LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
| For news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com. |
Current Headlines
• White House Will Meet With Pro-Life Leader on Abortion, Health Care
• Sebelius Says Obama Will Change Bill to Ban Abortion Funding
• Obama Won't Meet With Pro-Life Democrat to Discuss Abortion
• Obama Waits Two Days to Release Statement on Shooting of Pro-Lifer
• Poll Shows More Support for Pro-Abortion Health Care Bills
• Memorial Gathering Sees 200 Pro-Life People Mourn Slain Advocate
• CBS News Ignores Killing of Pro-Life Advocate Pouillon, ABC Biased
• Memorial Service Planned for Terri Schiavo's Father Robert Schindler
• Politifact Verifies Obama Statements Make Abortion in Health Care Likely
• Pro-Abortion Man Who Shot Pro-Life Advocate Pouillon Attempts Suicide
• Catholic Bishops Differ From Pro-Life Response to Obama Abortion Claim
• Arizona Planned Parenthood Sues to Overturn New Pro-Life Laws
• Pregnant North Carolina Teen Shot, 32-Week Old Unborn Child Hurt
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White House Will Meet With Skeptical Pro-Life Leader on Abortion, Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- White House officials this week will meet with a pro-life leader to discuss the problems of abortion funding in the health care bills pending in Congress. Americans United for Life Action president Charmaine Yoest will meet with pro-abortion Obama administration officials, but she doesn't expect significant results. Yoest told LifeNews.com that she hopes to "take the message to the White House that real health care respects life," when she meets Thursday afternoon. "Abortion is not health care, but without an explicit, proactive exclusion of abortion, the courts will impose an abortion mandate just as they did with Medicaid," she explains. "The abortion lobby is using health care reform to try to end-run around the Hyde Amendment which has been a thorn in their side. Their ultimate objective is to define abortion as basic health care which Americans do not support," Yoest adds. The AUL president plans to deliver signatures on a petition the group has been running along with a coalition of pro-life organizations (including LifeNews.com). She will also bring up the status of conscience protection and the denial of care of the elderly. Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes and White House Director for Public Liaison Tina Tchen, both of whom are strong abortion advocates, will meet with Yoest. Full story at LifeNews.com
Sebelius Says Obama Will Change Bill to Ban Abortion Funding, Pro-Lifers Doubtful
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a weekend interview, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said President Barack Obama wants a change in the language of the main House health care "reform" bill to ensure it doesn't allow taxpayer-funded abortions. However, a pro-life group that has exposed the abortion funding is doubtful that will happen. At issue is HR 3200, the government-run health care plan that includes the Capps Amendment that would open the door for massive abortion funding in both the public option and the tax subsidies for people to purchase health insurance. Sebelius told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" program that Obama will go beyond the very weak limits Capps Amendment to make sure there is no abortion funding. "So you are saying that he will go beyond what we have seen in the House and explicitly rule out any public funding for abortion?" the host asked Sebelius. "Well that's exactly what the President said and that's what he intends that the bill he signs will do," she responded. "I think the legislative language will reflect what the President has just said." Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of National Right to Life, quickly responded in an email to LifeNews.com saying he doubts Obama will follow thorough on his rhetoric. "For months, the President, his staff, and his congressional allies have misrepresented actual language in their bills that would result in government funding of elective abortions," he said. "The latest statements by Mr. Obama and Ms. Sebelius are most likely a continuation of their strategy of denial, evasion, and distortion. We say, watch what they do, not what they say," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Obama Won't Meet With Pro-Life Democrat to Discuss Abortion, Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The pro-life Democrat who says he had 40 Democrats who will vote against the health care bill in the House because it funds abortions can't get a meeting with President Barack Obama. Rep. Bart Stupak, in a new interview, talks more about how the pro-life Democrats can hold up the pro-abortion bill, HR 3200. Responding to the speech President Obama gave last week promoting the bills, Stupak told the Weekly Standard that "there certainly is public funding for abortion" in the House measure. He says the legislation would allow both the public health insurance plan, known as the public option, and federally subsidized private plans to pay for abortions using taxpayer funds. Stupak, a Michigan congressman, told the conservative magazine that he has repeatedly asked for a meeting, or even a few minutes on the phone, with Obama but has been consistently refused. "I just jumped Rahm Emanuel again this morning" to ask for a meeting, Stupak said Thursday. Stupak says the White House may want to take him up on his offer because he says he still has enough votes to derail either the bill or the rules for debate on it, which would prevent the legislation from moving from the committee to the floor. "She knows better than that," Stupak told the Weekly Standard about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thus far not allowing a vote on his amendment to truly ban all abortion funding from the bill. Full story at LifeNews.com
President Obama Waits Two Days to Release Statement on Shooting of Pro-Lifer
