Pro-lifers prepare to push ahead

Pro-lifers prepare to push ahead

So far this year, healthcare reform dominates the news as it did in 2009. And while pro-lilfers have had their share of victories, one leader in that movement encourages them to remain attentive to the battle against abortion.
 


Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life tells OneNewsNow the pro-life community definitely has a challenge ahead and members need to stay alert and engaged.
 
She adds, however, that pro-life advocates "have to avoid feeling discouraged because we've had such remarkable victories. Just the very fact that we've managed to push the vote on healthcare reform into the New Year was a remarkable achievement," she says.
 
If the Senate version of healthcare reform is passed, Yoest notes it would be the greatest advancement for abortion in society since Roe vs. Wade.
 
"The challenge for us all is that in terms of what it is right now, there still isn't a final bill -- and that's what people have to stay focused on," she comments. "We have a House version and we have a Senate version, and they have to be reconciled. So the fight right now is over what that final bill is going to look like."
 
Pro-abortion factions have said they will bypass the conference committee in which House and Senate representatives hammer out a compromise and develop their own version to submit to both houses.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: January 10, 2010
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The Trial of Scott Roeder

The Trial of Scott Roeder

Jury Selection Begins in Kansas for Man Accused of Killing Abortionist George Tiller

Wichita, Kansas - The trial of the man charged with killing one of the nation's few late-term abortion doctors begins Monday with lawyers trying to pick unbiased jurors in a widely publicized case set amid the backdrop of the abortion debate.
 
By the time Scott Roeder shows up at the Sedgwick County courthouse for the start of his murder trial, the court would have summoned 300 prospective panelists. A group of 61 is expected to report Monday.
 
The lawyers will winnow the pool to 12 jurors and two alternates who will hear an expected two weeks of testimony.
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MSNBC: Judge Rules Man Accused In Tiller's Slaying Can Argue Act Was Justified

A man accused of killing one of the nation's few [sic] late-term abortion providers can try to build a case that the slaying was voluntary manslaughter because he sincerely believed it was necessary to save unborn babies, a Kansas judge ruled Friday. Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Mo., is charged with one count of first-degree murder in Dr. George Tiller's death and two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two ushers who tried to stop him during the May 31 melee in the foyer of the doctor's Wichita church. Roeder has pleaded not guilty and his trial begins Monday.
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All Eyes Will Be on Wichita for The Trial of Scott Roeder

As the murder trial gets under way Monday for the man accused of gunning down Wichita abortion provider George Tiller, the world will be watching. “This is a very, very high-profile trial,” said Kirk Longhofer, media coordinator for Sedgwick County District Court. “We’ve had as much, if not more, inquiry from national and even international media as any of the other big cases that have been tried here in the past 10 years.” Remember, that includes the trial of the BTK serial killer. Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, is charged with first-degree murder in the May 31 shooting death of Tiller inside his church. Roeder also faces two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two ushers. Jury selection begins Monday and is expected to take from two days to a week. More than 60 prospective jurors will show up in court Monday.
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Source: Various
Publish Date: January 11, 2010
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Adult stem cell research respects human integrity, says Mexican archbishop

Adult stem cell research respects human integrity, says Mexican archbishop



Mexico City, Mexico - Archbishop Emeritus Carlos Quintero Arce of Hermosillo in Mexico encouraged the use of adult stem cells in medical research last week, underscoring that such a practice does not violate the right to life of embryos and respects the integrity of human life.

In a statement, the archbishop recalled that the use of embryonic stem cells raises “moral and ethical problems” because embryos are destroyed in the process. He then pointed to scientific studies which have shown that such cells are often rejected by the immune system when transplanted into patients.

In contrast, he continued, adult stem cells are often not rejected by the patient's immune system and they do not pose any ethical or moral issues. However, adult stem cells “do not proliferate in abundance and cannot be applied to all the cells of the body. For this reason, some scientists use embryonic stem cells more” despite the inconveniences.

For this reason, Archbishop Quintero praised the discoveries by Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka, who announced he had successfully reprogrammed ordinary cells from the tips of mouse tails to make them virtually indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells. He later carried out new re-programming experiments using human skin cells.

“American researcher James Thompson achieved similar results in cellular re-programming,” the archbishop noted, “and thus we can say that these studies are ‘the most significant step’ of our era.”

Archbishop Quintero expressed hope that the upcoming Second International Congress on Adult Stem Cells, organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life and the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, will further advance research with adult stem cells,” and thus “make us capable of effectively responding to the urgent therapeutic need that exists today.”

Source: CNA
Publish Date: January 11, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to Life is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)

Making 'Personhood' Legal



Mississippi may be in line to set legal precedent if a grassroots effort to define "personhood" is approved by state voters. The definition would be used by abortion foes in their fight against legalized abortion. Personhood Mississippi is aimed at amending the Mississippi constitution to define life, or "personhood," as beginning at fertilization or the "functional equivalent thereof." The group needs 90,000 certified signatures to have the proposed wording put on the 2010 statewide ballot. Les Riley of northeast Mississippi and a father of nine, started the effort about five years ago.
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Alaska Advances Abortion Notification Measure



We believe a law needs to be enacted that will protect the interest of parents, and also to ensure that teenage girls receive wise parental counsel and support at a time when it is most desperately needed. The group Alaskans for Parental Rights is working through the initiative process to place a parental rights measure on the ballot in the August 2010 statewide election. This measure, if enacted, will require that a parent be notified before their child has an abortion. In order to place this issue on the 2010 ballot, the initiative sponsors need to gather just under 33,000 signatures from registered voters prior to Jan. 15.
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Warning For Pregnant Women: Alcohol, Cigarettes Hurting The Unborn

Most of us know this, but here is proof for the rest.



