Complete Transcript of McCain, Obama Abortion Debate Remarks The following is the complete transcript of Senator McCain and Obama's remarks on abortion during last night's third and final debate, which was moderated by Bob Schieffer: SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's stop there and go to another question. And this one goes to Senator McCain. Senator McCain, you believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Senator Obama, you believe it shouldn't. Could either of you ever nominate someone to the Supreme Court who disagrees with you on this issue? Senator McCain? MCCAIN: I would never and have never in all the years I've been there imposed a litmus test on any nominee to the court. That's not appropriate to do. SCHIEFFER: But you don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned? MCCAIN: I thought it was a bad decision. I think there were a lot of decisions that were bad. I think that decisions should rest in the hands of the states. I'm a federalist. And I believe strongly that we should have nominees to the United States Supreme Court based on their qualifications rather than any litmus test. Now, let me say that there was a time a few years ago when the United States Senate was about to blow up. Republicans wanted to have just a majority vote to confirm a judge and the Democrats were blocking in an unprecedented fashion. We got together seven Republicans, seven Democrats. You were offered a chance to join. You chose not to because you were afraid of the appointment of, quote, "conservative judges." I voted for Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg. Not because I agreed with their ideology, but because I thought they were qualified and that elections have consequences when presidents are nominated. This is a very important issue we're talking about. Senator Obama voted against Justice Breyer and Justice Roberts on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards. That's not the way we should judge these nominees. Elections have consequences. They should be judged on their qualifications. And so that's what I will do. I will find the best people in the world -- in the United States of America who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution. And not legislating from the bench. SCHIEFFER: But even if it was someone -- even someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them? MCCAIN: I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications. But I certainly would not impose any litmus test. SCHIEFFER: All right. OBAMA: Well, I think it's true that we shouldn't apply a strict litmus test and the most important thing in any judge is their capacity to provide fairness and justice to the American people. And it is true that this is going to be, I think, one of the most consequential decisions of the next president. It is very likely that one of us will be making at least one and probably more than one appointments and Roe versus Wade probably hangs in the balance. Now I would not provide a litmus test. But I am somebody who believes that Roe versus Wade was rightly decided. I think that abortion is a very difficult issue and it is a moral issue and one that I think good people on both sides can disagree on. But what ultimately I believe is that women in consultation with their families, their doctors, their religious advisers, are in the best position to make this decision. And I think that the Constitution has a right to privacy in it that shouldn't be subject to state referendum, any more than our First Amendment rights are subject to state referendum, any more than many of the other rights that we have should be subject to popular vote. OBAMA: So this is going to be an important issue. I will look for those judges who have an outstanding judicial record, who have the intellect, and who hopefully have a sense of what real-world folks are going through. I'll just give you one quick example. Senator McCain and I disagreed recently when the Supreme Court made it more difficult for a woman named Lilly Ledbetter to press her claim for pay discrimination. For years, she had been getting paid less than a man had been paid for doing the exact same job. And when she brought a suit, saying equal pay for equal work, the judges said, well, you know, it's taken you too long to bring this lawsuit, even though she didn't know about it until fairly recently. We tried to overturn it in the Senate. I supported that effort to provide better guidance to the courts; John McCain opposed it. I think that it's important for judges to understand that if a woman is out there trying to raise a family, trying to support her family, and is being treated unfairly, then the court has to stand up, if nobody else will. And that's the kind of judge that I want. SCHIEFFER: Time's up. MCCAIN: Obviously, that law waved the statute of limitations, which you could have gone back 20 or 30 years. It was a trial lawyer's dream. Let me talk to you about an important aspect of this issue. We have to change the culture of America. Those of us who are proudly pro-life understand that. And it's got to be courage and compassion that we show to a young woman who's facing this terribly difficult decision. Senator Obama, as a member of the Illinois State Senate, voted in the Judiciary Committee against a law that would provide immediate medical attention to a child born of a failed abortion. He voted against that. And then, on the floor of the State