LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Satuday, September 18, 2010
| For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com. |
Current Headlines
• New Poll Finds Americans Continue to Oppose Tax Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research
• Mike Huckabee Has Pro-Life Litmus Test, Takes on Republicans on Social Issues "Truce"
• Senator Jim DeMint: I'm Not Going to Run for President in 2012
• Ohio Senate Race Headed for Blowout as Poll Shows Pro-Life Rob Portman Leading
• Wisconsin Senate Poll Has Pro-Life Ron Johnson Topping Sen. Russ Feingold
• Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Earns Pro-Life Praise for Supreme Court Pick
• Congressman Bart Stupak Claims Obama Has Upheld Order on Abortion Funding in Health Care
• 2012: Huckabee Leads Republicans, Best Against Obama; Romney Leads New Hampshire
• Terri Schiavo Foundation Changes Name, Reorganizes to Better Help Disabled Patients
• Pro-Abortion Driver Escalates Abuse to Violence, Attempts to Hit Pro-Life Advocate With Vehicle
---> Is your pro-life group or pregnancy center looking for an affordable speaker? Need a speaker for a conference, convention, church presentation or on short notice? Consider LifeNews.com Editor Steven Ertelt. Email us for details.
New Poll Finds Americans Continue to Oppose Tax Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- As Congress considers potential legislation that would repeal the law a federal judge has cited as standing in the way of the executive order President Barack Obama issued to force taxpayers to finance embryonic stem cell research, a new poll shows Americans don't want their tax dollars used to fund it.
The poll, conducted by ICR / International Communications Research and commissioned by the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, surveyed 1,006 adults September 8-14.
The opinion poll shows a plurality of Americans (47 percent) oppose federal funding of stem cell research that involves destroying human embryos, while only thirty-eight percent (38 percent) support such funding.
Survey respondents were informed that stem cells can also be obtained from adults, placentas from live births and other ways that do no harm to the donor, and that scientists disagree on whether stem cells from embryos or from such alternative sources may end up being most successful in treating diseases.
After given that information, fifty-seven percent (57 percent) favor funding only the research avenues that do not harm the donor, while only twenty-one percent (21 percent) favored funding all stem cell research, including research that involves killing embryonic human beings.
Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director of the USCCB s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities said Congress "should not be misled on this important issue.
"Most Americans do not support federally funded research that requires destroying human embryos. They want their tax dollars used for stem cell research that is ethically sound as well as medically promising the kind of research that has attracted the interest and commitment of more and more stem cell experts in recent years," he told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.com
Mike Huckabee Has Pro-Life Litmus Test, Takes on Republicans on Social Issues "Truce"
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Appearing at the Values Voters Summit on Friday, former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said he had a pro-life litmus test for political candidates. Without naming them, he took on other potential 2010 Republican presidential candidates who either said social issues need to take a back seat or promoted government-run health care.
"I will not vote for and support support any candidate who will not support the value of every human life," Huckabee told the rowd of 2,000 at the pro-family event.
He said pro-life Americans will "not be silent on the issue of the unborn and we will not be silent on the sanctity of human life."
"No person is more valuable than other, we have all the same basic, intrinsic worth. A child with Down syndrome or a child with a severe disability is as equally valuable as a child with a higher ability or who will become the NFL football player of the year," he said.
Huckabee referred to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, both of whom recently said social issues like abortion should take a back seat during the current economic downturn.
"There's alot of people who say this is not the year where we should be talking about social issues, values issues ... but the meltdown on Wall Street was not a money crisis, but a moral crisis," Huckabee explained. "Ours is not so much a fiscal crisis, but a family crisis."
The former Arkansas governor also took on another governor considered a potential opponent in the 2012 Republican primary, Mitt Romney.
In blasting the ObamaCare health care plan and its taxpayer funding of abortions, Huckabee said President Barack Obama should have known the plan would fail because states that had passed similar government-run plans had seen them fail. He noted the Massachusetts plan passed during Romney's administration. Full story at LifeNews.com
Senator Jim DeMint: I'm Not Going to Run for President in 2012
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Sen. Jim DeMint, the pro-life South Carolina Republican lawmaker who has gained a national reputation in pro-life and conservative circles for his charismatic leadership, says he has no plans to run for president in 2012 against pro-abortion President Barack Obama.
