Thursday, August 27, 2009

FROM LIFENEWS.COM: TODAY'S PRO-LIFE HEADLINES (Thursday)




LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Friday, August 28, 2009

For news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com.
Current Headlines

• Ted Kennedy Death Used to Build Support for Pro-Abortion Health Care Bills
• Wall St. Journal Also Confirms House Health Care Bill Has Tax-Funded Abortions

• 
BeliefNet's Steve Waldman Gets it Wrong on Abortion Funding in Health Care Bills
• 
Gallup Poll Shows President Barack Obama's Approval Rating at New Lows Again

• 
Human Trial of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Stopped Due to Animal Problems
• 
Scientists Head Towards Creating Baby With Three Parents to Eliminate Disease
• 
Congressman Takes Mic Away From Pro-Life Advocate at Health Care Town Hall
• 
Pro-Abortion Gubernatorial Candidates Behind in Virginia, New Jersey Races
• 
China Abortion Center Under Fire for Ad Touting Half-Priced Abortions for Students
• 
Judge Denies Oakland's Request to Deny Pro-Life Pastor's Free Speech Rights
• Australia Insurance Company Won't Cover Doctors Who Dispense Abortion Drug
• Pro-Abortion Group Ipas Joins Attacks on Nicaragua's Pro-Life Stance

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Ted Kennedy Death Used to Build Support for Pro-Abortion Health Care Bills
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- With polling numbers showing decreasing support for the pro-abortion government-run health care plans in Congress, supporters of the measures are using the death of pro-abortion Sen. Ted Kennedy to rebuild support. They are going as far as saying they may rename the bill in his honor to get votes. Vice President Joe Biden led the way in exploiting Kennedy's deaths to regain momentum for the legislation that Americans are strongly opposing. "God willing, maybe his loss and all about him will be the catalyst to make people come around and begin to [support the bill]," he said Thursday morning on NBC's "Today" show. Biden said Republican lawmakers, none of whom have yet to publicly endorse the legislation, could be influenced by using Kennedy's name to generate support. "They're kind of drawn to him because, look, this is a guy who understands the deals, this is a guy who knows how to take a hit," Biden said.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also joined in the "Win won for the Teddy" chorus on Wednesday, saying, “Ted Kennedy’s dream of quality health care for all Americans will be made real this year." Full story at LifeNews.com
ACTION: Contact members of the House and Senate and urge strong support for any amendment to exclude abortion and rationing from their health care bills. Ask them to oppose any health care bill that allows abortion funding or rationing. Call 202-224-3121 or go to http://www.House.gov and http://www.Senate.gov for specific contact information.





Wall St. Journal Also Confirms House Health Care Bill Has Tax-Funded Abortions
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Wall St. Journal is the latest mainstream media outlet to confirm what pro-life advocates have been saying for months. It has acknowledged that the House version of the government-run health care plan allows for taxpayer financing of abortions. On the House side of Congress, they point to an amendment that not only explicitly authorizes funding, but mandates abortion coverage in the system HR 3200 creates. Today, the WSJ confirms that provision, known as the Capps amendment, paves the way for making taxpayers fund abortions with the money they contribute to the government-run system. "An amendment approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would allow coverage of abortion," the respected financial newspaper reported. WSJ added that the taxpayer money paying for abortions would "come from the portion of the premiums that are paid by the individuals." "A sliver of those monthly premiums would be segregated and abortion services would be reimbursed from that separate account," the Journal indicated. "The amendment also says there would have to be at least one plan that covers abortion and one that doesn't in every part of the country," the Journal adds. Full story at LifeNews.com


BeliefNet's Steve Waldman Gets it Wrong on Abortion Funding in Health Care Bills
by Douglas Johnson 