Senate, as he did 130 times as a state senator, he voted present. Then there was another bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the state of Illinois not that long ago, where he voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion, one of the late-term abortion, a really -- one of the bad procedures, a terrible. And then, on the floor of the Illinois State Senate, he voted present. I don't know how you vote "present" on some of that. I don't know how you align yourself with the extreme aspect of the pro- abortion movement in America. And that's his record, and that's a matter of his record. And he'll say it has something to do with Roe v. Wade, about the Illinois State Senate. It was clear-cut votes that Senator Obama voted, I think, in direct contradiction to the feelings and views of mainstream America. SCHIEFFER: Response? OBAMA: Yes, let me respond to this. If it sounds incredible that I would vote to withhold lifesaving treatment from an infant, that's because it's not true. The -- here are the facts. There was a bill that was put forward before the Illinois Senate that said you have to provide lifesaving treatment and that would have helped to undermine Roe v. Wade. The fact is that there was already a law on the books in Illinois that required providing lifesaving treatment, which is why not only myself but pro-choice Republicans and Democrats voted against it. And the Illinois Medical Society, the organization of doctors in Illinois, voted against it. Their Hippocratic Oath would have required them to provide care, and there was already a law in the books. With respect to partial-birth abortion, I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life, and this did not contain that exception. And I attempted, as many have in the past, of including that so that it is constitutional. And that was rejected, and that's why I voted present, because I'm willing to support a ban on late-term abortions as long as we have that exception. The last point I want to make on the issue of abortion. This is an issue that -- look, it divides us. And in some ways, it may be difficult to -- to reconcile the two views. But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, "We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby." Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation. OBAMA: We should try to reduce these circumstances. SCHIEFFER: Let's give Senator McCain a short response... MCCAIN: Just again... SCHIEFFER: ... and then... MCCAIN: Just again, the example of the eloquence of Senator Obama. He's health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health." But, look, Cindy and I are adoptive parents. We know what a treasure and joy it is to have an adopted child in our lives. We'll do everything we can to improve adoption in this country. But that does not mean that we will cease to protect the rights of the unborn. Of course, we have to come together. Of course, we have to work together, and, of course, it's vital that we do so and help these young women who are facing such a difficult decision, with a compassion, that we'll help them with the adoptive services, with the courage to bring that child into this world and we'll help take care of it. Contact: None Source: LifeSiteNews.com Source URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com Publish Date: October 16, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
October 17, 2008
Complete Transcript of McCain, Obama Abortion Debate Remarks
United Nations Set to Revisit Cloning Issue
United Nations Set to Revisit Cloning Issue More than three years after the U.N. General Assembly passed a non-binding and intentionally ambiguous declaration opposing all human cloning, the issue is back on the world body's agenda. U.N. officials are recommending an outcome that would have the effect of distinguishing between cloning for different purposes, banning one outright but not the other. The issue will be discussed at a meeting in Paris later this month of the International Bioethics Committee (IBC) of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. An IBC working group report, released ahead of the Oct. 29-29 meeting, found the non-binding 2005 declaration deficient, and recommended a legally enforceable global ban on "reproductive cloning" – the cloning of an embryo that will be implanted in a womb, develop and be born. However, the working group did not recommend including somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) – so-called "therapeutic cloning" – in the ban. Instead, it said, "guidelines for regulating human embryo and stem cell research in the countries where it is legal, should be developed at international level." With the exception of a handful of maverick scientists and alien-worshipping cultists, the notion of reproductive cloning has been universally condemned. But the question of SCNT remains at the center of the ethical debate, as it did during the contentious wrangling leading up to the U.N.'s 2005 declaration. SCNT involves the injecting of genetic material from a patient into a human egg whose DNA has been removed. The resulting embryo will be a genetic copy of the patient. Researchers want to clone these early-stage embryos for stem cells that they hope may someday be used to treat degenerative diseases. Some proponents call this "therapeutic cloning" because of the possible future therapies that may result; pro-lifers call it "destructive" because the embryo is