LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
| For news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com. |
Current Headlines
• Baucus Health Care Bill Draws Initial Opposition, Abortion Funding Ban Needed
• Newly-Confirmed Obama Czar Cass Sunstein Pro-Abortion, Pro-Cloning
• Poll Shows Support for Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill Falling After Obama Speech
• Pro-Life Advocates With Disabled Children Worried by Health Care Bills' Rationing
• Another Former Employee Says Carhart Employed Illegal Abortion Practices
• Large Memorial for Pro-Life Man Shot Protesting Abortion to Take Place Wed
• Christian Doctors Give Obama Petition to Keep Abortion Out of Health Care
• Poll Finds Progressive Christians Much Less Pro-Life Than Evangelicals
• Abortion Advocates Still Largely Silent on Shooting of Pro-Life Abortion Protester
• Poll Shows Historic Low: Americans Say Pro-Abortion Mainstream Media is Biased
• Washington University Teams With Barnes Hospital to Train Abortion Practitioners
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Baucus Health Care Bill Draws Initial Opposition, Abortion Funding Ban Needed
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Members of the Gang of Six, the lawmakers of the Senate Finance Committee who were at work with Senator Max Baucus on legislation that could become the main health care reform vehicle, have said no to his legislation at this point because of concerns about abortion funding. Baucus had been negotiation with the group, comprised of three Republicans and three Democrat, and eventually crafted the bill on his own. The committee chairman, and also a Montana Democrat, Baucus is prepared to present his legislation tomorrow. Political observers say it could become the main health care bill replacing the Kennedy bill and HR 3200 that have been dogged by pro-life advocates because they contain abortion funding. However, CNN indicates two members of the Gang, pro-life Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzi of Wyoming, will oppose the bill in its current state over several political issues, including their desire to make sure it does not lead to abortion funding. The Finance Committee is expected to take up the bill next week and debate amendments to it, which could include language from Enzi or Grassley making sure that abortions are not funded in any way under the plan. The lawmakers also told the New York Times that they want to make sure there are not abortion mandates for insurance plans or conscience problems for pro-life medical workers who do not want to engage in or refer for abortions. Full story at LifeNews.com
Newly-Confirmed Obama Regulatory Czar Cass Sunstein Pro-Abortion, Pro-Cloning
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Senate recently approved Cass Sunstein as President Obama's new regulatory czar and, like other members of the administration, more information is coming out about his anti-life views after the fact. Sunstein was confirmed by the Senate last week as administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Now, reports indicate Sunstein holds pro-abortion and pro-human cloning views that are upsetting for the majority of Americans who are pro-life. In a 2003 review of the book "Our Posthuman Future" by Francis Fukuyama, Sunstein confirmed he has little regard for developing human life in the womb. He said there need not be any regard for unborn children in their earliest days because human embryos are "only a handful of cells." "If scientists will be using and cloning embryos only at a very early stage when they are just a handful of cells (say, before they are four days old), there is no good reason for a ban (on cloning)," he wrote, according to a WorldNetDaily report. "It is silly to think that 'potential' is enough for moral concern. Sperm cells have 'potential' and (not to put too fine a point on it) most people are not especially solicitous about them," he continued. Full story at LifeNews.com
Poll Shows Support for Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill Falling After Obama Speech
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The bump that the pro-abortion health care plan in Congress received from President Barack Obama's speech last week has already subsided. A new Rasmussen survey shows the opposition to the plan has returned to the pre-speech levels its surveys showed. Following Obama's speech, the level of support for the bills, which open the door to massive abortion funding in both the public option and taxpayer subsidies, increased steadily to a peak of 51% yesterday. "However, the bounce appears to be over. The latest daily tracking shows that support has fallen all the way back to pre-speech levels," Rasmussen reports today. Forty-five percent of all voters nationwide now favor the plan while 52% are opposed. A week ago, 44% supported the proposal and 53% were opposed. The latest figures show that 23 percent strongly favor the pro-abortion health care restructuring bills while 41 percent are strongly opposed to them -- giving the intensity advantage to the pro-life side. In late August, 23% were strongly in favor of the plan and 43% were strongly opposed. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Advocates With Disabled Children Worried by Health Care Bills' Rationing