HOUSTON - Women who smoke or drink while pregnant might want to consider what Houston mother Yolanda Ross can tell them about her daughter. "When I saw her, I knew something was wrong," said Ross about getting her first look at her newborn. As her baby daughter grew, she showed signs of impaired mental development, commonly called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Her doctors said it very likely could be linked to Ross’s drinking and possibly her drug use. "I was in denial because I didn’t drink every day," Ross said of how she rationalized her binge drinking.   

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China Daily: 24 Million Men Unable To Find Spouses In 2020



Low birth rates of women in China may be to blame for some 24 million men failing to find a spouse in 2020, according to a report of the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), cited by china.com.cn. More inter-generational marriages with wives being older than their husbands' families will emerge due to a large proportion of men born since the 1980s. "People's minds have changed a lot during recent twenty years. Young couples don't want to have a second child, or just live a DINK life," said Yan Hua, sociology PHD of CASS. Some people's preference of wanting a boy to continue the family line also leads to the abortion of girls in rural China, the report said.
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Rutland Banned From Abortions But Retains License For Now

Rutland Banned >From Abortions But Retains License For Now
 


San Diego, CA - Abortionist Andrew Rutland has been ordered by a judge to stop doing abortions and delivering babies until the California Medical Board and determine whether his medical license should be permanently revoked.
 
The CMB asked for an emergency suspension of Rutland's license after he killed a woman during a botched abortion in San Gabriel and violated his probation by doing abortions without the supervision of a second physician in Chula Vista and Santa Ana.
 
Administrative Judge James Ahler allowed Rutland to keep his license so he could continue to see patients for consultations. However, Deputy Atty. Gen. Douglas Lee questioned Rutland's professional judgment, noting repeated negligent acts committed by him that led to the death of 30-year old Ying Chen during a second trimester abortion.
 
Judge Ahler agreed that if Rutland continued to do surgeries and deliveries, he "presents a risk of danger and there is a likelihood of injury to the public."
 
Lee pointed out that Rutland has a history of dishonesty and corruption. He has lied to patients and authorities repeatedly, according to the formal revocation petition filed against him on Christmas Eve.
 
"Rutland is a proven liar. How do we know he will comply with the judge's order to stop doing abortions? Who is going to enforce this order? Are the authorities simply going to take him at his word?" said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We are outraged that Rutland's license was not fully suspended. This decision places women's lives at risk."
 
Also present during yesterday's hearing were Scott and Kathy Broussard of San Juan Capistrano, whose daughter, Jillian, died as a result of a forceps delivery by Rutland. That incident led to the revocation of Rutland's license in 2003. They expressed disappointment at the reinstatement of his medical license in 2007 and at yesterday's decision.
 
"I think his victims and the public needed to get full peace of mind today, and they didn't," Kathy Broussard told the Orange County Register. "He still has a practice in Anaheim. He's still allowed to do gynecological exams and consultations. It's appalling."
 
The California Medical Board will meet at a later date to determine if Rutland's license should be permanently revoked.

Contact: Troy Newman, Cheryl Sullenger
Source: Operation Rescue
Publish Date: January 8, 2010
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Court Hearing to Decide Personhood Initiative Fate Held Today in Carson City

Court Hearing to Decide Personhood Initiative Fate Held Today in Carson City



CARSON CITY, NV - The ACLU has joined forces with abortion giant Planned Parenthood to stop the initiative process of Nevada citizens. The simple, one sentence amendment reads: "In the great state of Nevada, the term 'person' applies to every human being."

The hearing on this matter, in the First Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada, will take place at 9 a.m. Friday morning, January 8, 2010 in Carson City, the state's capitol.

Personhood Nevada is a citizen-led initiative to amend the Constitution of the State of Nevada.

Olaf Vancura, PhD, President of Personhood Nevada, stated "The right to live is God-given and the most precious of all civil rights," stated Olaf Vancura, PhD, President of Personhood Nevada. "Absent government leadership in protecting our most vulnerable persons, we the people are expressing our 1st Amendment rights with this historic civil rights initiative."

On November 12, 2009, the ACLU and billion-dollar-per-year abortion profiteer Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit challenging the amendment wording and summary. Similar legal challenges have been dismissed in other states attempting Personhood initiatives.

In commenting on the legal challenge, Vancura continued, "The abortion lobby's plan is clear -- delay, delay, delay. They are trying to run out the clock so that Nevadans cannot vote on this historic civil rights initiative. Their notion that this proposed Amendment violates the single-subject rule is absurd. This initiative is the epitome of a single subject. The last citizen-led initiative to successfully amend the Nevada constitution comprised over 400 words. Our proposed Amendment has only 14 words, the first 6 of which affirm that Nevada is a great state, the remaining 8 of which clarify 'the term person applies to every human being.' The Personhood Nevada language is simple enough that a child could explain it to an attorney."

