LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Thursday, January 6, 2011
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Current Headlines
Top Stories
• Obama Admin Removes Death Panels After Pro-Life Backlash
• House Begins Session With Pro-Life Speaker, Majority
• Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Leaving, Misled on Abortion
• Obama Renominates Pro-Abortion Lower Court Judicial Picks
More Pro-Life News
• Pro-Life Rep. Michelle Bachmann May Consider Presidential Bid
• Rick Santorum Making More Moves Towards Presidential Run
• Pro-Life Groups Release DVD for March for Life Bus Trip
• Virginia Doctor at Catholic Hospital Accused of Doing Abortions
• Intolerance is a Good Thing When it Comes to Abortion
• Alabama Pro-Life Advocates Win Free Speech Ruling on Abortion
• Backgrounds of New Wichita Kansas Abortion Practitioners Cause Alarm
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Obama Admin Removes Death Panels After Pro-Life Backlash
After massive pro-life backlash following the publication of new rules instituting death panels, the Obama administration has agreed to remove them from ObamaCare.
The death panels caused considerable concern for pro-life groups, which believe they would have given financial incentives to doctors to hold end-of-life discussions with patients that will lead to the rationing of their medical care.
Under the regulations the Obama administration put in place in December, which LifeNews.com was the first to cover, doctors would instruct patients in the annual voluntary exams to write advance directives listing the kind of treatment they wish to receive or not receive if they are unable to make their own medical decisions.
Although the advanced directives apparently can t be used to facilitate an assisted suicide, there was concern physicians will pressure or persuade patients to make decisions that would ration care or withdraw lifesaving medical treatment.
Democrats dropped the idea during consideration of the health care law in Congress after significant public pressure and now the Obama administration has followed suit just days after the new rules went into effect on January 1. Though Obama administration officials cited procedural reasons for the decision, the New York Times indicates political considerations the enormous outpouring of opposition played a role.
An administration official authorized by the Obama administration to speak with the press, told the Times today: We realize that this should have been included in the proposed rule, so more people could have commented on it specifically. "We will amend the regulation to take out voluntary advance care planning, the official said. Full story at LifeNews.com
House Begins Session With Pro-Life Speaker, Majority
The 112th Congress convened Wednesday afternoon and the House of Representatives officially elected its new pro-life Speaker John Boehner and installed the new pro-life majority.
The new Congress will kick off the session with a reading of the entire U.S. Constitution and a new rule that all legislation be accompanied by a statement citing the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the proposed law.
After pro-abortion Democrats and pro-abortion Speaker Nanci Pelosi dominated the House and pushed through both abortion funding with taxpayer dollars and a government takeover of health care that prompted significant abortion-funding and rationing concerns, workers literally took down the signs formerly showing their control.
Members moved forward with the election of Speaker John Boeher, who beat pro-abortion former Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a 241-173 margin. Democrats were divided as 19 either voted present, voted for another Democrat, or supported pro-life Democrat Health Schuler of North Carolina.
Ultimately, just 39.7 percent of members of the House backed Pelosi while Republicans unanimously supported Boehner, whose heartfelt pro-life views and sterling voting record have earned him awards from both the National Right to Life Committee and Americans United for Life. Full story at LifeNews.com
Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Leaving, Misled on Abortion
Robert Gibbs, the press secretary for President Barack Obama, will step down from his position and become a top advisor to the pro-abortion president and his 2012 re-election campaign.
Gibbs says he plans to leave the position next month and will likely turn over the main podium and his standing as the lead conduit between Obama and the press to Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton.
In an interview with the New York Times, Obama said Gibbs will continue to shape the dialogue politically for many years to come.
We ve been on this ride together since I won my Senate primary in 2004, he added, saying he thought Gibbs needed a break. The departure is one of many for the Obama administration, which will also see pro-abortion Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel leave as he runs for mayor of Chicago, Obama s hometown.
Robert, on the podium, has been extraordinary, Obama added. Off the podium, he has been one of my closest advisers. He is going to continue to have my ear for as long as I m in this job.
However, Gibbs performance on the podium left a lot to be desired for pro-life advocates. Full story at LifeNews.com
Obama Renominates Pro-Abortion Lower Court Judicial Picks
They re back. Four of the pro-abortion activists President Barack Obama nominated for federal judicial posts that Republicans have already turned down before are headed back to the Senate.
Obama officially renominated more than 40 people for judicial posts on Wednesday and the Senate will hold new hearings on them, including two judges who have drawn strong opposition from the pro-life community: Edward Chen and Goodwin Liu as well as district court nominees Louis Butler and John McConnell.
