LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Wedday, January 26, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Democrats Begin Defecting From Reconciliation Push for Health Care
• Teen Abortion, Pregnancy and Birth Rates Increased in 2006 Report Says
• CBS Faces Pro-Abortion Pressure to Scrap Pro-Life Ad Featuring Tim Tebow
• Planned Parenthood Renewing Push to Pass Pro-Abortion Health Care
• Rising Pro-Life Star Mike Pence Won't Run for Senate, Possible 2012 Candidate
• NARAL Pushing Senate to Confirm Pro-Abortion Obama Pick Dawn Johnsen
• ABC, CBS, NBC Skip March for Life; Abortionist on NPR: Pro-Lifers Terrorists
• Abortion Reportedly Kills Woman in New York at A1 Medicine Abortion Center
• Pro-Abortion Groups Want Pro-Life Organizations Probed on Violence After Tiller
• Kansas Supreme Court Judge Beier Subject of Pro-Life Expose' on Abortion
• Kentucky Senate OKs Bill Allowing Women to See Ultrasound Before Abortion
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Democrats Begin Defecting From Reconciliation Push for Pro-Abortion Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Senate Democrats are beginning to defect from the reconciliation idea Speaker Nancy Pelosi and pro-abortion party leaders are pushing to get the pro-abortion health care bill through Congress. Three Democrats have said they oppose the idea or would lean against it.
But, the question is will there be enough Democrats willing to oppose the idea, which allows railroading the health care bill through the Senate with a majority instead of 60 votes.
Senator Blanche Lincoln, a pro-abortion Arkansas Democrat, said today that she opposes the reconciliation idea.
I am opposed to and will fight against any attempts to push through changes to the Senate health insurance reform legislation by using budget reconciliation tactics that would allow the Senate to pass a package of changes to our original bill with 51 votes," she said, according to the New York Times. I have successfully fought for transparency throughout Senate deliberations on health care, and I will continue to do so. I will not accept any last-minute efforts to force changes to health insurance reform issues through budget reconciliation," she added.
Meanwhile, pro-abortion Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana also indicated he would oppose reconciliation. It would destroy the opportunity, if there is one, for any bipartisan cooperation the rest of this year on anything else, Bayh said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Teen Abortion, Pregnancy and Birth Rates Increased in 2006 New Report Says
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Despite billions of dollars spent by national and state governments and groups like Planned Parenthood on promoting birth control and contraception, a new report issued by the Guttmacher Institute indicates teen abortion, pregnancy and birth rates all rose in 2006.
The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion group formerly affiliated with Planned Parenthood, says the rates all rose for the first time in more than a decade. Its new report, which LifeNews.com obtained today, shows the nation s teen pregnancy rate rose 3% in 2006 while the teen pregnancy rate rose 4 percent and the teen abortion rate was up 1 percent.
There is some speculation that the teen birth rate is up because of a decline in teen abortions and the fact that teen births rose at a higher rate than teen abortions provides some evidence of that possibility.
The overall teen pregnancy rate saw steep declines in the 1990s as abstinence education programs became popular and a subsequent plateau in the early 2000s as the morning after pill received national attention. The teen pregnancy rate declined 41% between its peak, in 1990 (116.9 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15 19), and 2005 (69.5 per 1,000), Guttmacher noted.
Teen birth and abortion rates also declined, with births dropping 35% between 1991 and 2005 and teen abortion declining 56% between its peak, in 1988, and 2005. Full story at LifeNews.com
CBS Faces Pro-Abortion Pressure to Scrap Pro-Life Ad Featuring Tim Tebow
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- CBS is facing pressure from pro-abortion groups to scrap the pro-life advertisement Focus on the Family plans to run featuring Tim Tebow. He is the University of Florida football star whose mother chose life over abortion despite a debilitating medical condition during her pregnancy with Tebow.
As LifeNews.com has reported, Focus on the Family has produced an ad it plans to air during the Super Bowl and, although it won't confirm the content prior to its airing, the ad could feature the story of how Tebow's mom refused an abortion.
However, a coalition of pro-abortion groups called on CBS on Monday to reject the ad. The New York-based Women's Media Center is coordinating the attack on the ad along with the pro-abortion National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority and other groups.
"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," Jehmu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center, told AP.
CBS officials told AP they have approved the ad for airing and that they would block an issue-oriented ad not "appropriate for air."
ACTION: Support the Focus on the Family ad by contacting Sean J. McManus, President CBS News and Sports, at sjmcmanus@cbs.com or 212-975-4321 Full story at LifeNews.com
Planned Parenthood Renewing Push to Pass Pro-Abortion Health Care Reform Bill
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood is renewing its efforts to push the pro-abortion health care bill in Congress as top Democrats consider passing a modified version of the Senate bill in the House and getting the Senate to railroad changes through its chamber using reconciliation.
Admitting last week was a "tough week" for the health care bill because of the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards argued for pushing forward.
"Recent setbacks, including the special election in Massachusetts, threaten to derail crucial health care reform legislation. After a full year of debate and negotiations, too many lawmakers seem ready to give up on reform altogether," Richards laments in an email LifeNews.com obtained. "We simply can't let that happen."
Richards said that expanding abortion is at stake if the health care bill is defeated.
"We've never had a better chance to expand access to those who need it most we can't let this opportunity slip away now," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Rising Pro-Life Star Mike Pence Won't Run for Senate, Possible 2012 Candidate
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Indiana Congressman Mike Pence is a rising star within the pro-life movement and has become a key player in the abortion debate because of his steadfast position and willingness to take on Planned Parenthood. Today, Pence announced he won't seek a Senate seat in Indiana.
The move helps Pence keep his 2012 options open as he has been described by political observers as a potential presidential candidate or running mate against pro-abortion President Barack Obama in his re-election bid.