Today's hearing will determine whether the citizen-led initiative can continue.

Contact: Olaf Vancura
Source: Personhood Nevada
Publish Date: January 8, 2010
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Forbes on why insurance companies like paying for abortion: "It's cheaper"

Forbes on why insurance companies like paying for abortion: "It's cheaper"



Well, this certainly cuts to the chase. From Forbes.com, yesterday:

    Abortion has emerged again as a key sticking point in negotiations over healthcare reform....

    The fuss has exposed what's been a fairly quiet practice: most health plans now pay for abortions, no questions asked. Why? It saves lots of money....

    Insurance companies are loathe to comment on why they pay for the controversial procedure but if you're running the business by the numbers, it's fairly obvious. An unwanted pregnancy is much more inexpensive to terminate, compared to the cost of a delivery.

    "A first trimester abortion is $300 to $450," [John] Nugent [CEO of Planned Parenthood of MD] says. "But if the gestational age is higher you're paying for a surgical suite. That's why the insurance companies think they should be offering it. It's cheaper to terminate an unwanted pregnancy rather than taking it to term."

    Health Care Blue Book confirms the price difference. An abortion performed in an physician's office typically costs $397. A vaginal delivery costs $5,992, while a c-section is $8,558....

    Don't expect the money arguments to get much airtime in Washington, even if the insurance companies have a financial stake in the outcome. "They won't talk about it," Nugent says.

One more point not covered: The push to abort babies who are handicapped, have birth defects, or are fatally or nonfatally ill is largely for the same reason.

I'm also sure the bottom line is is in the back of every pro-abort politicians mind. It's cheaper to off preborn babies than have Medicaid pay for deliveries and well baby care - or worse, sick baby care.

Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: January 8, 2010
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Three Top Democrat Incumbents Back Out of Tough Election Year

Three Top Democrat Incumbents Back Out of Tough Election Year

   
Left to Right: Senators Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Three Democrat politicians who have significant records against life and family values, two of whom are Catholic, have announced this week that they won't run for reelection in 2010.

Senators Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, as well as Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, say they will not attempt to win voter approval in a campaign climate that has grown decidedly unfavorable towards the Democrat party in the wake of prolonged unrest over the health care overhaul.  All three men are trailing in polls tracking constituent approval compared to opponents or prospective opponents.

Democrats are expressing little concern about the loss of Dodd, who has been embroiled in a number of steep corruption scandals, as the popular Democrat state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has strong chances of overtaking the seat.  Explaining his reason for leaving, Dodd simply told reporters it was time for a change.

Praising the senator's "long and distinguished record of protecting and defending a woman's right to choose," NARAL donated the maximum amount of $10,000 to Dodd's campaign last October.  The senator also received strong endorsement by President Obama in April.

Leadership was more concerned with Dorgan's retirement, as his GOP opponents stand a strong chance of winning the seat - and robbing a precious 60th vote from the party's filibuster-proof majority.  Dorgan, who has a 25% pro-life voting record according to National Right to Life, said he would not seek re-election in order to write books.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's Wednesday announcement, like Dodd's, is generally seen as opportune for Democrats seeking a stronger member of their party to compete in the elections.

In 2007, Ritter signed bills legalizing homosexual adoption and banning abstinence-only sex education, and proposed restoring government funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, moves that sparked criticism from Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput.

Contact: Kathleen Gilbert
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: January 7, 2010
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Bush to receive Cardinal O'Connor Award for pro-life efforts

Bush to receive Cardinal O'Connor Award for pro-life efforts



Washington D.C..- Former President George W. Bush will be presented with an award by the lay group Legatus, for his work in advancing the pro-life cause. The ceremony will be held at the annual Legatus Summit Feb. 5-6 in Dana Point, Calif., where Bush will address the business group for the first time since leaving office a year ago.

The prestigious Cardinal John J. O'Connor Pro-Life Award is being given in response to the former president's eight years of pro-life legislation. Legatus cites his administration's opposition to embryonic stem cell research, an executive order barring federal funds from being used for abortion related projects abroad, the appointment of two pro-life Supreme Court Justices and a rule protecting federally funded health employees from taking part in abortion or practices that conflict with their faith as policies that Bush helped enact during his presidency.

The group of Catholic business professionals also noted that one of  the former president's last efforts while in office included a declaration of Jan. 18, 2009 as “National Sanctity of Human Life Day,” along with a statement that “the most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent.”

The former president will be a accompanied by a host of other speakers at the event, including Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, actress Patricia Heaton, entrepreneur Frank J. Hanna III, Fr. Robert Spitzer, Newt and Callista Gingrich, and Thomas Donahue, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“I’ve been speaking to a number of Legatus chapters about the Summit, and people are really excited,” said Kathleen Eaton, the event chairperson, on Thursday. “It’s been a rough year on a number of fronts, and they really need this shot in the arm. They want to come together to pray and learn more about what the Church is saying on different issues.”

Previous recipients of the Cardinal John J. O'Connor Pro-Life Award have included Fr. Frank Pavone  of Priests for Life, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer of Human Life International, Judie Brown of the American Life League, Sen. Rick Santorum, Sen. Sam Brownback, and Rep. Henry Hyde.