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama waited over 48 hours before finally releasing a very short statement condemning the Friday shooting of pro-life advocate James Pouillon. Within hours of the shooting of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, Obama had a statement, but he dragged his feet on this incident. As LifeNews.com reported, Pouillon, 63, was shot Friday morning as he protested abortion outside a local high school in Owosso, Michigan. Local officials have detained 33-year-old Harlan Drake, who told police he killed Jim Pouillon because he didn't like how he would protest abortion in front of the school. Obama's brief statement is just half the size of his statement after the Tiller shooting and makes no mention of Pouillon's pro-life stance or that he was shot because he opposed abortion. "The shooting last week in Michigan was deplorable. Whichever side of a public debate you're on, violence is never the right answer," Obama said. While Obama was slow to finally condemn the shooting of the pro-life advocate, some pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood and Emily's List have made no public comment on the killing of Pouillon despite aggressively attacking pro-life advocates after Tiller's death. Full story at LifeNews.com
Poll Shows More Support for Pro-Abortion Health Care Bills After Obama Speech
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll shows more support for the pro-abortion health care bills in Congress following President Barack Obama's speech last week. Obama forcefully promoted the bills in a campaign-style speech and he and his staff have been hitting the television circuit and visiting states to build support. A new Rasmussen survey released today shows about an even split against the current health care bills, which allow massive taxpayer-funding of abortions once the margin of error is included. The new poll shows backing for the pro-abortion bill has now risen to the highest level yet and it measured a slight uptick in support among Republicans and voters not affiliated with either party. Fifty-one percent of all voters nationwide now favor the plan while 46% are opposed. In June, as the public debate was just beginning, 50% favored the plan and 45% were opposed. "Support for the plan fell over the summer and reached a point where 53% of voters opposed it. However, in the days following the president's speech, support for the plan has been moving up on a fairly consistent basis," Rasmussen explained. Still, the intensity gap continues to favor those who oppose the plan. Currently, 28% strongly favor the pro-abortion health care restructuring bills while 38 percent are strongly opposed. Full story at LifeNews.com
Owosso, MI (LifeNews.com) -- More than 200 people gathered on Sunday afternoon in this small Michigan community to mourn the shooting death of Jim Pouillon. He was shot on Friday by a pro-abortion man unhappy with the fact that he would protest abortion outside a local high school. Many of the people in the crowd came with pro-life signs similar to those Pouillon would prop up against himself and the curb to show how abortion kills children and how unborn children deserve protection. Others urged to stop abortion or came from women who regret their abortions. The pro-life people and others who are saddened by Pouillon's death gathered at the same spot in front of Owosso High School where he was killed to sing, pray and share stories about their friend. Mary Jo Pouillon, his 26-year-old daughter, held her father's Bible throughout the ceremony and she read from the book he enjoyed reading. "My dad would love all the attention he's getting," she said, according to the Lansing State Journal, because he would want to reflect it to abortion and God. Mary Jo Pouillon said the retiree from General Motors was a peaceful man who would present a silent witness for life with his signs and didn't aggressively confront other people. Full story at LifeNews.com Minds that think Choice is fair and good only to discover it's just an excuse to kill her baby. Connecting Choice to abortion will cause many to question its seeming fairness and open their minds to the truth that Choice kills. "Please visit Choicekills.com and consider sticking the truth on your bumper." |
CBS News Ignores Killing of Pro-Life Advocate Pouillon, ABC Biased in Reporting
by Rich Noyes
Katie Couric's CBS Evening News on Friday omitted any mention of the murder of pro-life activist Jim Pouillon in Michigan, despite having discussed the murder of abortionist George Tiller on the June 1, June 2 and June 9 newscasts (and then referencing the killing as a recent "hate crime" in a June 10 report on the shooting at Washington, D.C.'s Holocaust Museum). Both ABC's World News and the NBC Nightly News, in contrast, offered full reports on the killing of Pouillon and a local businessman, but offered different explanations. According to NBC's John Yang, prosecutors said the killer, Harlan Drake, had grudges against his victims and another intended target but "none of them were specifically related to anti- or pro-abortion beliefs." Over on ABC, however, reporter Chris Bury showed a soundbite from the Owosso police chief that sure sounded like a grudge against Pouillon's protests: "Mr. Drake did not believe the children should view the graphic material that was on the signs that Mr. Pouillon carried." And ABC's Bury claimed Friday's killing of the peaceful protester represented "the flip side of the troubling violence surrounding the abortion debate," and equated the pro-life activist with the doctor who performed late-term abortions: "George Tiller and Jim Pouillon, on opposite sides of the abortion divide, but both victims of the hate that too often surrounds it." Actually, if the amount of coverage they mete out is a reliable guide, liberal journalists seem to really think that the abortionist is more important than the activist arguing against abortion. Full story at LifeNews.com
Memorial Service Planned in Florida for Terri Schiavo's Father Robert Schindler
St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- A memorial service has been planned for Robert Schindler, the late father of Terri Schiavo. Terri is the disabled woman whose estranged husband subjected her to a painful 13-day starvation and dehydration death after courts prevented Schindler from becoming her guardian and providing her care. Schindler passed away late last month after battling health issues and he died of apparent heart failure. In the aftermath of Terri's euthanasia death, Robert Schindler started a foundation with the rest of his family to help other disabled patients. The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation would connect patients or their families to legal help, physicians and pro-life groups who would speak out on their behalf to obtain basic medical care or lifesaving medical treatment denied to them by the government, hospitals or family members. Schindler will be honored in a special Memorial Service scheduled for later this week. The Memorial Service is scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2009, at 6 p.m. It will be held at the Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church located at 5800 Fifteenth Avenue South in Gulfport, Florida. The public is invited to attend. Full story at LifeNews.com
