care bill calls for even more government funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which has seen its abortions increase as it receives more taxpayer support. "For weeks, key players in the abortion movement have been working with the Obama administration to guarantee that they would profit from any health care overhaul," Perkins said Tuesday. "That lobbying could pay off--quite literally--in the House." Full story at LifeNews.comPro-Life Group Condemns Defeat of Amendment to Stop Health Care Rationing
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The leading pro-life group working to get members of the Senate to add an amendment to the Kennedy health care bill to stop rationing is upset that lawmakers voted against the amendment on Monday. Rationing of health care could involve cutting off lifesaving medical treatment and resulting in euthanasia. The National Right to Life Committee had been pressing members of the Senate HELP Committee to adopt an amendment from Sen. Mike Enzi, a Wyoming Republican. The committee defeated the Enzi amendment on a partisan vote, with Democrats opposing it and Republicans supporting it. Enzi's measure would have prevented the use of “comparative effectiveness” research methodologies as a basis for denial of benefits to patients against their will based on their age, expected length of life, or of the patient’s present or predicted disability or quality of life. Burke Balch, director of the National Right to Life Committee’s Powell Center for Medical Ethics, emailed LifeNews.com about the amendment following the vote. “The current sources of funds being considered to pay for health care restructuring are so inadequate in the long term that rationing will be compelled,” he charged. Full story at LifeNews.comPro-Abortion President Obama Misses Irony of His Comments on Father's Day
by Dave Andrusko
A friend was kind enough to forward pro-abortion President Barack Obama's Father's Day Reflections which ran in Parade magazine over the weekend. I had not seen it until late yesterday, and perhaps you haven't either. It's worth reading and thinking about. The obvious inconsistency [inconsistent, that is, if you are as militantly anti-life as Obama is] is his statement, "That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one." Tacitly, at least, there is the acknowledgement that a father's job begins at the beginning of his child's life which is at conception. But what really caught my attention began in the next sentence: "As fathers, we need to be involved in our children's lives not just when it's convenient or easy, and not just when they're doing well--but when it's difficult and thankless, and they're struggling. That is when they need us most." Full story at LifeNews.com
by Dave Andrusko
A friend was kind enough to forward pro-abortion President Barack Obama's Father's Day Reflections which ran in Parade magazine over the weekend. I had not seen it until late yesterday, and perhaps you haven't either. It's worth reading and thinking about. The obvious inconsistency [inconsistent, that is, if you are as militantly anti-life as Obama is] is his statement, "That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one." Tacitly, at least, there is the acknowledgement that a father's job begins at the beginning of his child's life which is at conception. But what really caught my attention began in the next sentence: "As fathers, we need to be involved in our children's lives not just when it's convenient or easy, and not just when they're doing well--but when it's difficult and thankless, and they're struggling. That is when they need us most." Full story at LifeNews.comNew Tapes Reveal President Richard Nixon's Mixed Views Supporting Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new set of audiotapes dating back to the administration of President Richard Nixon reveal his largely unknown position on abortion. The infamous Roe v. Wade decision, which saw the Supreme Court allow virtually unlimited abortions, was handed down during his presidency. Despite the ramifications of the landmark high court decision, Nixon did not release a public statement about the abortion ruling. The new tapes reveal that, privately, Nixon was largely ambivalent about the historic ruling. On one hand, the tapes, according to a New York Times report, show Nixon worried that overturning the abortion prohibitions in most states would lead to a “permissiveness,” resulting in significantly higher abortion numbers. Nixon also worried that “it breaks the family" -- a prelude to the strong pro-family movement that has seen groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council help spearhead the pro-life movement. Yet, Nixon also said he saw the supposed need for abortion in some circumstances. “There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he counsel Charles Colson, who is now a top pro-life advocate. “Or a rape.” Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new set of audiotapes dating back to the administration of President Richard Nixon reveal his largely unknown position on abortion. The infamous Roe v. Wade decision, which saw the Supreme Court allow virtually unlimited abortions, was handed down during his presidency. Despite the ramifications of the landmark high court decision, Nixon did not release a public statement about the abortion ruling. The new tapes reveal that, privately, Nixon was largely ambivalent about the historic ruling. On one hand, the tapes, according to a New York Times report, show Nixon worried that overturning the abortion prohibitions in most states would lead to a “permissiveness,” resulting in significantly higher abortion numbers. Nixon also worried that “it breaks the family" -- a prelude to the strong pro-family movement that has seen groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council help spearhead the pro-life movement. Yet, Nixon also said he saw the supposed need for abortion in some circumstances. “There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he counsel Charles Colson, who is now a top pro-life advocate. “Or a rape.” Full story at LifeNews.comPBS Celebrates Late-Term Abortions, Attacks Pro-Life Advocates, Religious People