destroyed in the process. Differences among U.N. member states over SCNT lay behind the almost four years of sometimes acrimonious discussions leading to the March 2005 vote on the U.N. Declaration on Human Cloning. In the end it passed with a vote of only 84-34, with 37 countries abstaining, while another 36 stayed away. The declaration calls on member states "to prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life." The wording allowed for differing interpretations, and "human life" was not defined. A delegate for South Korea, a country which at the time was at the forefront of cloning experimentation, said a few weeks before the vote that "human life" meant different things in different cultures and religious, and interpretation of the term should be left to each nation. South Korea and several other countries, including Britain and China, also made it clear that they had no intention of stopping research that was underway. The move by the IBC to revisit the cloning issue at the U.N. comes at a time when more and more scientists are turning to a a new research path that sidesteps altogether the ethically-sensitive use of human embryos in the search for possible future stem cell treatments. Japanese and American scientists announced last November that human "adult" skin cells can be reprogrammed into a new kind of cell – an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell – that shares an embryonic stem cell's pluripotency, or potential to develop into other types of cell such as blood, brain and muscle. Like stem cells from cloned embryos, the iPS cells are also genetically identical to the donor patient whose skin cells were originally used. Unlike stem cells from cloned embryos, they carry no ethical controversy. Contact: Patrick Goodenough Source: CNSNews Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com Publish Date: October 17, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
Abortion trauma hits both women, men
Abortion trauma hits both women, men Martha Shuping knows the trauma of abortion. The Winston-Salem, N.C., psychiatrist recently told the story of a client who was a happily married, stay-at-home mom until she found out she was pregnant with another baby. Her husband said he had no room in his life for another child and asked her to abort the baby. After consulting with their pastor, who supported the husband's decision, the woman terminated the pregnancy. "After the abortion took place, my patient became severely depressed, unable to function in her role as a mom and homemaker, and she ended up being admitted to the hospital," Shuping said. "When I talked to her at the time of admission, she identified the abortion as the cause of her problems." Shuping described the incident at an Oct. 9 panel discussion about post-abortion trauma and its effects on women and men. The session, titled "Post-abortion Mental Health Effects, Awareness and Politics," was held at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. A recent Elliot Institute poll shows 85 percent of 626 Americans surveyed believe negative emotional problems are common after having an abortion. "There is little doubt today that we face a crisis of credibility," said Vincent Rue, director of the Institute for Pregnancy Loss. "If [the] American Psychological and the American Psychiatric Associations can be believed, there is simply no need for this panel today." Rue said Planned Parenthood, which describes itself as the leading healthcare provider for women, does not treat women for post-abortion trauma. He also said members of the American Psychological Association task force on abortion report they do not treat clinical patients for such a disorder. "Who should we believe?" Rue asked. "The people themselves," Rue said. "Women and men who know others who have had abortions, and those women and men who have participated in an abortion." Priscilla Coleman, associate professor of human development and family studies at Bowling Green State University, said abortions worldwide average one per woman and, by the age of 45, more than 35 percent of U.S. women have had an abortion. She also said the identification of risk factors involved in abortions plays a major role in research results. "Among the most thoroughly substantiated risk factors are the following: low self-esteem, perceptions of the inability to cope with the abortion, emotional investment in the pregnancy, involvement in violent relationships and feelings of being forced into abortion by one's partner, others, or by life circumstances ...," Coleman said in a written statement. Shuping said research shows a high percentage of women experience post-traumatic stress after an abortion. Symptoms include trauma, sleep disorders and avoidance of music, places, emotions and thoughts one might associate with having an abortion. Shuping believes it is not uncommon for women to feel pressured into having unwanted abortions. "In a 2004 study by Rue and colleagues in Medical Science Monitor, 64 percent of American post-abortive women reported having been pressured in regard to their abortion decision," Shuping said. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute, believes there is not only a crisis of unwanted pregnancies but also of unwanted abortions. "It is up to us to prove abortion is dangerous," Reardon said during the panel discussion, "because the assumption is abortion's safe ...." Marjorie Signer, director of communications for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, disagrees with such research, pointing to studies that show minimal if any emotional consequences to women who experience abortion. Signer said an issue of Archives of General Psychiatry surveyed an estimated 1,200 women over a two-year period to research results of post-abortion effects on women. "Generally speaking, according to research that appeared in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the overall mental health of these women showed no decline after having the abortion," Signer told Baptist Press. "As this and other studies show, opponents of legal abortion have very little, if any, statistical backing for the claim that there are dire emotional consequences to women who have abortions." Signer said she doesn't believe it is humane to make women feel remorse and depressed about their decision, because it is personal and difficult. "Women need support and understanding about what they intend to do," Signer said. "We support women and men in making the decision that is best for them, and urge them to follow their religious beliefs and conscience." Catherine Coyle, co-director of the Alliance for Post-Abortion Research and Training, believes men also battle with post-abortion trauma. Research conducted by White-van-Mourik questioned 68 men to find results of post-abortion effects on males. Patterns of depression, fear, anger and guilt were found after the two-year study. "These authors stated that 58 percent of the men were potentially at risk of prolonged or unresolved grief, as they did not discuss their feelings or complaints with anyone," Coyle said at the FRC event. Rue believes the trauma of abortion is hard to publicly acknowledge or support. "The woman or man lose in isolation, dreaded silence," Rue said. "For such an individual, grief is disenfranchised." Rue said it is a common assumption that abortion is an intentional human death event. He believes this can often cause mental health concerns with both women and men. "Politics attempts to camouflage what the head and the heart know all too clearly," Rue said. "This is not a wart removal or the moral equivalent of a tooth extraction. If abortion is perceived as violating one's moral code or religious values, we know it is likely to precipitate significant intra-psychic conflict and present a risk to one's health." Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs for Family Research Council, said the Republican and Democratic parties have two different approaches to reduce abortion. He said the Republican platform has mentioned abortion 15 times as a "fundamental assault on the sanctity of innocent human life," whereas the Democratic Party strongly supports Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion and a women's right to choose abortion. "An analysis of abortion data tends to find that the more restrictive the abortion law, the more likely that abortion rates go down," McClusky said. "The abortion rate currently in the U.S. is about 19.4 abortions per 1,000 women ...." Reardon said men and women who have been involved with abortions often feel judged because of the decision they make. "We're not throwing stones at people who have abortions," Reardon said. "We're concerned about helping them find healing. We're concerned about helping them find alternatives ... that will resonate with those 30 million women and men" who have participated in abortions. Contact: Elizabeth Wood Source: Baptist Press Source URL: http://www.bpnews.net Publish Date: October 16, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
October 16, 2008
PRO-LIFE EVENTS
PRO-LIFE EVENTS
Right to Life of Adams County Respect Life Dinner
Right to Life of Adams County cordially invites you to our RESPECT LIFE DINNER
Where: Knights of Columbus/Fr. McGivney Hall 700 South 36th Street Quincy, Illinois
When: Monday, October 20, 2008 - Reception: 6:00 p.m. - Dinner: 6:30 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: Scott Klusendorf, President of Life Training Institute presents: "The Art of Pro-Life Persuasion"
This year's dinner promises to be an evening of good food and camaraderie, coupled with a very valuable pro-life presentation by our guest speaker. We are proud to announce that we have booked Scott Klusendorf of Atlanta, GA, President of the Life Training Institute, as our main speaker. Acknowledged to be one of the best pro-life presenters in the United States, Mr. Klusendorf has a long and successful record of challenging all in his audiences to defend the sanctity of human life, and of preparing them to persuasively defend their views to others.
$10.00 per person, $17.00, 2 persons, $65.00 table of 8 All proceeds to benefit Right to Life Programs For more information, please call: 217-224-5483
Arms of Love Pregnancy Resource Center Walk for Life
The Arms of Love Pregnancy Resource Center in Alton, IL is having their Walk for Life event on Sat. Oct. 25 beginning at 9 a.m. at Haskell Park on Henry and 12 Streets.
For more information, please call Ron Wenzel (Walk Director) at 618-466-1690
Pro-Life Pastors Dinner
Knox County Right to Life will honor Pro-Life Pastors and other dedicated pro-lifers at this dinner on October 25.
It will be at 7:00 p.m. at the Corpus Christi Parish Center. The evening will include a dinner and a short presentation by Kenneth McCaughey, who is the father of the Iowa Septuplets. Many pro-life materials and information will be available that evening.