Politifact Verifies Obama Statements Make Abortion in Health Care Bill Likely
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Another independent fact-checking web site has verified that pro-life advocates are right when they say the health care bills President Barack Obama supporters will result in abortion funding. This time, Politifact says Republican leader John Boehner is correct in his assertions. On Thursday, Boehner issued a press release noting Obama's 2007 appearance before the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. There, Obama said "reproductive care" would be "at the heart" of his health plan and that his public plan "will provide all essential services, including reproductive services" -- all code for abortion funding. "During his quest for the presidency, now-President Obama declared that everyone deserves access to reproductive health care that includes abortion, and vowed that this 'right' would be at the heart of his health care reform plan if elected president," Boehner said. Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning web site that is a project of the St. Petersburg Times newspaper in Florida scrutinizes the assertions of politicians and political groups. In a new analysis, it says Boehner is right on track and his statements are true. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Man Who Shot Pro-Life Advocate Jim Pouillon Attempts Suicide
Owosso, MI (LifeNews.com) -- The Michigan man who shot pro-life advocate Jim Pouillon on Friday morning, because he didn't like his protests outside a high school against abortion, attempted to commit suicide on Saturday. Harlan J. Drake, 33, of Owosso, is also accused of killing another man with whom he had a dispute. Shiawassee County Sheriff George Braidwood said Drake tried to commit suicide on Saturday in his prison cell. Drake reportedly was treated for a gash on his wrist after using a broken-off piece of his jail television set to cut himself. Braidwood said Drake is now being kept away from other prisoners and is under 24-hour observation because of the attempted suicide. Jail staff had been checking his prison cell every 15 minutes and rushed to it when they heard the television break. Braidwood says Drake has been "very passive" since returning to jail and has no television now. Drake is charged with fatally shooting Pouillon as he protested abortion outside the school and then killing a local businessman, Mike Fuoss. Officials on Friday confirmed that abortion was the motive in Pouillon's death. Full story at LifeNews.com
Catholic Bishops Differ From Pro-Life Response to Obama Abortion Funding Claim
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Last week, President Barack Obama said in his prime time speech on health care "reform" that he doesn't want abortion funding included in the final bill that Congress may approve. Most pro-life groups greeted Obama's claims with guffaws and sarcastic laughter, but the nation's Catholics bishops didn't. They are apparently taking the claim at face value and say they think Obama will actually follow through on his promise to keep taxpayer-funding out of the health care bills, where it currently resides. In his address to a joint session of Congress, Obama said "One more misunderstanding I want to clear up -- under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions." Under the current legislation in both the House and Senate, abortion funding is included as HR 3200 contains the Capps Amendment that paves the way for massive abortion funding. Every national pro-life group that provided LifeNews.com comment on Obama's speech expressed significant skepticism. But Richard Doerflinger, the associate director of Pro-Life Activities at the USCCB, issued a statement saying he thinks Obama will follow through. Full story at LifeNews.com
Arizona Planned Parenthood Sues to Overturn New Pro-Life Laws Limiting Abortions
Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) -- The Planned Parenthood abortion business in Arizona has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a slate of new pro-life laws designed to reduce abortions in the state. Gov. Jan Brewer signed the package of new bills into law in July that banned partial-birth abortions and helps women, teens and medical staff. The first measure Brewer signed , HB 2400, creates a state ban on partial birth abortions so local prosecutors can make sure the federal partial-birth abortion ban can be better enforced. The second bill, HB 2564, would protect women, parents, children, and the civil rights of health care providers. That legislation calls for informed consent before abortions along with a 24-hour waiting period, parental consent requirements, a prohibition on non-doctors doing surgical abortions, and of conscience for all health care providers, including pharmacists, on abortion and abortion drugs. Brewer also signed SB 1175, a bill to ban non-physicians from doing abortions in the state -- important because a nurse at Planned Parenthood has been putting women's health at risk by doing surgical abortions. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pregnant North Carolina Teen Shot, 32-Week Old Unborn Child in Critical Condition
Charlotte, NC (LifeNews.com) -- A pregnant 15-year-old girl was shot and killed Monday morning while at a bus stop waiting for the school bus. Tiffany Wright was 32 weeks pregnant at the time and her unborn baby girl is reportedly in critical condition at a local hospital following the shooting. Doctors at the Carolinas Medical Center delivered the baby three hours after the shooting took place. According to a Charlotte Observer report, Wright was an 11th-grader at Hawthorne High School, which offers a special program for pregnant moms and teen girls with newborns. Police told the newspaper on this afternoon that they believe the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute and that Wright was found in the street shot in the head at the time officials arrived. WBTV has more on the story and indicates Wright's grandmother walked her to the bus stop and returned to it after getting her a glass of water and found Wright dead. Full story at LifeNews.com
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