Source: CNA
Publish Date: January 8, 2010
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Dutch Euthanasia Numbers Rise

Dutch Euthanasia Numbers Rise

However, numbers of deaths likely much higher than "official" number.

 

AMSTERDAM - The official euthanasia monitoring body in the Netherlands has reported a significant increase in "mercy killing" deaths in 2009 compared to the previous year.

An article in the Dutch News reports that the number of registered cases of euthanasia rose by 200 to some 2,500 in 2009. The article also reports that, "It is not known how many cases of mercy killing there actually are in the Netherlands," because only about "80% of instances are registered with the monitoring body."

The figures for 2009 include six registered cases of euthanasia on elderly patients with senile dementia which the report says were "in the early stages and able to make their wishes known."

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, commented on the new Dutch euthanasia figures, observing that the actual number of deaths is substantially higher because assisted suicide is a "separate category" in the Netherlands, as is euthanasia without explicit consent from the patient, such as infant euthanasia and terminal palliative sedation.

"In order to have an accurate picture of the number of deaths that are directly and intentionally caused by physicians in the Netherlands, you need to know that assisted suicide is a separate category in the Netherlands. Therefore you need to add the assisted suicide deaths to the number of euthanasia deaths. The number of assisted suicide deaths was not reported in the article but it is approximately 400 deaths each year," Schadenberg explained.

"Another category of deaths is deaths without explicit consent. The most recent government report (2005) showed that the number of deaths without explicit consent was approximately 550. Many of the 550 deaths are directly and intentionally caused by the physician but not reported as euthanasia because they lacked consent."

Dutch law requires that patients asking to be killed must be suffering unbearable pain, the doctor administering the lethal dose must be convinced the patient is making an informed choice, and a second doctor must concur with the opinion of the first.

Schadenberg points out that figures from 2007 indicate approximately 10% of all deaths in the Netherlands were connected to the practice of terminal sedation.

"Many of those deaths were caused by dehydration, by the physician sedating the patient and then withholding hydration until death occurs, which usually takes 10 - 14 days," he said.

Schadenberg said the Netherlands does not collect information on how many people with disabilities die by euthanasia, nor was information provided in the government report on how many infants born with disabilities are euthanized based on the request of the parents and the agreement of the physician.

The Dutch News report "acknowledged that people with dementia are dying by euthanasia in the Netherlands, but the article didn't mention how many infants died by euthanasia in 2009."

"The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is wondering how many people with disabilities are coerced into death by euthanasia based on a false concept that living with a disability is a life of suffering," Schadenberg said.

Contact: Thaddeus M. Baklinski
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: January 7, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to Life is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)

Euro Court Cannot Enforce Its Decisions Here, Says Ireland's Chief Justice



Euro Court Cannot Enforce Its Decisions Here, Says Ireland’s Chief Justice. Irish courts are entitled to ignore decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unless the Oireachtas votes to change Irish law, according to the Chief Justice. In a ruling as part of the Supreme Court’s unanimous pre-Christmas decision in a case involving a sperm donor, Mr Justice John Murray stated, ‘‘Orders or declarations of the [European Court of Human Rights] are not enforceable at national level unless national law makes them so”.
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Heroic Mom Who Died of Cancer after Giving Birth "Cherished Motherhood"



PARSIPPANY, New York - The obituary for Cathie Doroshenko, who died in her home on Sunday December 17, 2006, 3 ½ years after giving birth to her daughter Victoria Faith, said she "cherished motherhood" - a statement that was proved in a striking way by the unusual way she brought her daughter into the world.

While Cathie died over three years ago, her story has been given fresh life by photojournalist Bob Karp, who documented Cathie's pregnancy, illness, childbirth, and death, and in the process became a close friend of Cathie and her family. This past Dec. 30, Karp reminisced about his experiences with Doroshenko on his blog at the Daily Record, recounting the story that he said "would become the most influential assignment of my 25 year career in photojournalism."  
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Prosecutors Who Targeted Tiller Subpoenaed In Murder Trial



Defense attorneys for Scott Roeder, the man accused of fatally shooting abortion provider George Tiller in the doctor's Wichita church, have subpoenaed two state prosecutors who tried unsuccessfully to convict Tiller on criminal charges, the AP/Miami Herald reports.

Defense attorney Mark Rudy said on Tuesday that misdemeanor charges brought against Tiller by former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (R) and separate charges prosecuted later by Deputy Attorney General Barry Disney (R) demonstrated that they both thought Tiller's actions had been lawless.
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Ill. Candidates For U.S. Senate Mostly Follow Party Lines In Abortion Views



All of the Democrats vying for Illinois' U.S. Senate seat say they support abortion rights, while all but one of the Republicans who responded to a candidate questionnaire say they support more restrictive policies, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Democrats include state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias; David Hoffman, a former Chicago inspector general; Cheryle Jackson, a former president of the Chicago Urban League; physician Robert Marshall; and attorney Jacob Meister. The Republicans who oppose abortion rights include developer John Arrington, Pat Hughes and historical researcher Kathleen Thomas. Five-term Republican Rep. Mark Kirk (Ill.), another candidate, said he is "pro-choice and opposes federal funding of abortion." Republican candidates Donald Lowery and Andy Martin did not respond to the Tribune's questionnaire.
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Jennifer Lopez Down on In Vitro - So Why is IVF Contrary to Pro-Life Values


I have to admit that when I hear the name Jennifer Lopez, traditional morality is not the first thing that springs to mind. Perhaps I'm being too hard on the girl, but I'm afraid the first thing I usually think of is the rather succinct but apt expression of a friend of mine: "pop-tart".