by Brent Bozell
As part of its wave of secular fundamentalism, PBS celebrates even late-term abortionists with a fanaticism that would curl the hair of any pro-lifer. On June 12, the PBS show "Now" (formerly with Bill Moyers) devoted most of its half-hour to smearing the pro-life movement as a vicious band of terrorists. They hailed two men who abort babies into the ninth month, Dr. Warren Hern of Colorado and Dr. Leroy Carhart of Nebraska. Reporter Maria Hinojosa briefly noted at one point that pro-life groups issued press releases denouncing Dr. Tiller’s murder. But those words were lies, claimed the abortionists. Carhart attacked. "They may claim innocence and they may technically, under the law, be innocent, but their heart was certainly with Scott Roeder on the day that he shot Dr. Tiller." Hern echoed: "The anti-abortion organizations, you know, making these statements of distress and disapproval. No, no, no, no, no. This is what they wanted to happen. And it happened." Oppose abortion, even very late in pregnancy, and PBS is clear. You are a terrorist. Full story at LifeNews.com
by Brent Bozell
As part of its wave of secular fundamentalism, PBS celebrates even late-term abortionists with a fanaticism that would curl the hair of any pro-lifer. On June 12, the PBS show "Now" (formerly with Bill Moyers) devoted most of its half-hour to smearing the pro-life movement as a vicious band of terrorists. They hailed two men who abort babies into the ninth month, Dr. Warren Hern of Colorado and Dr. Leroy Carhart of Nebraska. Reporter Maria Hinojosa briefly noted at one point that pro-life groups issued press releases denouncing Dr. Tiller’s murder. But those words were lies, claimed the abortionists. Carhart attacked. "They may claim innocence and they may technically, under the law, be innocent, but their heart was certainly with Scott Roeder on the day that he shot Dr. Tiller." Hern echoed: "The anti-abortion organizations, you know, making these statements of distress and disapproval. No, no, no, no, no. This is what they wanted to happen. And it happened." Oppose abortion, even very late in pregnancy, and PBS is clear. You are a terrorist. Full story at LifeNews.comMichigan Lawmakers Prepare Bills to Monitor Proposal 2, Pro-Life Groups Support
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) -- When Michigan voters approved Proposal 2 last November, pro-life groups were concerned that it could lead to problems and unethical biotech practices. To respond to those concerns, state legislators introduced the Embryo Research and Fertility Clinic Transparency Act last week. The Act consists of several bills that would codify Proposal 2 into law and would fulfill the promise of its supporters that no human embryos will be created specifically for destructive research or be bought or sold for monetary value. The legislation would ban the creation of human-animal hybrids and amend the current ban on creating cloned human embryos to prevent trafficking of cloned humans into Michigan. Right to Life of Michigan president Barbara Listing told LifeNews.com that, while her group remains opposed to Proposal 2, it supports the Embryo Research and Fertility Clinic Transparency Act. "While we disagree with a form of research that destroys human life, if such research is to be conducted, strict guidelines and protection against further abuse are necessary," she said. "Supporters of Proposal 2 said that there would be careful oversight of research to prevent any abuses, we intend to make sure their promises are kept in Michigan law." Full story at LifeNews.com
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) -- When Michigan voters approved Proposal 2 last November, pro-life groups were concerned that it could lead to problems and unethical biotech practices. To respond to those concerns, state legislators introduced the Embryo Research and Fertility Clinic Transparency Act last week. The Act consists of several bills that would codify Proposal 2 into law and would fulfill the promise of its supporters that no human embryos will be created specifically for destructive research or be bought or sold for monetary value. The legislation would ban the creation of human-animal hybrids and amend the current ban on creating cloned human embryos to prevent trafficking of cloned humans into Michigan. Right to Life of Michigan president Barbara Listing told LifeNews.com that, while her group remains opposed to Proposal 2, it supports the Embryo Research and Fertility Clinic Transparency Act. "While we disagree with a form of research that destroys human life, if such research is to be conducted, strict guidelines and protection against further abuse are necessary," she said. "Supporters of Proposal 2 said that there would be careful oversight of research to prevent any abuses, we intend to make sure their promises are kept in Michigan law." Full story at LifeNews.comMassachusetts Pro-Life Group Asks Cardinal to Withdraw Caritas From CeltiCare
