LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Saturday, July 31, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Democrats Plan Vote on Pro-Abortion Elena Kagan Next Week, May Limit Debate
• Pro-Abortion Groups Play Defense After Obama Health Care Abortion $ Exposed
• FDA OKs First Embryonic Stem Cell Research Trial on Humans, Despite Concerns
• Medical Board Pursues Case Against Practitioner in Botched Abortion Death
• Florida Poll Has Pro-Abortion Crist Leading Pro-Life Rubio in Key Senate Race
• Democrats' DISCLOSE Act Furthers, Not Stops, Political Culture of Corruption
• Hip Hope Helps Hares Hop: Adult Stem Cells Regrow Joints for Rabbits
• Pro-Life News: Abortion, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, Missouri, Illinois
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Democrats Plan Vote on Pro-Abortion Elena Kagan Next Week, May Limit Debate
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Senate Democrats plan a vote next week on the nomination of abortion advocate Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. They also plan to severely limit the amount of debate and discussion about Kagan's nomination on the Senate floor, which is prompting an outcry from Republicans.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and his top allies plan to open the debate on the Kagan nomination late Tuesday or Wednesday and will bring the debate to a close with a vote at the end of Thursday.
The short debate time compared with past nominees is seen by political observers as payback for Republicans blocking the DISCLOSE Act, a restrictive campaign finance bill pro-life groups opposed because it would place restrictions on their ability to discuss legislative and political issues and potentially expose their donors.
The move is also seen as a way to close up shop earlier than expected so endangered pro-abortion Democratic senators can get on the campaign trail and defend their seats in what is shaping up to be an election that will see a pro-life landslide.
Senate GOP Whip Jon Kyl, a pro-life Arizona senator, told The Hill the compacted debate time is not appropriate for a Supreme Court nominee.
It s not a good idea, he said. [Chief Justice John] Roberts and [Justice Samuel] Alito took four and five days on the floor, and Sotomayor was three. It s pretty hard to do a nominee in less than three full days if everyone is going to have a right to speak. I don't know how you shut senators up and say they don't have a right to speak. That would not be a good thing." Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Groups Play Defense After Obama Health Care Abortion $ Exposed
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In new interviews today with the web site Politico, leaders of pro-abortion groups admit they're playing defense now that pro-life groups exposed the way in which the Obama administration had planned to fund abortions in health care until they forced officials to back down from the plans.
The National Right to Life Committee exposed the abortion funding in the high risk health insurance pools the new ObamaCare law created. Obama officials allowed three states to fund abortions in the newly-created program.
The Obama administration authorized abortion funding in three states before backing down and issuing proposed guidelines limiting the funding -- although they will only apply to the high risk pools and pro-life groups will still have to ferret out abortion funding in other programs.
Reacting to the developments, pro-abortion groups admit they were caught off-guard but now promise to watch the Obama administration closely on future abortion funding aspects of the health care law.
This is not the outcome we expected, Laurie Rubiner, Planned Parenthood vice president for public policy, told Politico. We now know we need to be vigilant to make sure there aren't other areas of the law where there is silence. There is a whole host of areas that we're going to be watching like a hawk. Full story at LifeNews.com
FDA OKs First Embryonic Stem Cell Research Trial on Humans, Despite Concerns
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Obama administration has approved the bid by cloning company Geron to undertake the first trial involving the use of embryonic stem cells in humans. They have never been used before in people because the cells cause tumors and have immune system rejection issues when tried in animals.
Scientists and pro-life advocates say human embryonic stem cells are not ready for trial because problems associated with the cells in animals haven't been solved. The embryonic stem cells still cause tumors and have issues with the immune system rejecting the injection of the cells.
The Food and Drug Administration has initially placed the trial on hold but Geron indicated today that the agency is now allowing it to proceed with an early stage trial on an stem cell therapy for acute spinal cord injury.
The FDA placed a hold on the trial last August, when evidence showed Geron's GRNOPC1 encountered safety issues when used in animal studies. Geron's own data showed higher frequency of small cysts within the injury site in the spinal cord of animals injected with the embryonic cells.