Erick Erickson of Red State was the first to post about Pence's decision -- which he said was a good one because his pro-life voice is needed as one of the top Republicans in the House of Representatives.
"Lots of people on the outside have been pushing Pence, but he has all along seemed interested in staying to fight for 2010. A Senate run would bring into question his ability to lead the House GOP Conference at the same time," Erickson said. "This is refreshing news to many conservatives who were fearful that Pence leaving the House would leave its leadership devoid of a truly conservative voice."
The conservative writer also noted Pence's possible long-term presidential ambitions. Full story at LifeNews.com
NARAL Pushing Senate to Confirm Pro-Abortion Obama Pick Dawn Johnsen
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The never ending battle over pro-abortion Obama nominee Dawn Johnsen continues. Despite the victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, President Barack Obama re-nominated Johnsen and the pro-abortion activist group NARAL today is calling on its members to urge support for her.
Johnsen is the radical abortion advocate Obama nominated to a key Justice Department position. A law professor at Indiana University and former NARAL attorney, Obama tapped Johnsen to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
The election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts was thought to be the death knell for her nomination because it would again give opponents enough votes to uphold a filibuster against her -- but Obama renominated Johnsen anyway.
Now, NARAL is calling on its members to work overtime to get members of the Senate to support the nomination of its former legal counsel.
"Anti-choice senators used every trick in the book last year to block President Obama's nomination of Dawn Johnsen former legal director at NARAL Pro-Choice America to a post at the Justice Department," NARAL president Nancy Keenan said today in an email LifeNews.com obtained. "But the president isn't giving up and neither are we," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com
ABC, CBS, NBC Skip March for Life; Abortionist on NPR Calls Pro-Lifers Terrorists
by Tim Graham
As usual, ABC, CBS, and NBC ignored Friday's March for Life protest. (Even the Associated Press skipped over the tens of thousands marching.) But the PBS NewsHour at least offered a brief from news anchor Hari Sreenivasan:
Thousands rallied in Washington in the annual March For Life. It was the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion. The anti-abortion crowd rallied at the White House, and then moved on to the Supreme Court. A handful of abortion rights supporters were also present.
NPR covered the trial on the murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller on Friday night (as well as Friday morning), but had no March for Life mention. On the afternoon talk show Tell Me More, host Michel Martin interviewed Serrin Foster of Feminists for Life. But the pro-life movement was harshly smeared by late-term abortionist Leroy Carhart in an interview that led off that same show. Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Reportedly Kills Woman in New York at A1 Medicine Abortion Center
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A New York woman has apparently died as a result of a failed abortion done at the A-1 Women's Care abortion center located in the Jackson Heights section of Queens. Reports indicate emergency officials responded to an emergency call from the A1 Medicine facility at 95-45 Roosevelt on Monday afternoon.
WPIX-TV indicates a woman in her 30s was reportedly undergoing heavy bleeding and was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital Center where she was later pronounced dead.
The television station indicates an investigation into the failed abortion is ongoing and that one question officials are examining is whether the center was licensed to do abortions.
Another local media outlet, 1010 WINS, indicated the abortion practitioner severed an artery during the abortion procedure. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Groups Want Pro-Life Organizations Probed on Violence After Tiller
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion advocates are asking the Obama administration to investigate pro-life groups because they claim pro-life organizations are fostering a climate of violence that led Scott Roeder to kill late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller last summer.
Even though Roeder, who is currently in trial for the killing, had no ties with any pro-life group and acted on its own, they want a probe of pro-life groups.
Kathy Spillar, executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, told the Kansas City Star, "The Department of Justice needs to vigorously pursue not only a further investigation of Scott Roeder but of his connections to the extremist network that may have been involved in the furthering of this murder."
"Many of this extremist network with whom Scott Roeder clearly has been involved are here in the courtroom. We can only hope that the network will be dismantled, and until it's dismantled, we're waiting for the next murder," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Kansas Supreme Court Judge Beier Subject of Pro-Life Groups Expose' on Abortion
Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carole Beier is the subject of a new expose' campaign mounted by the political action committee of Kansans for Life. KFL says the campaign will aim to educate voters about why they should vote against retaining Beier when they have a chance to vote on her this November.
Today, KFL executive director Mary Kay Culp expanded on why this campaign was initiated and announced a huge boost to the effort from Monday s legal filings defending an attorney associated with pro-life former state Attorney General Phill Kline.
KFL told LifeNews.com today that it is upset with Justice Beier because she has engaged in a disinformation campaign designed to disparage Kline's reputation and stall the prosecution of illegal abortions.
Culp spoke with LifeNews.com today about the Fire Beier initiative.
She said the initiative "will reveal Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier's participation in a dishonorable disinformation campaign to obstruct justice, more reminiscent of an aggressive abortion industry defense attorney, than impartial judge." Full story at LifeNews.com
Kentucky Senate OKs Bill Allowing Women to See Ultrasound Before Abortion
Frankfort, KY (LifeNews.com) -- The Kentucky state Senate has approved a bill allowing women to see an ultrasound of their unborn baby before an abortion. When used in pregnancy centers ultrasounds help more than 80 percent of women decide against an abortion and to keep their baby. Approval came after the Kentucky Senate Judiciary Committee recently approved Senate Bill 38, sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Tori, a Republican.
Teresa Watson, executive director of the Pregnancy Resource Center, applauded the vote.
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, this is something that will give her more information than she had before. She can see the reality of the child very simply on the screen and I believe she deserves to be able to see that," she said according to WLKY.
"The most common remark we hear is, 'I did not know.' They did not know how far along, what their baby looked like at the gestation they were when they had the abortion," Watson said of women who come to her center. Full story at LifeNews.com
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