Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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Current HeadlinesTop Stories Boehner Maps Planned Parenthood De-Funding Strategy Although the House voted by a strong margin to de-fund Planned Parenthood, the next steps are more tenuous. The battle to yank federal funding is complicated by the fact that Senate Leader Harry Reid and his pro-abortion Democratic colleagues control the Senate agenda and pro-abortion President Barack Obama occupies the White House. It is also complicated by the fact that Congress must approve two continuing resolution bills — one that funds the federal government in the short-term before a deadline results in a government shutdown and another that funds the federal government for another year. David Brody, the Chief Political Correspondent for CBN News, talked with Boehner about the prospects, and asked: "Can you commit to them that (defunding Planned Parenthood) will stay in the CR no matter what?" "The continuing resolution passed 10 days ago did in fact defund Planned Parenthood and that bill has gone over to the United States Senate," Boehner responded. "They, like the House, were out last week. What they'll do with that bill, I have no idea." Boehner said that pressing for de-funding Planned Parenthood in the short-term continuing resolution doesn't make sense. "In the short term CR though, our focus is on cutting spending and making sure that we keep the government open. In order to get this through the House and through the Senate and signed by the president by March 4th, we're not going to take any big chances on the fact that they're looking for an excuse to shut down the government," he said. "Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer they've been rooting for a government shutdown. We do not want to give them an excuse to do that." Full story at LifeNews.comPro-Life Group Launches Ad, Tour to De-Fund Planned Parenthood The organization told LifeNews.com today about its 14-stop grassroots tour and $200,000 ad campaign buy, calling it the "Women Speaking Out" campaign, that will include a series of television and radio ad buys thanking members of Congress who stood up for women, young girls and taxpayers with their vote for Rep. Mike Pence's to deny all taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood through September. The campaign will continue the following week with a grassroots tour through the districts of those pro-life members and will target representatives who voted against the amendment. Full story at LifeNews.com Newt Gingrich Expected to Launch Potential Presidential Bid Republican officials told the Associated Press on Sunday that Gingrich, the former House Speaker, would make a decision about the exploratory committee after spending months traveling to key primary election states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. If Gingrich does launch the committee, which allows him to raise and spend funds without becoming an official presidential candidate, he would be the first of the top-tier group of potential Republican presidential candidates to make the move. Herman Cain, a pro-life businessman, has already established a committee — but Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee have not. Also, a large group of lesser-known potential candidates ranging from Tim Pawlenty and Haley Barbour to John Huntsman, Mitch Daniels and Rick Santorum, have yet to open up an exploratory committee. Full story at LifeNews.com Planned Parenthood Spending 200K on Ads for Taxpayer-Funding The Senate is also considering a continuing resolution and could vote on an amendment that would also cut off funding, though pro-life advocates are expected to have a much harder time in the Senate than they did in the House in getting the amendment approved, thanks to pro-abortion Senate Democrats having a majority control over the chamber. The new Planned Parenthood commercial features Carolyn Smithers, a woman who says she was diagnosed early at a Planned Parenthood facility with cervical cancer. The goal is to emphasize the non-abortion services Planned Parenthood offers — even though the abortion business has been exposed by its falsely touting mammograms as a potential service for women, despite not actually offering mammograms at any of its centers. Full story at LifeNews.com Pro-Life Flash Mob in Chicago Surprises "Walk for Choice" The youth assembled inconspicuously around the plaza before the rally hiding their giant yellow balloons in black trash bags. When the "Walk for Choice" had assembled, the youth prompted by music coming from a backpack sound system then proceeded to unveil the helium balloons imprinted with the word "LIFE." Full story at LifeNews.com Liberal Hollywood Elite Trash Natalie Portman Over Motherhood Portman was honored for her dramatic role in "Black Swan," and she began her acceptance speech with the usual gratitude for the people whose relationship to the movie, however large or small, paved her way to the stage to receive one of the most coveted awards of the evening. After thanking fellow nominees, her parents, and the directors past and present who guided her career, Portman saved her concluding praise for "my beautiful love," dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Then, as if to underscore how the bright and promising career and the accolades she's received up to that very moment paled in comparison, a visibly pregnant Portman thanked Millepied for giving her "the most important role of my life." The comment about becoming a mother likely drew approving smiles from most of the millions of Americans and worldwide viewers tuning into the televised Oscars ceremony, but it was