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates with children with disabilities are concerned about the rationing found in the health care "reform" bills pending in Congress. They say the legislation puts the U.S. in league with nations like Canada and the U.K. where health care rationing is much more prevalent. In the Senate, pro-life advocates have tried to stop rationing but were unsuccessful. The major bill in the House has also been a cause for concern. Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life of America, is the founder of Healthcare for Gunner to identify the kind of rationing her disabled son would face because of his cystic fibrosis. She and other parents of disabled children joined pro-life Reps. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers and Trent Franks for a press conference outside Congress today. "I want my family and my doctor to control my son's healthcare decision, not a government-appointed committee," she told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.com
Another Former Employee Says Carhart Employed Illegal Abortion Practices
Bellevue, NE (LifeNews.com) -- Another former employee of late-term abortion practitioner LeRoy Carhart has come forward saying he engaged in illegal activities at his Nebraska-based abortion business. She joins five other former workers at Carhart's abortion center who says illegal and unethical practices occurred there. The unnamed woman has contacted the pro-life group Operation Rescue and submitted an affidavit testifying to the illegal acts she witnessed. She also testifies that Carhart and his staff told her to commit illegal acts during her employment at his Abortion and Contraception Clinic of Nebraska. OR president Troy Newman tells LifeNews.com today that she is the fourth person to submit an affidavit to his group and that he will turn it over to Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, who recently met with representatives of several pro-life groups about the concerns regarding Carhart. "We want to emphasize that each of the affidavits, including this most recent one, contain testimony of criminal violations," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Large Memorial for Pro-Life Man Shot Protesting Abortion to Take Place Wednesday
Owosso, MI (LifeNews.com) -- A large memorial service will take place on Wednesday at the high school football stadium in this central Michigan city where pro-life advocate Jim Pouillon was shot last week while protesting abortion. Pouillon was allegedly shot by local resident Harlan Drake along with a local businessman. Drake has been charged with first-degree murder in shooting Pouillon and the owner of a gravel pit company, 61-year-old Mike Fuoss. The memorial service is slated for 1 p.m. at Owosso High School's Willman Field and hundreds of pro-life advocates are expected to join local residents and friends and family of Pouillon to mourn his death. Pouillon's death has sparked a national outrage from pro-life advocates who are upset that it took more than 48 hours for President Barack Obama to issue a statement condemning the shooting after making quick comments and taking swift action in response to the shooting of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller. Although officials have confirmed that Drake shot Pouillon because of his frequent abortion protests outside a local high school, top pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood have not condemned the shooting as they did Tiller's. Full story at LifeNews.com| Shocking isn't it? But it's the truth and the truth can change minds. |
 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." |
Christian Doctors Group Gives Obama Petition to Keep Abortion Out of Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- As the leader of a coalition of pro-life groups, an organization for Christian doctors and medical professionals has sent a letter to President Barack Obama informing him that 10,000 people have signed a petition it sponsored urging him and Congress to protect conscience rights and stop abortion mandates. The Christian Medical Association's letter to the President noted that "the problem of discrimination in health care and protecting conscience rights through both law and regulation are key to protecting patients' access to health care now and in the future." Dr. David Stevens, the head of the Christian Medical Association, commented to LifeNews.com about the letter and the current situation. "Our polling demonstrates that the American people by two-to-one margins support conscience-protecting laws and the conscience-protecting regulation that President Obama plans to get rid of," he said. "Our national survey of nearly 3,000 faith-based healthcare professionals reveals that conscience protections are vital to continuing the faith-based medical care that millions of patients depend upon." "Protecting conscience rights and stopping abortion mandates are crucial for passing healthcare reform legislation," he added. Full story at LifeNews.com
Poll Finds Progressive Christians Much Less Pro-Life on Abortion Than Evangelicals