"No, I'm not going to run. I have no intentions, no plans," he said on Fox News. "But I don't want to think past 2010 right now."
The comment is more solid than the previous comments he's made -- standard of most politicos who demure about any presidential prospects during a Congressional election season. He said earlier this year that he wouldn't rule out a presidential run but added he was disinclined to do so. Full story at LifeNews.com
Ohio Senate Race Headed for Blowout as Poll Shows Pro-Life Rob Portman Leading
Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- A new Quinnipiac poll in Ohio shows pro-life Senate candidate Rob Portman with a commanding lead over pro-abortion candidate Lee Fisher (D) among likely voters in the U.S. Senate race, 55% to 35%.
Pollster Lee Brown said, "Likely voters in Ohio, as is the case nationally, are angry at the status quo and with Democrats controlling Congress and the White House. Fisher is taking it on the chin from those who are trying to send a message to the White House. A Democrat who is losing among women likely voters by 8 points is a candidate in trouble."
Portman, a former congressman and cabinet member under President George W. Bush, has a commanding 55 - 30 percent lead among independent voters. He leads 91 - 2 percent among Republicans and trails Fisher 81 - 13 percent among Democrats.
Portman leads 61 - 30 percent among men and 49 - 41 percent among women. Among likely voters who choose a candidate, 18 percent say they might change their mind. Among Fisher backers, 26 percent might change their mind, compared to 13 percent of Portman backers. Full story at LifeNews.com
 Medical professionals are on the frontlines of battle in life issues. From abortion to assisted suicide and euthanasia and all issues in between we are challenged in the workplace to defend our beliefs and risk our employment. The National Association of Pro-life Nurses has been here for nurses since the beginning of this battle. Join with us in our efforts to protect those voices. www.nursesforlife.org |
Wisconsin Senate Poll Has Pro-Life Ron Johnson Topping Sen. Russ Feingold
Madison, WI (LIfeNews.com) -- A new poll of Wisconsin voters finds pro-life Senate candidate Ron Johnson ready to upend an incumbent pro-abortion senator, Democrat Russ Feingold. After a decisive win in Tuesday s Republican Primary, the businessman now holds a seven-point lead over him.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of likely voters shows Johnson picking up 51% support, while Feingold earns the vote from 44%. One percent (1%) of voters prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) remain undecided.
The survey was conducted one night after Johnson s primary victory in which he received 85% of the vote in a three-way race. Feingold, who is running for his fourth term in the Senate, ran uncontested in Tuesday s Democratic primary. Future surveys will determine whether Johnson's jump ahead is just a post-primary bounce or reflects a serious change in the race.
This is the first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 survey in Wisconsin to include leaners. Leaners are those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate. Full story at LifeNews.com
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Earns Pro-Life Praise for Supreme Court Pick
Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com) -- Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels today announced he has selected Boone County Circuit Court Judge Steven H. David as the next member of the Indiana Supreme Court. David will replace Justice Theodore R. Boehm, who will retire from the court on September 30.
In a group of admirable finalists, Judge Steven David stood out first for the breadth and diversity of his experience. In addition to a distinguished 15-year tenure on the bench, he spent years in business, on the receiving end of law and regulation. He compiled a highly decorated military career, during which he was tested in one of the most sensitive and challenging assignments imaginable, said Daniels.
Lastly, I heard from Steve David the clearest expression of commitment to proper restraint in jurisprudence, and to deep respect for the boundaries of judicial decision-making. He will be a judge who interprets rather than invents our laws, said the governor. Full story at LifeNews.com
Congressman Bart Stupak Claims Obama Has Upheld Order on Abortion Funding in Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Congressman Bart Stupak, who pro-life advocates say betrayed the movement when he voted for a government-run health care bill that includes massive abortion funding, says he believes President Barack Obama has upheld his executive order that claimed to confirm no abortion funding but pro-life groups said had significant loopholes.
In remarks to the Washington Times, Stupak "remains adamant" that the deal he made with Obama to vote for the bill -- and bring enough of his coalition along with him to pass it -- in exchange for the disputed executive order was worth it.