The Wall Street Journal yesterday (Aug. 26) published a long piece by Steven Waldman titled, "Does Health Care Cover Abortion?" I am quoted in the article, but I disagree with some of the author's statements and conclusions. The Capps Amendment, which wrote the words "abortion" and "abortions" into the bill 17 times, was actually written by veteran staff to Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Ca.), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and delegated to his faithful lieutenant Rep. Capps. Both Waxman and Capps have unbroken career voting records against any limitation on abortion or government funding of abortion. Democrat Bart Stupak (Mi.), co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, called the Capps-Waxman Amendment a "phony compromise." 
Let's talk first about the proposed big new government health insurance plan, the "public option," that the Obama-backed House health care bill (H.R. 3200) would create (kicking it off with $2 billion in start-up funds from the Treasury). As amended, the bill explicitly authorizes the Obama Administration to fund abortion for any reason under the public plan, from day one. Mr. Waldman writes that "it's certainly not an unreasonable prediction, given that the Secretary and the President are both pro-choice" that "if abortion can be covered, it will be covered."Right, but there is actually a lot more specific information on which to base a "prediction." Full story at LifeNews.com




Gallup Poll Shows President Barack Obama's Approval Rating at New Lows Again
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new Gallup poll shows pro-abortion President Barack Obama's approval ratings hitting a new low. Gallup now has Obama at 50-43 percent, with barely half of Americans approving of the job he is doing and nearly half disapproving of his performance as president.The poll's seven percent approval margin is the lowest in any Gallup survey since it began conducting them shortly after Obama took over the White House. Obama's rating of 50 percent is the lowest approval rating in any Gallup poll and the 43 percent who disapprove of his job as president is the highest disapproval level since January. Wendy Wright, the president of Concerned Women for America, told LifeNews.com she is not surprised that Obama continues to record low rating after low rating. "Obama misled people during the campaign and now the chickens are coming home to roost," she said about Obama's pro-abortion record. 
Full story at LifeNews.com
Human Trial of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Stopped Due to Animal Problems
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- More information is coming to light about why the Food and Drug Administration has made the decision to stop human trials involving embryonic stem cells. The reasons mirror the concerns pro-life advocates have had for years with the research, which has yet to help any patients. Geron Corporation had applied for permission to try injections of embryonic stem cells, which can only be obtained by destroying the lives of unborn children at their earliest stage of life, in humans. But pro-life advocates said they didn't think it would work because of problems in animals. When used in animal research, injections of embryonic stem cells formed tumors afterwards and also prompted the immune system of the intended recipients to reject the cells. The FDA delayed the trials to review studies of the therapy, called GRNOPC1, in its use with animals. Now, new reports indicate problems associated with the animals in Geron's studies prompted the FDA to halt the human trials. Specifically, the animals developed cysts at the injury sites after the injections. Full story at LifeNews.com





Scientists Head Towards Creating Baby With Three Parents to Eliminate Disease
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The latest news from the world of genetic manipulation comes from scientists who are conducting research on monkeys that they say could lead to the birth of a human being with three parents in order to eliminate the possibility of inheriting and genes that could cause certain diseases or conditions. Genetic engineering has long caused problems for pro-life advocates and bioethicists because of the manipulation involved and research that destroys human life in order to create a so-called perfect human race. It also leads, they say, to a society which devalues the disabled and the physically and mentally disabled. Despite the concerns, Shoukhrat Mitalipov, of the Oregon National Primate Research Centre, has moved forward with experiments in monkeys. His team created a technique that led to the birth of four healthy macaque monkeys. The research involved the transplantation of genetic material in the DNA of one monkey into the egg of another to correct genetic defects that damage health. Full story at LifeNews.com



Congressman Takes Mic Away From Pro-Life Advocate at Health Care Town Hall
Delphi, IN (LifeNews.com) -- A Democratic congressman is facing criticism from a pro-life constituent who says he took a microphone away from her as she tried to ask him questions about the abortion and rationing components of the government-run health care plan. Rep. Joe Donnelly of Indiana is a pro-life member of Congress, but Margie Haley tells LifeNews.com that she is disappointed she wasn't able to finish asking her question before he took the mic away from her. "I had a few notes on the margins of a church bulletin," she told LifeNews.com "but I was not allowed to have my say in peace, as did many others." In a video provided to LifeNews.com, Haley is seen rattling off several concerns she has about the health care bill in an attempt to get Donnelly to comment on them, and as she got to the subject of abortion, Donnelly apparently decided 45 seconds was long enough to share her concerns. Haley was able to squeeze out the rest, and, just before he took the mic away, she asked her question. Full story at LifeNews.com