And certainly, for a young woman who spent, as she says, all her school years going through the New York City Catholic education system, one has to wonder if she skipped school every time the issue of modesty was discussed. So it was a pleasant surprise to see today that she refuses to participate in one of the greatest moral disasters of the modern era.

Today Elle magazine issued an interview with Mrs. Marc Anthony in which she avers her moral objection to artificial methods of procreation. Jennifer told Elle, "When it comes to family and relationships, I'm quite traditional. Just because of the way I was raised ... And I also believe in God and I have a lot of faith in that, so I just felt like you don't mess with things like that."
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Health Care Negotiations Go Behind Closed Doors

Health Care Negotiations Go Behind Closed Doors
 


Despite requests from the media, Democratic leadership refuses to publicize the reconciliation process.

As House and Senate committee members prepare to possibly sit down and reconcile the two versions of health care reform, it appears Democrats will move to close the meetings to the public.

That's despite rules in both the House and Senate that ensure conference committee meetings be open to the public — and multiple promises made during the presidential campaign by President Obama that negotiations on health care would be an open process and televised.

After a meeting with her leadership team Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the promise of transparency, "there were a number of things (Obama) was for on the campaign trail."  The comment was seen as further proof she has no intention of opening the process to public scrutiny.

C-SPAN sent a letter on Dec. 30 to the House and Senate asking to televise the reconciliation negotiations.  When asked about that letter during a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Pelosi bristled:

"There has never been a more open process for any legislation," she said.

Democrats could revise the rules by a simple vote among committee members. Republicans are speaking out against such a move.

In a response to C-SPAN, Republican Minority Leader John Boehner said secret deliberations are a "breeding ground for shady deals that have become business as usual in Washington."

"As House Republican leader," he wrote, "I can confidently state that all House Republicans strongly endorse your proposal and stand ready to work with you to make it a reality."

The Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life group, is organizing news conferences next week targeting 14 members of Congress in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana in an effort to urge lawmakers to vote against the final bill if it includes funding for abortion.

Focus on the Family Action is joining in the effort and encouraging constituents to attend a press conference or set up office visits with their lawmakers in those areas sometime between Jan. 11-13.

Contact: Kim Trobee
Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: January 6, 2010
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C-SPAN Challenges Dems to Publicize Secret Health Bill Talks

C-SPAN Challenges Dems to Publicize Secret Health Bill Talks

Negotiations Resume Tuesday between Democrat leaders and White House - Republicans, Stupak Dems shut out



WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Democrat leaders commence their final round of negotiations on the health care bill in secret meetings following the Christmas holiday, C-SPAN has issued a letter to the president and lawmakers challenging them to live up to their promises of transparency and allow the network to cover the proceedings.

"President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation's editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation's health care system," wrote C-SPAN's Brian Lamb to congressional leaders in a letter dated December 30.

"Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American."

House Minority Leader John Boehner responded promptly to C-SPAN's letter, stating that "all House Republicans strongly endorse your proposal and stand ready to work with you to make it a reality."  Unfortunately, he said, "the President, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Reid now intend to shut out the American people at the most critical hour by skipping a bipartisan conference committee and hammering out a final health care bill in secret."

A handful of Democrat chamber and committee leaders today are meeting with the White House to hash out how to surmount the final hurdles facing the abortion-expanding health care legislation crafted separately in both House and Senate.  Those versions, which pose significant differences on some contentious points, must be ironed out in a final version for President Obama to sign.  Leaders hope to get the bill on the President's desk by the State of the Union address - but previous deadlines on the bill have consistently slipped.

Instead of an even-handed merge, leaders are expected to expedite passage by sending the Senate health bill to the House, which will amend the bill and send it back to the Senate for approval.

The process, known as the "ping-pong" option, largely throws out the hard-won language contained only in the House version of the bill - including the Hyde amendment restriction on abortion funding.  While pro-life and conservative leaders have heavily criticized the bill on a number of aspects, including its propensity to promote health care rationing and doctor-assisted suicide, the bill's vast expansion of federal abortion funding has earned it the title of the greatest threat to the unborn in America since Roe v. Wade.

Such merging is usually conducted in full view in the chambers of Congress.  Although skipping the formal committee meetings is not without precedent, critics are angry at Democrats for choosing the secretive route in the final round of the bill, which many consider the most significant social policy legislation in a generation.

Fueling the criticism are reports from lawmakers and aides who say Republican and conservative Democrat lawmakers have been entirely shut out of the negotiations.  House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) said leaders would skip the committee because motions to select and instruct conferees in the Senate "would need 60 votes all over again."

"This process cuts out the Republicans," said a House Democratic aide, according to a Talking Points Memo report, adding that Democrats intended to ensure the minority party would "not have a motion to recommit opportunity."