"The Democrats who are pro-life aren t [disappointed]. The president has held up the executive order. The states that have tried to put near catastrophic coverage...abortion coverage were told they couldn t do it," Stupak told Times reporter Kerry Picket.
However, pro-life groups say the health care bill allowed funding of abortions in three states before they blew the whistle and placed enough pressure on the Obama administration that they relented.
The National Right to Life Committee exposed the abortion funding and the Obama administration responded at first by claiming the executive order Obama signed prohibits the funding NRLC uncovered.
Then, Obama officials revised the statement to say they promised the high risk insurance programs would not fund abortions in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Maryland or any other states. Full story at LifeNews.com
2012: Huckabee Leads Republicans, Best Against Obama; Romney Leads New Hampshire
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll from the Public Policy Polling institute finds pro-life former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is the only potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate currently leading pro-abortion President Barack Obama.
The poll has Huckabee leading by a 47 to 44 percent margin while Obama is ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 46-43 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 47-43 percent, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin 49-43 percent and conservative television commentator Glenn Beck 48-39 percent.
"Huckabee is the only candidate we polled this month to post positive favorability numbers, at 35/32, the firm said of the possible 2012 GOP candidate. "That's because he's relatively inoffensive to Democrats with only 44% having an unfavorable opinion of him."
"Mitt Romney's favorability numbers are only slightly negative at 33/35. The rest of the GOP folks are highly unpopular with Beck's favorability at 31/41, Palin's at 38/52, and Gingrich's at 30/50," the polling firm found.
The poll also asked respondents whether people would vote for Obama in 2012 or vote for his Republican opponent and that came out dead even at 47%.
The polling firm said that shows Palin and Gingrich are running worse than the average Republican candidate and it says Obama may have a chance to bounce back from what are already seen as weak numbers -- indicating a tough 2012 presidential election campaign is forthcoming. Full story at LifeNews.com
Terri Schiavo Foundation Changes Name, Reorganizes to Better Help Disabled Patients
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The family members of Terri Schiavo, who set out to form a foundation following her death to help disabled patients facing similar situations where their lives may be threatened, have changed the name of it to better focus on their mission. The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation has changed its name to the "Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network."
Schiavo was a minimally conscious Florida resident whose former husband subjected her to a painful 14-day starvation and dehydration death after winning numerous court battles against the rest of her family, who attempted to provide her the care and rehabilitative treatment he denied.
The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation was originally founded in 2000 by Terri's parents and siblings and its mission was working towards protecting the lives of patients like her with profound cognitive disabilities.
"This new name better reflects the purpose of our organization -- to continue to develop and update our network to help families protect their loved ones from a very aggressive anti-life agenda taking control of our nation," say Suzanne Vitadamo, Terri's sister.
Following Schiavo's death, her surviving family reorganized their Foundation, started in her name, to assist the families and loved-ones of other significantly disabled people. Their goal was to create a network of professionals and volunteers who could provide support as well as resources. In partnership with attorneys and physicians along with tens of thousands of supporters across the country, the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network offers counsel, legal guidance and critical support providing the tools for families to protect their loved ones, never forgetting that all life has value and dignity. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Driver Escalates Abuse to Violence, Attempts to Hit Pro-Life Advocate With Vehicle
Albuquerue, NM (LifeNews.com) -- A man who had been verbally harassing pro-lifers outside a late-term abortion center in Albuquerque for days, escalated his abuse to violence yesterday by driving his large paneled delivery truck up on a curb and striking the large pro-life sign held by Bud Shaver.
Shaver was unhurt in the incident but his sign showing an image of an aborted baby was damaged.
Shaver jumped into a truck and was able to track down and obtain the license plate number of the vehicle that hit him. He reported the incident to the police.
"We just explained our concern [to the police] that this man is starting to escalate his behavior," said Shaver. Police told Shaver that they would talk to the man, but it was unlikely that charges would be filed.
This incident took place just two weeks after an Arizona man was arrested and his weapons cache seized by police at the same abortion business after he threatened to shoot two pro-life women.
These incidents have not deterred pro-life work in the least. Shaver and his wife, Tara, are full-time missionaries with Project Defending Life. Bud also drives Operation Rescue's Truth Truck, which is on extended loan to the Albuquerque pro-life group. Full story at LifeNews.com
Encourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