Pro-Abortion Gubernatorial Candidates Behind in Virginia, New Jersey Races
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- Candidates who favor abortion are losing in both of the marquee gubernatorial races taking place this November. In Virginia, pro-life Republican candidate Bob McDonnel is leading and Chris Christie has the advantage in New Jersey, according to new Rasmussen polls. The latest Rasmussen telephone survey of Virginia voters finds McDonnell leading pro-abortion state legislator Creigh Deeds 47% to 38% with three percent backing another candidate and 12 percent undecided. These figures reflect an improvement for McDonnell as a Rasmussen poll from one month ago showed the pro-life state attorney general with a three percentage point lead. Since then, he has gained three percentage points of support while Deeds has lost three percentage points. Meanwhile, in this year’s other big election contest, Republican challenger Chris Christie has a double-digit lead over incumbent pro-abortion Democrat Jon Corzine in the New Jersey governor’s race. A new Rasmussen poll finds Christie, a former federal prosecutor, on top 47% to 36%. Those figures reflect a decline of three points for Christie and a single point for Corzine over the past three weeks. 
Full story at LifeNews.com


China Abortion Center Under Fire for Ad Touting Half-Priced Abortions for Students
Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) -- An abortion business in Chongqing, China is coming under fire across the Internet for a new newspaper advertisement. The ad touts half-priced abortions for girls who are students in high school and college as long as they show their student ID when the obtain the abortions. "Students are our future, but when something happens to them, who will help and protect them?" the ad reads. 
"Chongqing Huaxi Women's Hospital has started Students Care Month, where those students who come to get an abortion can get 50% off if they show their student IDs," it continues, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "Abortion surgeries are the most advanced in the world, won't stretch (your womb), won't hurt, it's quick, and you can do what you want afterward, it won't affect your studies or your work," the ad says. Full story at LifeNews.com




Judge Denies Oakland's Request to Deny Pro-Life Pastor's Free Speech Rights
Oakland, CA (LifeNews.com) -- A judge has denied a motion form officials with the City of Oakland to permanently prevent a pro-life pastor from presenting abortion alternatives to women outside an abortion center. Pastor Walter Hoye has been fighting with the city over the black minister's efforts to reach out to local women. Hoye had appeared outside the Family Planning Specialists abortion center until the city council approved an ordinance that targets the free speech rights of pro-life advocates. It places a “bubble zone” in place within eight feet of women entering any local abortion business. Attorneys from the Life Legal Defense Foundation, a pro-life legal group, challenged the law in court as an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment rights of Hoye and other pro-life advocates. After initially losing his case and spending weeks in prison, Hoye received a victory. 
Full story at LifeNews.com




Australia Insurance Company Won't Cover Doctors Who Dispense Abortion Drug
Brisbane, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- An insurance company in Australia says it will not cover abortion practitioners who give out the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug because giving the pills out may not be legal. The Australian state of Queensland is in a legal debate over whether it should make such abortions officially legal. Hospitals in the Australian state of Queensland are stopping abortions as doctors react to resistance from the state government to modify its abortion law. Although Premier Anna Bligh has tried to assure physicians, they are concerned that the state government will not officially legalize abortions using the mifepristone pill. Although surgical abortions are allowed, abortion using drugs remains technically illegal and doctors who want to do abortions are concerned they may face prosecution. Knowing that, Avant Law's Queensland manager, Harry McCay, told The Australian that doctors would not be covered. Full story at LifeNews.com





Pro-Abortion Group Ipas Joins Attacks on Nicaragua's Pro-Life Stance
Managua, Nicaragua (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- One of the world’s largest abortion advocates joined the onslaught against Nicaragua’s decision to ban abortion in two recently published Spanish language reports. 
Ipas, known for distributing the manual vacuum aspirator – a device used to perform early term abortions, particularly in countries where it is illegal – is claiming that Nicaragua is violating women’s human rights. The Ipas reports claim that the abortion ban is unconstitutional and a "setback" for human rights. Nicaraguan lawmakers, on the other hand, say the ban is a step forward since the law which permitted “therapeutic” abortion violated the country’s understanding of its international obligations. Nicaragua is party to the American Convention on Human Rights which states in Article 4 that life shall be protected by law "from the moment of conception."Full story at LifeNews.com
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