Leading conservative Democrats such as Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) have confirmed that leadership has kept them away from the negotiating table as well.  Stupak is the leader of a handful of conservative Democrats who have promised to vote against the bill if it does not contain Hyde-amendment restrictions on abortion funding.

After federal abortion funding became the top sticking point in both the House and Senate bills, it could remain the clearest block to the measure's final passage if Stupak's company holds strong.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) continues to face the after-effects reneging on his promise in December to filibuster the bill if it contained federal abortion funding: protesters with Rescue the Heartland and Operation Rescue braved a -9 degree wind chill on New Year's Day to demonstrate outside the senator's home.

The full House does not reconvene until next week, and the Senate will return in two weeks.  Meanwhile, majority leaders in both chambers will meet with President Obama Tuesday evening to discuss the final bill, before a caucus meeting via conference call scheduled for Thursday.

The White House's health reform campaign also continued in aggressive tones this week, reminding followers of its "reality check" series on health care to dismiss criticism of the bill.

"This isn't fear-mongering based on some deceptive distortion as we so often hear from those opponents, it's cold hard facts," wrote Nancy Ann DeParle in a Tuesday post highlighting the negative aspects of the current health care situation.

A Washington Times editorial Tuesday blasted the Obama administration for the overtly furtive tactics propelling the sweeping health measure to the finish line.

"By now it's almost trite to complain that President Obama repeatedly has broken his campaign pledge to 'broadcast [health care] negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are.' That doesn't make the complaint invalid," it notes.

"For legislation that could so profoundly and personally affect the daily lives of every American, Congress and the White House should be more transparent and more accessible than ever before. Instead, the process has been secretive and sordid throughout.

"Back in October, Rep. Vern Buchanan, Florida Republican, offered this simple resolution: 'Resolved, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that any conference committee or other meetings held to determine the final content of sweeping national health care legislation be held in full public view and not behind closed doors.'  If congressional leaders do not abide this simple request, Republicans should bring the whole Senate to a halt."

Contact: Kathleen Gilbert
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: January 4, 2010
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Senator strikes at state abortion funds

Senator strikes at state abortion funds



A fresh effort is under way in hopes of defunding Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas.

Last year's drive was spearheaded by Republican State Senator Tim Huelskamp, who explains that the effort met an obstacle. "Last year we came very close to defunding Planned Parenthood in the state of Kansas, but the governor vetoed that effort," Huelskamp explains. "Currently we spend a third of a million dollars to fund the largest abortion-provider in the United States."
 
Tim HuelskampThe state senator says while those funds are not used directly for abortions, they do subsidize an organization that provides them. According to Huelskamp, this monetary support has been extended even though Planned Parenthood failed in its legal obligation to report abortions on underage girls.
 
"Currently in Kansas City there are more than a hundred charges against Planned Parenthood -- and for some reason unknown to anybody, the Kansas Supreme Court has gagged a judge who has evidence that they falsified abortion reports," Huelskamp reports. "Those charges have been sitting there for more than a year now, and we are hoping they will bring those charges up again."
 
The senator believes the bill will pass again, but remarks that the governor's veto is not so certain because of the state's economic needs.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: January 7, 2010
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Abortionist Faces Revocation in Wake of Abortion Death

Abortionist Faces Revocation in Wake of Abortion Death



SAN DIEGO - California abortionist Andrew Rutland faces an emergency suspension hearing today in San Diego based on a nine-count accusation filed on Christmas Eve by the California Medical Board for multiple legal violations associated with the death of an abortion patient in July, 2009.
 
Rutland had committed a second trimester abortion on an Asian woman at an unlicensed office in San Gabriel, CA, during which he administered an overdose of lidocaine. He failed to recognize the symptoms of the overdose and the patient went into cardiac arrest. He and his staff were untrained and unequipped to handle the medical emergency. After a 'significant delay' in contacting 911, the woman was transported to a local hospital where she died.
 
Rutland failed to report the emergency transport, hospitalization, and patient death as required by law.
 
Rutland has a long history of licensure problems. His medical license was revoked in 2003 for severing a baby's spinal column during a forceps delivery, then lying to the parents by telling them that their baby suffered a stroke. The baby later died. His license was reinstated in 2007, and Rutland was placed on 5 years probation with the restriction that he operate under the supervision of another physician.
 
Last October, Operation Rescue reported that Rutland was violating his probation by engaging in the solo practice of medicine at an abortion clinic in Chula Vista. We asked our supporters to contact the California Medical Board and demand that his medical license be revoked.
 
On November 3, 2009, an Inspector from the California Medical Board attempted to inspect Rutland's stock of drugs and his records at his Chula Vista clinic, none of which were made open to him at the time of his inspection.
 
The Medical Board asked for an emergency suspension of Rutland's license until the Board can work through the lengthy process to finalize revocation.
 
"This is yet another example of a dangerous abortionist in trouble with the law. It is a shame that a woman had to die before this man could be permanently banned from the medical field," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We commend the pro-life activists on the ground in California for their vigilance in monitoring and reporting this abortionist. We pray Rutland's abortion mills will now permanently close."
 