revolting for Slate writer Mary Elizabeth Williams. Full story at LifeNews.com HuffPo, Mother Jones Claim Pro-Life Group OKs Killing Abortionists Americans United for Life is the sponsor of the model language South Dakota legislators relied on for their controversial bill — but the lawmakers made changes to the bill that went beyond the scope and intent of the model language AUL put together. Still, that didn't stop the pro-abortion publications from attacking the pro-life group. With the scathing headline, "Revealed: The Group Behind the Bills that Could Legalize Killing Abortion Providers," Mother Jones cited several people who criticized the "AUL-inspired legislation," saying it "could be used to incite violence against abortion providers" and claiming "the series of AUL-backed bills allowing for justifiable homicide in defense of a fetus have all helped put the culture wars back on the nation's front pages." Full story at LifeNews.com Huckabee Glad Justin Bieber Pro-Life, Hits Abortion Truce Family Appealing Hospital's Decision on Baby Joseph's Life Cain Wins Tea Party Straw Poll, Pawlenty 2nd; Paul Wins Online New York City to Vote on Bill Bashing Pregnancy Centers British Doctors Slammed for Unscientific Abortion Guidelines Arizona House Says No to Telemed Abortions Without Doctor Encourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
• Boehner Maps Planned Parenthood De-Funding Strategy
• Pro-Life Group Launches Ad, Tour to De-Fund Planned Parenthood
• Newt Gingrich Expected to Launch Potential Presidential Bid
• Planned Parenthood Spending 200K on Ads for Taxpayer-FundingMore Pro-Life News
• Pro-Life Flash Mob in Chicago Surprises "Walk for Choice"
• Liberal Hollywood Elite Trash Natalie Portman Over Motherhood
• HuffPo, Mother Jones Claim Pro-Life Group OKs Killing Abortionists
• Huckabee Glad Justin Bieber Pro-Life, Hits Abortion Truce
• Family Appealing Hospital's Decision on Baby Joseph's Life
• Cain Wins Tea Party Straw Poll, Pawlenty 2nd; Paul Wins Online
• Pope Benedict Delivers Abortion Message to Pro-Life Leaders
• British Doctors Slammed for Unscientific Abortion Guidelines
• Arizona House Says No to Telemed Abortions Without Doctor
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The $200,000 ad buy includes commercial spots that will run on cable television, plus network TV and radio in the District of Columbia. The ads are a response to the House vote for the Pence amendment to ensure the Planned Parenthood abortion business and its affiliates are not eligible for any federal taxpayer dollars across any federal programs or departments.
Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said over the weekend he's glad pop icon Justin Bieber expressed pro-life views on abortion in a recent interview. Huckabee painted the revelations that Bieber is pro-life as another way in which the next generation of Americans is defying the pro-abortion expectations liberals have for young people — by saying, as Bieber did, that they oppose abortion and regard it as "the killing of a baby." Full story at LifeNews.com
The family of a 13-month-old baby boy says they are appealing the decision by a Canadian hospital to not allow him to have a tracheotomy so they can bring him home as they did eight years ago with their baby daughter Zina. Baby Jospeh Maraachli is the subject of controversy as his parents are fighting a hospital that wants to remove his breathing tube. They want the boy to be able to die peacefully at home with his family, but the hospital will not perform the tracheotomy. Instead, they asked Ontario's Consent and Capacity board for permission to remove the breathing tube and a judge recently agreed with the doctors' position. Full story at LifeNews.com
Herman Cain won the straw poll this weekend at a Tea Party summit conference featuring thousands of conservative activists gathering to hear some of the potential presidential candidates. The Tea Party held a live straw poll during today's final event and Cain, a pro-life conservative radio talk show host and former Godfather's Pizza chief executive, won the American Policy Summit's live poll out of 1,600 votes cast. He finished with 22 percent of the vote compared with 16 percent for pro-life former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Full story at LifeNews.com
The New York City council will vote on Wednesday on a bill that would place stringent limits on the advertising pregnancy centers use and require them to post signs designed to dissuade women from seeking their abortion alternatives services. Full story at LifeNews.comPope Benedict Delivers Abortion Message to Pro-Life Leaders
Pope Benedict XVI delivered a message on abortion to pro-life leaders during his meeting with members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which has spent the last three days examining post-abortion problems for women and stem cell research. Full story at LifeNews.com
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, under legislation passed yesterday, any physician's office performing five or more first trimester abortions a month will now be classified as a hospital, subject to special regulations established by the state Board of Health within the next 280 days. Upset by the new legislation – which passed by a bipartisan vote – Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said, "You know and I know there isn't but one issue involved here. It's abortion. … It isn't women's health." Full story at LifeNews.com
Concerned that women's health will be put at risk if the controversial practice of telemed abortions comes to Arizona, the state House today voted to ensure that medical abortions must also have a physician's oversight. Full story at LifeNews.com