Reservations are necessary for this dinner. For more information, please call Pat at 309-343-2852 or Helen at 309-342-4383.
Festival of Life featuring Kenneth McCaughey
Father of the Iowa Septuplets "The Seven from Heaven"
Come early to see the presentation by Galesburg Christian School at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday October 26, 2008 Bethel Baptist Church 1196 N. Academy St., Galesburg, IL
*Admission is Free and Refreshments will be served Sponsored by Knox County Right to Life Click or follow this link to download a flyer: http://www.ifrl.org/knox/download/festivaloflife08.pdf
If you know of, or are part of a pro-life organization having an event or attending an event including county fairs, please let us know about it and we will post in this newsletter and our website reaching over 250,000 people a month. E-mail us at: mail@ifrl.org or postal mail us at IFRL Pro-Life Events, 1104 Milton Road, Alton, IL 62002 |
NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY
NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY
Disclaimer: The linked items below or the websites at which they are located do not necessarily represent the views of The Illinois Federation for Right to Life. They are presented only for your information.
Pro-life Catholic Bishop Confirms that a Catholic Cannot Vote for Obama in Good Conscience
An Open Letter to American Bishops regarding 'Catholic moral teaching' and the 2008 election presents "the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church..." concerning "the candidacy of Barack Hussein Obama."
The "Open Letter", by Randall Terry, has been sent by certified mail to all U.S. Bishops. (See complete Open Letter at www.humbleplea.com.)
Following is the complete response from Bishop Gracida concerning the Open Letter and Faithful Catholic Citizenship. Faithful Catholic Citizenship proves - using the words of John Paul II - that a Catholic cannot in good conscience vote for Back Obama. Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/399618274.html
Pro-life Catholics who support Obama face criticism
Catholic political commentator George Weigel has criticized pro-life Catholics who support the pro-abortion rights Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. Writing for Newsweek magazine, he criticizes pro-life Obama supporters such as Pepperdine University law professor Doug Kmiec and suggests their emergence may portend a "hardening of the battle lines" within the Catholic Church regardless of who wins the presidency this November.
According to Weigel, Kmiec argues that Obama sounds more Catholic on issues such as the family wage, health-care costs and the war in Iraq and "comes reasonably close" to embodying "an alternative way to be pro-life." Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14075
Planned Parenthood Complicit In Child Sex Abuse
On Oct. 8, the Ohio Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that California voters are reading about in the ballot argument in favor of Proposition 4. In the case now before Ohio's high court, a 14-year-old girl, known in court records as "Jane Roe," was sexually abused by her soccer coach, who then took her to Planned Parenthood for an abortion. Planned Parenthood did not report the abuse to authorities. Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=03b84d97-e921-4cfd-a77b-b11cf28ed38d
Pro-Life Group Awaits Election Ad Ruling
A U.S. District judge will decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction to allow a pre-election ad depicting state Supreme Court of Appeals candidate Margaret Workman as the author of a decision that requires taxpayers to pay for abortions for women on Medicaid to run. West Virginians For Life, an anti-abortion, nonprofit organization, requested the injunction. The group wants to run the Workman ad, but has refused to disclose its donors (in spite of what the Bible says: "...make full proof of thy ministry." 2 Timothy 4: 5d) So to this point, its ads have not run although the petition went online, but was taken down. Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=45536
Plans to Legalize Abortion in Northern Ireland Shelved
Pro-choice Labor MPs had been planning to back an amendment to the Embryology Bill that would allow terminations in Northern Ireland, the only part of Britain where the procedure remains illegal. They have changed their minds after being privately warned by ministers that with the Stormont executive close to collapse, the move could tip the province's politicians into withdrawing from negotiations. Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
Presidential Candidates Differ Sharply on Abortion
Presidential Candidates Differ Sharply on Abortion
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain at their final presidential debate on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gary Hershorn, Pool)(CNSNews.com) - The topic of abortion finally came up in the third and final presidential debate Wednesday night at Hofstra University, and while Sen. John McCain stood up for life, Sen. Barack Obama stood up for Roe v, Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion on demand in the United States.