Ironically, Rutland took over at least two abortion clinics from the notorious abortionist Nolan Jones who had his medical license revoked in 2009. Jones had taken the clinics over after illegal abortionist Bertha Bugarin was arrested 2008. Bugarin is currently serving a prison sentence of 6 years, 8 months.
 
We encourage pro-life supporters to monitor and report abortion clinic abuses in their areas. View a full listing of abortion clinics in America.

Contact: Troy Newman, Cheryl Sullenger
Source: Operation Rescue
Publish Date: January 7, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to Life is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)

Antiabortion-Rights Groups Criticize Senate Health Reform Bill In Washington Times Opinion Piece



Abortion-rights groups are using "desperate measures to make sure that the government funds abortion through health care," according to a Washington Times opinion piece by 40 Days for Life National Director David Bereit, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, Students for Life Executive Director Kristan Hawkins and Americans United for Life President and CEO Charmaine Yoest.

The four antiabortion-rights advocates denounce abortion-rights supporters for criticizing Democrats who voted for Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to the House health reform bill (HR 3962) and for attacking the Roman Catholic Church, which they say is "standing up for its deeply held conviction." They also accuse their opponents of misleading the public by saying that the restrictions in the Stupak amendment would limit abortion coverage in the private health insurance market.

The fight is "not over yet, far from it," and antiabortion-rights groups will continue "making noise and demanding abortion funding be taken out of health care legislation," according to the opinion piece's authors.
Click here for the full article.


Abortion Numbers Down in Israel



JERUSALEM - The Department of Health in Israel has released the latest figures on abortion in the country showing that the abortion rate has dropped 10% between 2000 and 2008. As well, the number of abortions performed during the last two months of pregnancy fell from 46 in 2007 to 34 in 2008.

The number of late term abortions in 2007 led the Department of Health to strengthen its restrictions on abortions in late pregnancy, demanding that women prove that their unborn child was at least 30% "likely" to have a physical or mental deformity if the pregnancy was allowed to go to full term, the report says.
Click here for the full article.


Pro-abort PAC EMILY's List founder and prez stepping down after 25 years



The feminist Old Guard continues to hobble off into the pro-choice sunset (where facing death panels in old age would be quite just).

The latest to go is Ellen Malcolm, who founded the pro-abort PAC EMILY's List in 1985.

EMILY's List focuses on electing pro-abort women. It brags to having helped elect 80 congresswomen, 15 senators, 9 governors, and "hundreds" of pro-aborts at the state and local level.

Malcolm's replacement is Stephanie Schriock, an impressive choice, actually.

It's just sad that such an obvious talent is so wasted on the wrong side of history.
Click here for the full article.


Mother: Bill to Protect Pregnant Women Misses Mark



A Vermont woman whose unborn twins were killed in a car wreck says a bill being proposed in Montpelier to protect pregnant women misses the mark. Patricia Blair of Bennington was riding in a car with her husband and two young boys when they were hit by a woman who police say was driving under the influence of drugs. Blair and her family were injured, but she was also six months pregnant with twins and they were killed. She then learned that the young woman driving the other car could not be prosecuted for causing the death of the unborn twins under Vermont law.
Click here for the full article.

Pro-life leaders criticize 'abortion super center' in Texas

Pro-life leaders criticize 'abortion super center' in Texas



Houston, Texas - A national group of pro-life leaders is planning a protest in Houston, Texas on Jan. 18, following Planned Parenthood's announcement that it plans to renovate a six story building into a late-term abortion facility.

The building, formerly belonging to a bank and shaped like a cash register, will be transformed into a 78,000 square foot clinic and is expected to be one of the largest in the nation. It will also include a surgical wing capable of providing late-term abortions.

Dr. Marcella Colbert, director of the Respect Life Office in the Archdiocese of Houston, spoke with CNA on Wednesday about the new facility. Although she is not directly involved with the upcoming protest, she has been involved with legislation concerning Planned Parenthood's presence in the area.

In Dr. Colbert's view, the new facility will ultimately prove to be counterproductive. “I think it allows the community to see the evil of abortion,” she told CNA on Wednesday. Since the large building is located near a major freeway and will be the sole location of abortions in the area, Colbert surmised that “people are going to look at it and say, 'my goodness, they're doing all those abortions there.'”

Colbert explained that one reason Planned Parenthood needs to set up the new facility is to consolidate its operations as it struggles with financial difficulties. Additionally, the center is being opened to allow late-term abortions to be performed in compliance with Texas state law, which requires abortions being performed at 16 weeks or later to take place at a properly licensed surgical center.

According to the Respect Life director, the move will also result in closer monitoring by the state of women who are damaged by abortions at the new clinic.  “Once they have to obey the law in relation to all the medical and surgical outpatient facilities, they also have to obey the law in relation to reporting what happens at abortion facilities.”

Protest organizer Lou Engle, founder of pro-life group The Call to Conscience, has called the new clinic “an abortion super center” and has further argued that it is being strategically placed in an area of Houston which has predominately black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Engle also spoke of how he believes Planned Parenthood markets itself to minority women of low income.

“Planned Parenthood has always targeted minorities from the very beginning,” agreed Dr. Colbert, who told CNA that “there is nothing new about that - Planned Parenthood and all abortion clinics are always in the poorest part of town.” The new facility in Houston “is no change from what they've done in the past,” she added.