We are pleased with the FDA s decision to allow our planned clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in spinal cord injury to proceed, said Thomas B. Okarma, Geron's president.
Dr. John A. Kessler, chairman of neurology and director of the stem cell institute at Northwestern University, said the first application from Geron for the embryonic stem cell trial was flawed.
We really want the best trial to be done for this first trial, and this might not be it, he said at the time. Full story at LifeNews.com
Medical Board Pursues Case Against Practitioner in Botched Abortion Death
Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- The Medical Board of California this week amended its complaint against abortion practitioner Andrew Rutland to include the charge of homicide in connection with the death of an Asian woman who died from a botched abortion he performed at his facility.
The action from the medical board follows on the heels of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office reclassifying Ying Chen's death as a homicide.
Now, the medical board as scheduled a February 2011 hearing to consider whether or not to revoke Rutland's medical license.
Rutland killed Chen by administering anesthesia to her and not knowing the proper dosage after she visited his San Gabriel facility last July for a second-trimester abortion.
Rutland injected lidocaine, a local anesthetic, in her cervix and the woman began to have an immediate reaction. The abortion practitioner began to perform CPR but the board documents say there was a "significant delay" in him calling 911 for emergency medical help for the woman.
Ying was in cardiac arrest when the ambulance arrived and was taken to a hospital, where she died six days later. An autopsy revealed Rutland gave the woman the wrong dosage of the anesthesia. Full story at LifeNews.com
Florida Poll Has Pro-Abortion Crist Leading Pro-Life Rubio in Key Senate Race
Tallahassee, FL (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll out of Florida has pro-abortion Governor Charlie Crist leading pro-life former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in the marquee Senate matchup this November. The new Quinnipiac University survey released today says Crist is benefiting from a positive approval rating from Florida voters.
Some 37 percent of Florida voters now support Crist in his independent bid for the Senate seat while 32 percent of Floridians back Rubio.
Another 17 percent back pro-abortion Democratic candidate Jeff Greene and 14 percent are undecided.
Should pro-abortion congressman Kendrick Meek win the Democratic primary next month over Greene, the Quinnipiac University poll shows Crist at 39 percent, Rubio at 33 percent, meek with 13 percent and 17 percent undecided.
In the Democratic primary matchup, Greene leads Meek by 10 percent and 35 percent of Democratic voters are still undecided.
The new survey indicates that Crist, who upset pro-life advocates by vetoing a bill that would have helped women by allowing them to see an ultrasound of their unborn baby before an abortion, is helped by getting the support of half of independent voters, 20 percent of Republicans and 40 percent of Democratic voters in the possible November matchups. Full story at LifeNews.com
Democrats' DISCLOSE Act Furthers, Not Stops, Political Culture of Corruption
by Ralph Reed
Tuesday, Democrats in the Senate failed in their effort to invoke cloture (that is, end debate) on the DISCLOSE Act, perhaps the most Orwellian-named piece of legislation in recent memory.
The bill would have subjected donors of grassroots organizations to public scrutiny and regulatory harassment whether their contribution was used for the broadcast of an ad advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or not.
So, for example, if someone wrote a large contribution to an organization opposing higher taxes, even if other funds were used to broadcast an express advocacy communication, the donor would be reported to the Federal Election Commission. It is an attempt by the Democrats in the Senate to regulate and restrict speech, silence critics of their extremist policies, and intimidate opponents of the administration and the Democratic majority.
It tramples on the First Amendment and the freedom of association. Unless, that is, you are a labor union---groups funded with membership dues are largely exempt. What a surprise! As is the Sierra Club. And the National Rifle Association, which vowed to score a vote for the DISCLOSE Act as a vote against gun rights. Democrats knew that would defeat the bill so they carved out a safe harbor for the NRA. This is not equal protection under the law; it is Chicago-style thuggery.