A pro-life group later accused Obama of misleading voters about his position on various abortion bills; and the group also indicated that McCain missed an important opportunity to paint Obama as the extremist on abortion that many conservatives believe he is.
No litmus test
Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News asked the candidates if either one of them could ever nominate a Supreme Court justice who disagrees with their position on Roe v. Wade.
"I would never, and have never in all the years I've been there (in the Senate) imposed a litmus test on any nominee to the court. That's not appropriate to do," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said.
Asked if he wants the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling to be overturned, McCain said he thought it was a "bad decision."
"I think that decisions should rest in the hands of the states. I'm a federalist. And I believe strongly that we should have nominees to the United States Supreme Court based on their qualifications rather than any litmus test," he said.
McCain also criticized Obama for voting two Supreme Court nominees "on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards."
"That's not the way we should judge these nominees…They should be judged on their qualifications. And so that's what I will do." McCain said he would nominate people "who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution -- and not legislating from the bench."
Schieffer asked McCain if he would consider a nominee "who had a history of being for abortion rights."
"I would consider anyone in their qualifications," McCain said. "I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade would be part of those qualifications. But I certainly would not impose any litmus test."
Obama agreed that "we shouldn't apply a strict litmus test" to Supreme Court nominees.
"It is very likely that one of us will be making at least one and probably more than one appointments, and Roe versus Wade probably hangs in the balance," Obama said. He also said he agrees with the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.
"I think that abortion is a very difficult issue, and it is a moral issue and one that I think good people on both sides can disagree on. But what ultimately I believe is that women in consultation with their families, their doctors, their religious advisers, are in the best position to make this decision. And I think that the Constitution has a right to privacy in it that shouldn't be subject to state referendum, any more than our First Amendment rights are subject to state referendum, any more than many of the other rights that we have should be subject to popular vote."
In rebuttal, McCain said it's important to "change the culture of America."
"Those of us who are proudly pro-life understand that. And it's got to be courage and compassion that we show to a young woman who's facing this terribly difficult decision.
McCain mentioned that Obama, when he was an Illinois state senator, voted against a bill that would have required life-saving measures for babies born after botched abortions. "He voted against that," McCain said.
Obama also voted against another Illinois bill banning partial-birth abortion – then voted "present" when the bill reached the Illinois Senate floor, McCain noted.
"I don't know how you vote 'present' on some of that," McCain said. "I don't know how you align yourself with the extreme aspect of the pro- abortion movement in America. And that's his record…"
'Mother's health'
In response, Obama said, "If it sounds incredible that I would vote to withhold lifesaving treatment from an infant, that's because it's not true."
Obama said he voted against the bill requiring lifesaving treatment for born-alive babies because it would have undermined Roe v. Wade. "The fact is, that there was already a law on the books in Illinois that required providing lifesaving treatment, which is why not only myself but pro-choice Republicans and Democrats voted against it," he said.
"With respect to partial-birth abortion, I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life, and this (bill) did not contain that exception," Obama said. Obama said he voted "present" because his efforts to include a mother's health exception were rejected. "I'm willing to support a ban on late-term abortions as long as we have that exception," he said.
"The last point I want to make on the issue of abortion: This is an issue that -- look, it divides us. And in some ways, it may be difficult to -- to reconcile the two views," Obama said.
"But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, 'We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.'
"Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation. We should try to reduce these circumstances."
McCain, in rebuttal, said Obama's "health of the mother" argument "has been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything."
McCain then mentioned that he and his wife Cindy are adoptive parents and "know what a treasure and joy it is to have an adopted child in our lives. We'll do everything we can to improve adoption in this country. But that does not mean that we will cease to protect the rights of the unborn."
Missed opportunity
But McCain missed a key opportunity, pro-life advocates say. Obama in July 2007 promised Planned Parenthood that the first thing he would do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act, and McCain failed to mention that.
The Freedom of Choice Act, a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate, "would eliminate every abortion regulation in the country, including popular laws such as parental notification, informed consent, and bans on partial birth abortion," said the legislative arm of Americans United for Life.
