LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Monday, June 20, 2011
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Current Headlines
Top Stories
• Planned Parenthood Indiana Cutting Staff After De-Funding
• Romney Pushes Pro-Life Views After Declining Pledge, Faces Heat
• Pro-Life Advocates Give Tim Pawlenty High Marks on Abortion
• Planned Parenthood Loses Bid to Censor Expose Videos on YouTube
More Pro-Life News
• Santorum Hits Romney Decision to Not Sign Pro-Life Pledge
• Herman Cain Reaffirms Pro-Life View After Not Signing Pledge
• Parental Permission Needed in for Tanning Beds, Not Abortions
• Pro-Lifer Arrested, Reported Odd Package at Planned Parenthood
• Michele Bachmann Bashes Romney for Not Signing Pro-Life Pledge
• North Carolina Sends Choose Life Plate to Governor Perdue
• British Pro-Life Group: UK Government Ignores Underpopulation
• Washington Post Runs Profile of Jewish Pregnancy Center
• CNN s Spitzer Silences Criticism of Planned Parenthood
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Planned Parenthood Indiana Cutting Staff After De-Funding
The Planned Parenthood of Indiana abortion business has laid off two staff members now that the uptick in donations it received from pro-abortion supporters has run out following the news that the state had revoked its taxpayer funding.
A rash of donations had been sufficient to replace the state and federal taxpayer funding the state had directed to the abortion business via Medicaid, but it was only enough to cover a few weeks. Now, Betty Cockrum, the president of the abortion business, has cut two staff members and is closing each of its centers one day a week in order to meet the budget shortfall it will experience if a federal court doesn t issue an injunction against the law and restore the taxpayer revenue stream.
Cockrum told WFPL she hopes a ruling could be handed down as early as next week that would side with Planned Parenthood and force the state to turn on the funding spigot while the lawsuit it filed against the de-funding law continues.
There is certainly sufficient argument for a decision but I think it s also such a critically important and long-term and far-reaching decision, there s every chance it will be after Monday, she said over the weekend.
Cockrum says the cuts are not extensive extensive because the judge could issue a ruling sometime this week and, almost certainly, by the end of the month.
We also have to be mindful not to do anything that s too drastic because it s a very short window. Assuming, again, that there is a ruling no later than June 30th, she told WFPL.
The president of the Hosier State abortion business told the station she rejects what other Planned Parenthood affiliates have done to keep taxpayer funding in place restructuring into two groups, one that does abortions and one that doesn t. But Cockrum said other states are still facing potential de-funding despite the split into two organizations. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/planned-parenthood-indiana-may-cut-staff-after-de-funding/
Romney Pushes Pro-Life Views After Declining Pledge, Faces Heat
Mitt Romney has penned a new pro-life opinion column immediately after coming under criticism for not signing the Susan B. Anthony List s pro-life pledge that five other presidential candidates put their signature to recently.
The Susan B. Anthony List said it asked all of the candidates who have officially announced a presidential campaign or exploratory committee to sign the pledge certifying they will not just check off the pro-life box but show true pro-life leadership if elected president. Signers of the pledge include Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum. Romney and Cain declined.
Responding for Romney, spokeswoman Andrea Saul told LifeNews, Governor Romney pledged in the last campaign that he would be a pro-life president and of course he pledges it today.
However, this well intentioned effort has some potentially unforeseen consequences and he does not feel he could in good conscience sign it. Gov. Romney has been a strong supporter of the SBA List in the past and he looks forward to continue working with them to promote a culture of life, she said. The pledge calls for legislation to strip taxpayer funding from hospitals around the country, and strictly limits the choices a President would have to appoint cabinet members.
Now, Romney has published a new opinion column at National Review outlining his pro-life stances on various key issues voters are considering in selecting a Republican nominee to replace pro-abortion President Barack Obama. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/19/romney-pushes-pro-life-views-after-declining-pledge-faces-heat/
Pro-Life Advocates Give Tim Pawlenty High Marks on Abortion
Fresh from signing a pro-life pledge sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony list to appoint judges who would appeal to pro-life voters and to de-fund abortion and Planned Parenthood, Tim Pawlenty is receiving high marks from pro-life advocates.
In a new analysis piece at the National Catholic Register, pro-life leaders said Pawlenty has assembled a record on abortion that leads them to say he is someone pro-life voters can trust to become the Republican nominee and to face pro-abortion President Barack Obama.
Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life, is the head of the states largest pro-life organization. He knows Pawlenty well having worked with the former Minnesota governor and his staff extensively to push for pro-life legislation.
We ve always considered him one of us, Fischbach told the newspaper, calling Pawlenty solid as a rock when it comes to standing up for pro-life principles. Fischbach said Pawlenty always spoke at pro-life events in Minnesota, issued a proclamation for Sanctity of Human Life Day and was invited to be the keynote speaker at a banquet sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List in Washington.
Under the leadership of Gov. Pawlenty, Minnesota now has the lowest teen abortion rate ever, and the lowest number of abortions performed since 1975. I know first-hand the lives that Tim Pawlenty saved as my governor, Fischbach has said.
Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life, also had kind words for the former governor and state legislator, telling the Catholic paper, We are very impressed with his pro-life commitment. He s really solid, and it s exciting to have somebody who is willing to talk about defending life on the campaign trail. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/pro-life-advocates-give-tim-pawlenty-high-marks-on-abortion/
Planned Parenthood Loses Bid to Censor Expose Videos on YouTube
A key part of Planned Parenthood s counterattack against Lila Rose s youth-led group, Live Action, and its staggered release early this year of damning videos depicting Planned Parenthood managers, health professionals, and other employees willing to welcome, advise and aid & abet purported sex traffickers and pimps was to get YouTube to suppress the videos on the basis that they violated YouTube s published privacy guidelines. This post recalls our long and ultimately successful effort to help Live Action defeat Planned Parenthood s counterattack.
On their release last January, the Live Action videos went viral, winning hundreds of thousands of viewers online, and both sparking and helping to sustain a nationwide firestorm of outrage against Planned Parenthood s willingness to use federal funds to support criminal exploitation of young people and sex slavery. The epidemic of outrage prompted Congressional efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood, the nation s largest abortion provider, by ending its federal subsidies. Those efforts nearly culminated in a shutdown of the federal government, as House Republicans pushed the issue as far as they could in last minute White House negotiations over the federal budget.
But Planned Parenthood s vast empire struck back when anonymous complaints about privacy violations led YouTube to write Live Action to warn that their video, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9zj9yx2j0Y, would be removed from the website early last February unless Live Action could refute the privacy claim. Working with Live Action s California counsel, Thomas More Society lawyers wrote a letter to YouTube opposing the privacy claim and taking it to task for purporting to wield the censor s scissors. As a result, Planned Parenthood s tactic failed, and the videos depicting the New Jersey clinic manager whose recorded exchanges with the purported pimp and prostitute caused Planned Parenthood promptly to fire her remained posted. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/planned-parenthood-loses-bid-to-censor-expose-videos-on-youtube/
Santorum Hits Romney Decision to Not Sign Pro-Life Pledge
Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator and 2012 Republican presidential candidate, pounded on a decision by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to not sign a pro-life pledge sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List.
Romney was one of the three declared candidates who did not sign the pledge along with pro-life businessman Herman Cain and pro-abortion former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. Signers of the pledge include pro-life Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, pro-life former Speaker Newt Gingrich, pro-life Rep. Ron Paul, pro-life former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Santorum.
This past Monday night at the Republican Presidential Debate, I was asked about Governor Romney s pro-life conversion, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt, Santorum said. I apparently spoke too soon.
It is incredibly disappointing that Governor Romney chose not to defend those who cannot defend themselves, he told LifeNews in a statement.
The Santorum campaign also pointed out that Cain and Johnson did not sign the pledge, saying, Additional announced candidates who did not take the pledge include Herman Cain and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.
The SBA List confirmed to LifeNews that the Romney and Cain campaigns were contacted about the candidates signing the pledge and the two candidates chose not to do so. LifeNews.com contacted both campaigns for explanations about why they did not join the other presidential candidates and the Cain camp has not yet issued a response with his press official saying a response is expected today. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/18/santorum-hits-romney-decision-to-not-sign-pro-life-pledge/
Herman Cain Reaffirms Pro-Life View After Not Signing Pledge
Businessman and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain reaffirmed his pro-life views in a statement today, one day after he declined to sign the pro-life pledge sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List that other presidential candidates signed.
I support right-to-life issues unequivocally and I adamantly support the first three aspects of the Susan B. Anthony pledge involving appointing pro-life judges, choosing pro-life cabinet members, and ending taxpayer-funded abortions, Cain said in a statement. However, the fourth requirement demands that I advance the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. As president, I would sign it, but Congress must advance the legislation.