Lou Engle will be joined in the protest on Jan. 18 by Family Research Council president Tony Perkins; Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of Hope Christian Church; Star Parker, president of the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education as well as Abby Johnson, the former Bryan,Texas Planned Parenthood Director.

Likening the protest to those of the Civil Rights Movement, Engle stated to CNSNews.com that “As Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'It is time to subpoena the conscience of America.'"

Source: CNA
Publish Date: January 7, 2010
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2nd Breast Cancer Scandal: National Cancer Institute Researcher Louise Brinton Reverses Position, Finally Admits Abortion Raises Breast Cancer Risk in Study that Fingers Oral Contraceptives as a Probable Cause of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

2nd Breast Cancer Scandal: National Cancer Institute Researcher Louise Brinton Reverses Position, Finally Admits Abortion Raises Breast Cancer Risk in Study that Fingers Oral Contraceptives as a Probable Cause of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Study is 9 months old, but still no warnings from cancer establishment



Less than two months since the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issued new guidelines recommending against routine mammograms for women in their forties, a second breast cancer scandal involving a U.S. government panel of experts has come to light which has implications for healthcare reform.

An April 2009 study by Jessica Dolle et al. of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center examining the relationship between oral contraceptives (OCs) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in women under age 45 contained an admission from U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) researcher Louise Brinton and her colleagues (including Janet Daling) that abortion raises breast cancer risk by 40%. [1]

Additionally, Dolle's team showed that women who start OCs before age 18 multiply their risk of TNBC by 3.7 times and recent users of OCs within the last one to five years multiply their risk by 4.2 times. TNBC is an aggressive form of breast cancer associated with high mortality.

"Although the study was published nine months ago," observed Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, "the NCI, the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and other cancer fundraising businesses have made no efforts to reduce breast cancer rates by issuing nationwide warnings to women."

Brinton was the chief organizer of the 2003 NCI workshop on the abortion-breast cancer link, which falsely assured women that the non-existence of the link was "well established." [2]

Dolle's team reported in Table 1 a statistically significant 40% risk increase for women who have had abortions. They listed abortion among "known and suspected risk factors."

Brinton and Daling had previously studied this population from the Seattle-Puget Sound area in the 1990s and reported risk increases between 20% and 50% among women with abortions. [3,4] In the 2009 study, they and their co-authors wrote that their findings concerning induced abortion, OC use and certain other risk factors, "were consistent with the effects observed in previous studies on younger women."

"Obviously, more women will die of breast cancer if the NCI fails in its duty to warn about the risks of OCs and abortion and if government funds are used to pay for both as a part of any healthcare bill," said Mrs. Malec.

A brief analysis of the study (click here http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/download/Brind_Dolle_2009_analysis.PDF), Dolle et al. 2009, was provided by Dr. Joel Brind, professor of biology and endocrinology and deputy chair for biology at Baruch College, City University of New York.

Last year, studies from Turkey and China also reported statistically significant risk increases for women who had abortions. [5,6]

Click here for References.

Contact: Karen Malec
Source: Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
Publish Date: January 6, 2010
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Chicago Catholic college posts internship for Planned Parenthood PR position

Chicago Catholic college posts internship for Planned Parenthood PR position



The School of Communication at Loyola University Chicago posted an internship for an e-publicist at Planned Parenthood of Illinois, according to the university’s web site.

“Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ online advocacy program consists of over 20,000 members and annually generates tens of thousands of messages to legislators,” the internship posting notes. “Our e-advocacy program plays a critical role in moving pro-choice initiatives and is building a powerful voice for grassroots activism on choice issues throughout the state.”

“Communication internships help students integrate their career objectives and educational preparation in the challenging and expanding fields of communication studies, journalism and advertising/public relations, which demand practical experience and diversified skills reaching beyond the classroom,” according to the university.

Loyola University Chicago’s women’s studies and gender studies program also lists Planned Parenthood among health-related services on its “Loyola Univesity Chicago- Resources” pages, according to the university’s web site.

In addition:

# Christine C. George, senior research fellow , worked as an organizational consultant for Planned Parenthood Midwest Region for three years

# sociology professor Judith Ginsberg Wittner was invited by Planned Parenthood to speak at the College of Charleston in 2005 on “Jane and the Women’s Liberation Abortion Collective”

# the university’s Office of Career Services posts models resumes by “Laura M. Law-School” and “Frederick M. Flinstone” that include a year spent as counselor/volunteer coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Georgia

Source: Catholic World News
Publish Date: January 6, 2010
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Abortion mill deathscorts fume when "Life Escorts" don identical orange vests

Abortion mill deathscorts fume when "Life Escorts" don identical orange vests

Well, this is good. Pro-life activists are an imaginative bunch.

At the EMW Women's Surgical Center abortion mill in St. Louis, those who pro-lifers call "deathscorts" - volunteers or staff paid to navigate abortion-minded mothers past pro-lifers - are angry because pro-lifers have started wearing the same orange vests they do.



The deathscort blogging at EverySaturdayMorning, who took these photos on January 2, called the pro-lifers "lurking liars," but their vests are clearly marked...



... and pro-lifers certainly don't mask their intentions either, as evidenced by this video shot by the deathscort....

Click here for the video.


Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: January 5, 2010
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