Boston, MA (LifeNews.com) -- A Massachusetts pro-life group is calling on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to withdraw Caritas Christi from the CeltiCare partnership. Caritas Christi Health Care has received constant criticism because it will cover abortions under a new state health plan Massachusetts state officials awarded it. The bid has Caritas joining with Centene Corporation for the Celticare Health Plan of Massachusetts and pro-life advocates say that the web site of the new plan says it will include abortion coverage. That means the network of six Catholic hospitals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston under Caritas Christi will be promoting abortions. Yesterday, Massachusetts Citizens for Life called on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to take action. The group expressed again its gratitude for O'Malley's earlier promise that he would pull out of the CeltiCare arrangement if the agreement did not meet with the approval of the National Catholic Bioethics Center. Anne Fox, president of the pro-life group, told LifeNews.com, "It is now a week before the plan will go into effect. There has been no approval from the NCBC. There are people who have signed up with CeltiCare who will have to be reassigned to ensure continuity of their medical coverage." Full story at LifeNews.com
Boston, MA (LifeNews.com) -- A Massachusetts pro-life group is calling on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to withdraw Caritas Christi from the CeltiCare partnership. Caritas Christi Health Care has received constant criticism because it will cover abortions under a new state health plan Massachusetts state officials awarded it. The bid has Caritas joining with Centene Corporation for the Celticare Health Plan of Massachusetts and pro-life advocates say that the web site of the new plan says it will include abortion coverage. That means the network of six Catholic hospitals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston under Caritas Christi will be promoting abortions. Yesterday, Massachusetts Citizens for Life called on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to take action. The group expressed again its gratitude for O'Malley's earlier promise that he would pull out of the CeltiCare arrangement if the agreement did not meet with the approval of the National Catholic Bioethics Center. Anne Fox, president of the pro-life group, told LifeNews.com, "It is now a week before the plan will go into effect. There has been no approval from the NCBC. There are people who have signed up with CeltiCare who will have to be reassigned to ensure continuity of their medical coverage." Full story at LifeNews.comLouisiana Abortion-Conscience Bill Strengthened, Senate OKs Pro-Life Measure
Baton Rouge, LA (LifeNews.com) -- The Louisiana state Senate gave pro-life doctors and other medical professionals a big victory on Monday when it approved a conscience bill on abortion. The legislature also strengthened the bill to cover both public and private medical professions, which had been weakened earlier in the process. The bill will now allow all health care professionals to opt out of involvement in abortions or practices like human cloning, euthanasia or embryonic stem cell research. House Bill 517, sponsored by pro-life Rep. Bernard Lebas, had already been approved by the state House, but that chamber weakened the bill. Amendments sponsored by Rep. John Bel Edwards provided that only healthcare providers in the public sector are entitled to conscience protection for a limited amount of procedures. However, thanks to the calls, emails and public lobbying from pro-life advocates, the state Senate approved HB 517 and added an amendment making sure all health care professionals receive the benefit of the legislation. Full story at LifeNews.comRepublic of Slovakia Approves Bill to Inform Women of Abortion's Risks, Dangers
Bratislava, Slovakia (LifeNews.com) -- The parliament of the Republic of Slovakia, the Seimas, has voted to approve an amendment to inform women of the dangers of abortion, the alternatives to abortion, and facts on the development of the unborn child. The measure would also require parental consent before a teen can get an abortion. The bill flies in the face of repeated pressure from the United Nations for Slovakia to do more to promote and expand abortion. The eastern European nation currently allows abortion for any reason within the first trimester of pregnancy and has some limits on abortion after that point. Marie Smith, the director of the Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues, told LifeNews.com she was pleased with the vote. “This pro-woman, pro-life amendment is great news for Slovak women who will have access to the true facts about the harmful physical and psychological effects of abortion, be offered alternatives to abortion and fully informed on the development of their unborn child," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Bratislava, Slovakia (LifeNews.com) -- The parliament of the Republic of Slovakia, the Seimas, has voted to approve an amendment to inform women of the dangers of abortion, the alternatives to abortion, and facts on the development of the unborn child. The measure would also require parental consent before a teen can get an abortion. The bill flies in the face of repeated pressure from the United Nations for Slovakia to do more to promote and expand abortion. The eastern European nation currently allows abortion for any reason within the first trimester of pregnancy and has some limits on abortion after that point. Marie Smith, the director of the Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues, told LifeNews.com she was pleased with the vote. “This pro-woman, pro-life amendment is great news for Slovak women who will have access to the true facts about the harmful physical and psychological effects of abortion, be offered alternatives to abortion and fully informed on the development of their unborn child," she said. Full story at LifeNews.comBritish Report Ignores Forced Abortions, Human Rights Abuses in Population Control