"FOCA means abortion on demand, in all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason, nationwide and paid for by your tax dollars. The American people deserve to know the real truth about Barack Obama's record and position on abortion," said AUL-Action President Charmaine Yoest
AUL-Action also accused Obama of "twisting the facts" about his past votes on bills requiring medical treatment for born-alive babies: "Barack Obama is on record voting four times aginst offering protections to such children while (he was serving) in the Illinois Senate," said AUL-Action.
Contact: Susan Jones Source: CNSNews.com Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com Publish Date: October 16, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
40 Days for Life at Halfway Point
40 Days for Life at Halfway Point: 268 Lives Saved, Hearts Changed, and Planned Parenthood Irritated
"I know 40 Days for Life is on the right track whenever Planned Parenthood cranks up its PR machine," said Shawn Carney, national outreach director of 40 Days for Life. "And if you read some of the things Planned Parenthood and its supporters are publishing these days, it's obvious that the nation's largest abortion chain sees trouble on the horizon."
This week, the 40 Days for Life fall campaign reached its halfway point. "By our best estimates, tens of thousands of pro-life people in more than 175 communities in 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and two Canadian provinces are participating," said Carney. "Local campaign coordinators report that thus far, at least 268 mothers have left abortion facilities without having abortions."
In addition, pro-life pregnancy resource centers are reporting a significant increase in their client numbers, and more mothers are choosing life for their babies. A number of local 40 Days for Life coordinators report a decline in the number of abortion customers - a decline of up to 30 or even 50 percent in some cases. Clinics are closing early - or not opening at all. "We know of at least two clinic employees who have quit their jobs in the abortion industry," said Carney. One Planned Parenthood facility in Vermont has reportedly been running newspaper ads, seeking replacement employees to assist with its abortion business.
"Planned Parenthood in particular doesn't like 40 Days for Life," Carney said. One Planned Parenthood affiliate refers to the campaign as "40 days of harassment." Planned Parenthood has also brought back its "I am Emily X" blog, a series of postings that complains of the many alleged hardships employees face. One entry takes specific aim at a Catholic group that came to recite the rosary during a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil. "I worry about how intimidating the sound of all those voices at once can be," the blogger said, before claiming that the rosary "has been corrupted as a tool to frighten women."
"In point of fact," said Carney, "the sight of people gathered in prayer outside of Planned Parenthood facilities and other abortion centers has given women a sense of hope at a point in their lives when they feel most vulnerable and desperate. Prayer 'intimidates' no one - and thus far, it has saved 268 lives, and saved 268 mothers - plus fathers and countless other family members and friends - from the lifetime of guilt and regret that can follow the so-called choice of abortion.
"We have said from the beginning that this fall represents a critical time for our culture and our society," said Carney. "The response we have seen during 40 Days of Life is a sure sign that faithful people, taking a public stand, can make a difference - for the babies, for the mothers, for our nation."
Contact: Amber Dolle Source: 40 Days for Life Source URL: http://www.40daysforlife.com Publish Date: October 16, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
Abortion must be addressed ‘for the survival of African American people'
Abortion must be addressed 'for the survival of African American people,' Catholic bishop asserts
Responding to information from the Guttmacher Institute reporting that black woman have abortions at five times the rate of white women, Bishop Martin D. Holley, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington called on African Americans to rededicate themselves to family, prayer and the dignity of the human person.
"As an African American, I am saddened by evidence that Black women continue to be targeted by the abortion industry," the bishop began in a statement. "The loss of any child from abortion is a tragedy, but we must ask: Why are minority children being aborted at such disproportionate rates?"
The prelate stressed that since the Roe v. Wade decision, "the number one cause of death in the African American community has been abortion." Because of this, "we have lost over 13 million lives. To put that in perspective, it is one third of our present Black population. Since 1973, twice as many Black Americans have died from abortion than from AIDS, accidents, violent crimes, cancer, and heart disease combined."
Abortion is an issue that must not be pushed to the back burner, he insisted. "It clearly must be at the heart and center of our discussion of the survival of African American people."
Bishop Holley, who also serves as Chair of the Sub-Committee on African American Affairs and is a member of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), went on to call for the federal de-funding of the abortion industry.