I have been a consistent and unwavering champion of pro life issues, Cain added. In no way does this singular instance of clarification denote an abandonment of the pro-life movement, but instead, is a testament to my respect for the balance of power and the role of the presidency.
The statement seems somewhat nuanced, in that while Cain, as president, couldn t advance pro-life legislation through Congress, but he can undoubtedly use the power of the bully pulpit the presidency affords to persuade members of the House and Senate to advance the bill.
The Susan B. Anthony List yesterday announced its Pro-Life Leadership Presidential Pledge and said it asked all of the candidates who have officially announced a presidential campaign or exploratory committee to sign the pledge certifying they will not just check off the pro-life box but show true pro-life leadership if elected president.
Signers of the pledge include Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum and the pro-life organization is calling on pro-life activists to put pressure on those candidates who have refused to sign, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, and Gary Johnson. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/18/herman-cain-reaffirms-pro-life-view-after-not-siging-pledge/
 "This book is an amazing story about life, family, and the evil of abortion," - Abby Johnson http://www.theintrusionbook.com |
Parental Permission Needed in for Tanning Beds, Not Abortions
Lawmakers in Connecticut have their priorities when it comes to allowing parents to raise their minor daughters and legislators have decided that protecting teen girls from tanning beds is more important than protecting them from abortions.
Sen. Michael McLachlan, a Republican from Danbury, noticed a glaring irony in a bill requiring teen girls to receive permission from their parents to use tanning beds. He pointed to the fact that there is no state law requiring young teenagers to get permission from their parents for an abortion.
Chris Powell of the Journal Intelligencer newspaper reported on what happened next: Democratic lawmakers discarded the entire tanning bed bill rather than allow McLachlan to add an amendment including abortions.
For while state law also requires parental permission for the tattooing and body piercing of minors, state law treats abortion differently, he writes. Under Connecticut law minors can obtain abortions on their own, advised only by abortion providers themselves, even though the procedure may involve general anesthesia and carries far more risk than tattooing or tanning.
So McLachlan prepared to amend the tanning bill to require parental consent for abortions for minors as well. Rather than risk a long and uncomfortable debate, the Senate s Democratic leadership discarded the bill entirely, and McLachlan got the blame, he explained. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/parental-permission-needed-in-for-tanning-beds-not-abortions/
Pro-Lifer Arrested, Reported Odd Package at Planned Parenthood
A pro-life advocate in Delaware is fighting charges and false arrest after he reported to police a suspicious package at a Planned Parenthood abortion business that he worried could be a potential bomb or explosive. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/19/pro-lifer-arrested-reported-odd-package-at-planned-parenthood/
Michele Bachmann Bashes Romney for Not Signing Pro-Life Pledge
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann today bashed Mitt Romney in what could be the first of many Republican presidential clashes over the issue of abortion. Bachmann cicatrized the former Massachusetts governor for not signing a pro-life presidential pledge. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/19/michele-bachmann-bashes-romney-for-not-signing-pro-life-pledge/
North Carolina Sends Choose Life Plate to Governor Perdue
Legislation allowing motorists in the Tar Heels State to purchase Choose Life license plates is one step closer to becoming law thanks to a vote by the North Carolina state legislature to send the bill to Governor Bev Perdue. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/north-carolina-sends-choose-life-plate-to-governor-perdue/
British Pro-Life Group: UK Government Ignores Underpopulation
A prominent pro-life group in England says Andrew Mitchell, secretary of state for international development, is stuck in the era of anti-birth dinosaurs because he is missing the boat on underpopulation concerns plaguing the world. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/british-pro-life-group-uk-government-ignores-underpopulation/
Washington Post Runs Profile of Jewish Pregnancy Center
On Saturday, the Washington Post s religion page inside the Metro section highlighted a pro-life cause: what may be the only Jewish crisis-pregnancy center in the country, Erica Pelman s group In Shifra s Arms (ISA). Debra Rubin s story for the Religion News Service relayed both sides and noted both Jewish law and Jewish public opinion. Liberal rabbis have railed against ISA, even for using the term baby instead of fetus. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/19/washington-post-runs-profile-of-jewish-pregnancy-center/
CNN s Spitzer Silences Criticism of Planned Parenthood
On June 16th, the CNN program In The Arena, anchored by Eliot Spitzer, featured a segment with Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council.http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/19/cnns-spitzer-silences-criticism-of-planned-parenthood/
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