by Steven Mosher
Politically motivated panels rarely produce good science, and the report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development, and Reproductive Health of the U.K. Parliament is no exception. The report, Return of the Population Growth Factor: Its Impact upon the Millennium Development Goals, is a mishmash of justifications for the powerful of the world to continue to dictate the fertility of the powerless. It is even illustrated, in Science magazine’s summary of the report, with a picture of a starving African child, presumably to drive home the authors’ view that there are already too many Africans. Having just returned from China, the careful admission, by the authors of the Science article, that in the past, “some Asian policy initiatives incorporated coercive elements” strikes me as risible. I would like to report that in southern Hebei province, according to eyewitnesses that I interviewed, hundreds of pregnant women are being rounded up and forcibly aborted by lethal injection as you read this. It is significant that the authors have in the past applauded China’s one-child policy, revealing both their bias in favor of rigorous “family planning” programs run by the state and--what is the same thing--their utter disdain for the universally recognized right of parents to determine the number and spacing of their children. Full story at LifeNews.com
by Steven Mosher
Politically motivated panels rarely produce good science, and the report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development, and Reproductive Health of the U.K. Parliament is no exception. The report, Return of the Population Growth Factor: Its Impact upon the Millennium Development Goals, is a mishmash of justifications for the powerful of the world to continue to dictate the fertility of the powerless. It is even illustrated, in Science magazine’s summary of the report, with a picture of a starving African child, presumably to drive home the authors’ view that there are already too many Africans. Having just returned from China, the careful admission, by the authors of the Science article, that in the past, “some Asian policy initiatives incorporated coercive elements” strikes me as risible. I would like to report that in southern Hebei province, according to eyewitnesses that I interviewed, hundreds of pregnant women are being rounded up and forcibly aborted by lethal injection as you read this. It is significant that the authors have in the past applauded China’s one-child policy, revealing both their bias in favor of rigorous “family planning” programs run by the state and--what is the same thing--their utter disdain for the universally recognized right of parents to determine the number and spacing of their children. Full story at LifeNews.comFlorida Man Assaults Pregnant Woman Who Refuses to Have Abortion of His Baby
Gainesville, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Yet another case has occurred across the nation involving a man who attacks or kills his partner when she refuses an abortion. This time, Charles Daniels Jr., a 34-year-old man from Florida, stands accused of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend when she refused his abortion request. Alachua County deputies arrested Daniels over the weekend on charges that he assaulted and sexually battered an unnamed 36-year-old Gainesville woman. The Gainesville Sun newspaper says officers arrested Daniels on Saturday and that he is being held in jail pending a $70,000 bond. The newspaper indicates the arrest warrant contends Daniels hit the woman, puts his hands around her throat and told her she would never see her children again. He had reportedly dated the woman only a week and attacked her when he learned she was pregnant with a baby who wasn't his. The woman, who was treated for pain and bleeding at a local medical facility, said Daniels had been abusing drugs at the time he attacked her. Full story at LifeNews.com
Gainesville, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Yet another case has occurred across the nation involving a man who attacks or kills his partner when she refuses an abortion. This time, Charles Daniels Jr., a 34-year-old man from Florida, stands accused of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend when she refused his abortion request. Alachua County deputies arrested Daniels over the weekend on charges that he assaulted and sexually battered an unnamed 36-year-old Gainesville woman. The Gainesville Sun newspaper says officers arrested Daniels on Saturday and that he is being held in jail pending a $70,000 bond. The newspaper indicates the arrest warrant contends Daniels hit the woman, puts his hands around her throat and told her she would never see her children again. He had reportedly dated the woman only a week and attacked her when he learned she was pregnant with a baby who wasn't his. The woman, who was treated for pain and bleeding at a local medical facility, said Daniels had been abusing drugs at the time he attacked her. Full story at LifeNews.com