"Every year the federal government gives over $300 million to Planned Parenthood. Last year for the first time, Planned Parenthood took in over one billion dollars and reported a profit of $51 million," he said of the non-profit organization.
"We must demand an end to the victimizing of African American children, women, families and communities by Planned Parenthood and others in the abortion industry. Over 80 percent of Planned Parenthood clinics are located in minority neighborhoods," Bishop Holley continued. He then referred to the well-documented evidence that the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, began the 'Negro Project' to reduce the Black population.
Additionally, "we should be shocked and heartbroken by the findings of a recent phone investigation, that recorded a fundraiser at an Iowa Planned Parenthood clinic saying she was 'very excited' about a donation specifically for aborting Black babies."
The bishop concluded by encouraging African Americans to "defend our community by rededicating ourselves to family life and marriage, promoting the gift of chastity and marital fidelity, committing ourselves to prayer and service to others and defending the life and dignity of each human person. We can welcome every child as a gift and we can overcome abortion."
Contact: None Source: Catholic News Agency Source URL: http://www.catholicna.com Publish Date: October 15, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
Pro-Life Reaction to Tonight's Presidential Debate
Pro-Life Reaction to Tonight's Presidential Debate
SBA List Candidate Fund President: "True compassion for women and the unborn is found in the McCain-Palin Ticket"
Today, the President of the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund commented on last night's discussion of the abortion issue at the final Presidential Debate:
"Tonight Americans heard about Barack Obama's heartless refusal to protect abortion survivors and his senseless vote against the ban on partial birth abortion," said Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund President Marjorie Dannenfelser. "Obama said Roe vs. Wade was 'rightly decided.' He adamantly supports the very decision that results in the slaughter of nearly 4,000 unborn children every day in our country."
"When confronted with his abortion extremism, Obama dodged the issue and repeated the mantra of 'women's rights.' But this is not a women's rights issue. It is about human rights. And the only candidates that get it are John McCain and Sarah Palin."
"True compassion for women and the unborn is found in the McCain-Palin ticket. From John and Cindy McCain's adoption story to Todd and Sarah Palin's family, they are a courageous and compassionate witness to the value and dignity of every human life, born and unborn."
Since its founding, the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund has helped elect 75 pro-life candidates to the House, seven to the Senate, and seven to other statewide offices across the country.
Contact: Joy Yearout Source: Susan B. Anthony List Source URL: http://www.sba-list.org Publish Date: October 15, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |
Third Presidential Debate: Flagrant Lies from Obama
Third Presidential Debate: Flagrant Lies from Obama
During the third presidential debate on the night of October 15, 2008, the topic of Obama's opposition to the Illinois Born Alive Infants Protection Act, a bill to protect infants surviving attempted abortions, was broached.
The following issued forth from the mouth of Senator Obama, and establishes that he is not competent to regulate health care:
"And the Illinois Medical Society, the organization of doctors in Illinois, voted against it. Their Hippocratic Oath would have required them to provide care, and there was already a law in the books."
Obama obviously does not know the Hippocratic Oath. Below is a relevant excerpt which should have prevented him from referencing this ancient health care regulation:
"I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art."
Due to the nature of his practice, an abortionist is in continuous violation of the Hippocratic oath, and obviously cannot be expected to adhere to it.
The Hippocratic oath forbids euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, and abortion. For this reason the classic moral edict is no longer in use in most U.S. medical schools and institutions. Some physicians choose to take this oath independently, but having done so, they may be weeded out of medical practice in the near future, by the demands of government.
The existing Illinois law, to which Obama referred, protected only those babies considered suitable to live by the abortionist who had been employed to kill them. As such, it was not effective in providing protection or appropriate medical treatment to those babies surviving abortion attempts at the Chicago area Christ Hospital, which inspired the federal Born Alive Infants Protection Act signed by President Bush in 2002, as well as the Illinois legislative attempts.
I ask that voters avail themselves of the detailed information and legislative records relevant to this issue by visiting http://www.bornalivetruth.org.
Contact: Karen L. Brauer Source: Pharmacists for Life International Source URL: http://www.pfli.org Publish Date: October 16, 2008 Click or copy the link below to view this article in your browser: |