A broad, bipartisan coalition opposes the DISCLOSE Act . The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the bill because it violates the First Amendment. So does just about every conservative organization in the country. Full story at LifeNews.com
Hip Hope Helps Hares Hop: Adult Stem Cells Regrow Joints for Rabbits
by David Prentice
In a proof-of-concept study using a rabbit model, researchers have successfully regenerated a functioning limb joint grown naturally using the host s own adult stem cells. Prof. Jeremy J. Mao and his team at Columbia University Medical Center, along with colleagues from the University of Missouri and Clemson University, published their report online in The Lancet.
They fabricated an anatomically correct 3-dimensional bioscaffold infused with the protein growth factor TGFß3, and implanted the scaffolds into rabbits that had their forelimb thigh joint removed. Other rabbits had scaffolds implanted without the added protein, or no bioscaffold at all. Four weeks later, rabbits that received the protein-laden scaffolds were able to resume normal movements, like rabbits with normal functional joints.
The treated rabbits had grown their own joint using their own adult stem cells. The authors said their findings showed regeneration without cell transplantation. The rabbits own adult stem cells were attracted to the scaffold joint site by the protein growth factor, homed to the location of the missing joint, and regenerated cartilage and bone in two separate layers.
The published results actually show two new findings: regenerating a limb joint for the first time, with the animals resuming normal function with the new joint, and also the regenerated limb joint being created from the animal s own endogenous stem cells, not stem cells that are harvested and manipulated outside the host s body. Full story at LifeNews.com
House Republican Leader Praises new Bill to Codify Hyde Amendment Plus
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- House Republican Leader John Boehner is praising Rep. Chris Smith and the Republicans and Democrats who introduced critical legislation that will codify the pro-life Hyde amendment and bar Congress from using taxpayer funds for abortion or abortion coverage.
I m proud to be an original cosponsor to Rep. Smith s bill, which would protect life, codify the pro-life Hyde amendment and bar Congress from using taxpayer funds for abortion or abortion coverage," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Michigan Primary August 3rd, Numerous Crucial Races to be Decided
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) -- On August 3rd, Michigan voters will cast their votes and decide a number of crucial primary races. Getting out the pro-life vote in the primary election is crucial because only approximately 20% of registered voters will vote in primary.
This primary season the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee (RLM-PAC) made 386 endorsements, ranging from governor to county commission. There are 38 state senators and 110 state representatives to be elected in November, but the August 3 primary election will in many cases be the determining election. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pennsylvania Poll Shows Pro-Life Pat Toomey Holding Small Lead Over Sestak
Harrisburg, PA (LifeNews.com) -- Pat Toomey, the pro-life candidate, continues to hold a small lead over pro-abortion Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania s U.S. Senate race.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state shows Toomey earning 45% support, while Sestak picks up 39% of the vote. Six percent (6%) prefer another candidate in the race, and 10% are undecided. That s little changed from two weeks ago.
Washington Pro-Abortion Senator Patty Murray Leads Pro-Life Challengers
Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com) -- Democratic Senator Patty Murray, who is an abortion advocate, leads all three of her pro-life potential challengers in potential November election matchups.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Washington State voters shows Murray earns support from 49% of likely voters in a matchup with pro-life candidate Dino Rossi, who picks up 47% support.
Missouri Pro-Life Candidate Blunt Opens Bigger Lead on Carnahan for Senate
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Republican Congressman Roy Blunt has opened a slightly wider lead over Democrat Robin Carnahan in Missouri s race for the U.S. Senate.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state shows Blunt earning 49% support, his best showing since March, while Carnahan picks up 43% of the vote. Four percent (4%) like another candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) more are undecided.
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Fired Catholic Professor Vindicated, Will be Allowed to Teach at University of Illinois
Champaign, IL (LifeNews.com) -- The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana confirmed to Alliance Defense Fund attorneys Thursday that it will once again allow popular professor Dr. Kenneth Howell to teach on Catholicism after recently firing him for explaining the Roman Catholic Church s position on human sexual behavior to members of his class.
Massachusetts Citizens for Life Backs Jeff Perry for 10th Congressional District
Boston, MA (LifeNews.com) -- The Massachusetts Citizens for Life Federal PAC, the political arm of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, has endorsed Jeff Perry for Congress in the Tenth Congressional District.
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