An aide to Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy told the Huffington Post that Leahy will determine whether the pair, and the other judges, will receive new hearings or whether the committee will vote again on their nomination and send them on to the full Senate. Either way, with Republicans having more votes on the Senate floor to uphold a filibuster, their nominations may stall in the same place they were before.
Liu is a University of California law professor who is Obama s nominee for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and California magistrate judge Edward Chen is his selection for the District Court for the Northern District of California. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Rep. Michelle Bachmann May Consider Presidential Bid
Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann is reportedly considering a presidential bid that would have her seeking the Republican nomination to face pro-abortion President Barack Obama.
Bachmann is a conservative lawmaker who has burnished national credentials because of her involvement with Tea Party groups and her outspoken views on pro-life issues.
Her Chief of Staff Andy Parrish told ABC News, Nothing is off the table, given the national standing she s acquired.
A Bachmann bid for the GOP nod would be interesting given that former vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin appears to have the support of conservative women sewn up should she decided to launch a candidacy. Bachmann would also likely become the second candidate from the state of Minnesota as pro-life former Governor Tim Pawlenty is largely expected to make his candidacy official in the coming months. Full story at LifeNews.com
Rick Santorum Making More Moves Towards Presidential Run
It should come as no surprise to many political observers that pro-life former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is interested in making a bid for the Republican nomination for president.
In what is believed to be a lead-in to an announcement, CNN reports today that Santorum is announcing he has hired a top strategist in the early primary state of New Hampshire to help him make inroads with voters. Santorum also has plans to visit New Hampshire, the site of the second biggest battle in the primary election campaign following Iowa.
Mike Biundo, who most recently helped Republican Frank Guinta win a campaign for mayor of Manchester, the state s largest city, is the operative who is coming on board with Santorum in the state. Biundo will serve as the state director for America s Foundation, Santorum s political action committee. Full story at LifeNews.com
 Medical professionals are on the front lines of battle. From abortion to assisted suicide, we are challenged in the workplace. The National Association of Pro-life Nurses has been here for nurses since the beginning. Join with us. www.nursesforlife.org |
Pro-Life Groups Release DVD for March for Life Bus Trip
Students for Life of America and 40 Days for Life have announced the first-ever DVD prepared specifically for those pro-life advocates traveling by bus to the annual March for Life, which attracts hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates.
The 2011 Pro-Life Road Trip DVD will be sent free to any bus captain or group travel coordinator to help motivate and train pro-life advocates while on their way to and from the events in Washington, D.C. during the annual March for Life weekend.
Kristan Hawkins, the director of Students for Life, told LifeNews.com about the new media presentation. Full story at LifeNews.com
Virginia Doctor at Catholic Hospital Accused of Doing Abortions
A Virginia doctor who works at a Catholic hospital has been accused, again, of moonlighting as an abortion practitioner and doing abortions at a local center.
Dr. Richard Willard works as an OB-GYN at the Bon Secours Depaul Medical Center, but he is reportedly under careful review by hospital officials because of a complaint that he does abortions at Planned Parenthood on Newtown Road.
Lynne Zultanky, the Secours Director of Corporate Communications, told WAVY that the hospital is looking into the potential affiliated but said Willard has not done abortions at the hospital and that the hospital is in compliance with Catholic teachings against abortion.
We are confident that no procedures in violation of Catholic moral teachings are performed at Bon Secours DePaul, she said. Given that it has been five years since we last reviewed this issue, [we are] carefully reviewing this matter. Full story at LifeNews.com
Intolerance is a Good Thing When it Comes to Abortion
by Bryan Kemper
I was watching the news last night and there was a report about words that are overused and should be left out of our daily conversations. Apparently someone compiled a list of words that are just way overused and suggested we drop them from our vocabulary.
This report made me think of words that I believe are overused in the wrong manner, or in a way that is actually destructive. The word that came to my mind first was tolerance, a word which I believe can actually be deadly. Full story at LifeNews.com
Alabama Pro-Life Advocates Win Free Speech Ruling on Abortion
or the last 13 years, law enforcement officials in Birmingham, Alabama have arrested peaceful pro-life activists for praying and sharing the pro-life message on a public sidewalk outside a local abortion business.
But a new legal ruling presents a victory for free speech and a win for the pro-life message.
Until last October, it had been a decade since anyone praying for an end to abortion, distributing information about abortion alternatives, or providing individual offers of help to women considering abortion could legally do so on the public sidewalks adjacent to the All Women s Health Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life News: Jeb Bush,Chris Christie, CEDAW, Abortion, Florida
Full story at LifeNews.com
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