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll conducted by an institute at the University of Akron may be unique in that it is the first ever to evaluate the competing political interests of evangelicals and progressive Christians. But the results -- that progressives are much less pro-life on abortion than evangelicals -- are hardly shocking. The Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, in partnership with Public Religion Research, is behind the comprehensive survey of religious Americans. Conservative and progressive religious activists have markedly different political priorities as evangelicals overwhelmingly identify abortion as one of the most important political issues while fewer than 10 percent of progressive religious activists say it is among the "most important" political issues. The survey also found liberal Christians think they have more of an effect on the political culture. They perceived themselves as having significant influence on the 2008 election compared to other groups, while conservative religious activists perceived themselves as having relatively little influence -- perhaps because of the election victory of pro-abortion President Barack Obama after eight years under a pro-life president. Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Advocates Still Largely Silent on Shooting of Pro-Life Abortion Protester
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The nation's largest pro-abortion groups are still largely silent on the recent shooting of pro-life advocate Jim Pouillon of central Michigan. Pouillon was shot last Friday as he held a sign protesting abortion in front of a local high school in Owosso. While the pro-abortion group NARAL issued a brief politically exploitive remark in response, leading pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, Emily's List, NOW, and others have been silent. That stands in contrast the aggressive ways in which they attacked pro-life advocates over the shooting death of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller and implied that pro-life groups were somehow responsible even though they were not connected with Scott Roeder, who has been accused of killing him. David Bass, a writer at the American Spectator, noticed the juxtaposition. "A growing sidebar of the James Pouillon murder (he was gunned down while peacefully protesting outside an abortion clinic in Owosso, Michigan) is the silence of national pro-choice organizations," he writes today. "I ran a quick search, and none of the biggies ... have issued statements condemning the murder," he says. Full story at LifeNews.com
Poll Shows Historic Low: Americans Say Pro-Abortion Mainstream Media is Biased
by Brent Baker
"The public's assessment of the accuracy of news stories is now at its lowest level in more than two decades of Pew Research surveys," a new poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, embargoed for release at 11 PM EDT Sunday night, discovered. The survey, of 1,506 adults conducted in late July, found "nearly three-quarters (74%) say news organizations tend to favor one side in dealing with political and social issues," up 21 points from 53 percent 24 years ago, "while just 18% say they deal fairly with all sides." The percent who perceive the media as liberal versus conservative remains very lopsided, though the difference has increased by 7 points -- from 40 percent vs. 19 percent in 1985 to 50 percent vs. 22 percent now, a 28 point split. In addition -- surprise, surprise -- "Democrats hold considerably more positive views than Republicans of CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times and the news operations of the broadcast networks" with "the starkest partisan division...seen in assessments of the New York Times" as "Republicans view the New York Times negatively by a margin of nearly two-to-one (31% to 16%), while Democrats view it positively by an almost five-to-one margin (39% to 8%)." Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington University Teams With Barnes Hospital to Train Abortion Practitioners
by Joe Oertwerth
Washington University has joined forces with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Planned Parenthood of St. Louis to train abortionists. It is called the Family Planning Fellowship Program, and its stated goal is to "develop tomorrow's leaders in reproductive health." Fellows in the program are trained to become "expert" in all methods of first and second trimester abortions, which the program describes as "uterine evacuation procedures." The program claims it is the only fellowship in the nation providing the opportunity to develop "high-level...clinical skills" in "abortion care." The program website states that fellows will participate in abortions at the Reproductive Health Services clinic operated by Planned Parenthood of St. Louis. The site says that "here, fellows will learn, and ultimately teach and supervise residents in first and second trimester surgical abortions and medical abortion." According to the website, more than 6,000 abortions are done annually at Reproductive Health Services. Full story at LifeNews.com
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