Pro-Life Lawmakers Take a Stand

Special meeting on the House floor addresses Planned Parenthood, pro-abortion nominee Dawn Johnsen.



Pro-life members of the U.S. House of Representatives gathered for a special meeting Tuesday night to discuss the fight to protect life.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, led the Pro-Life Special Order on the House floor and was joined by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. The hour-long discussion covered Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent award from Planned Parenthood; pro-abortion Justice nominee Dawn Johnsen; the pain felt by the preborn; and when life begins.

King said there are two questions every person must answer.

"Do you believe in the sanctity of human life?"

"Once we establish the answer 'Yes,' the only question to follow is, 'Then at what instant does life begin?' You have to choose an instant. You can't guess at it."

King said the issue is simple, but has "become a political argument that has destroyed the lives of 50 million babies."

Smith called on Congress and the White House to "take a long, hard, second look at the multimillion, almost billion, dollar corporation called Planned Parenthood — Child Abuse Incorporated."

"It is time to respect the value and the dignity of all human life," he said.

Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst at Focus on the Family Action, praised King and Smith.

"Any efforts like these to highlight the cause of the preborn should be applauded," she said. "The administration and this Democrat-controlled Congress must not be allowed to ignore the horror of abortion in this country and abroad."

Contact: Jennifer Mesko
Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: April 2, 2009

Evading Planned Parenthood's Clutches

It's always fascinating to take a close look at what is the newest terrain on which pro-and anti-life forces are locked in combat and then to try to decide what that tells us. Right now clearly that battlefield is the use of ultrasounds.



In my naivete I used to think that it was really odd that the Abortion Industry, which has more money than many countries, would go to Defcon 1 whenever a state would propose  the creation of a "Choose Life" specialty license plate.  If enacted, it meant a small amount of money would go to crisis pregnancy centers. Then it became clear, and it had nothing to do with allegations that CPCs gave out "false" information.

Like all bullies, Planned Parenthood can't stand it when someone stands up to them. If CPCs, which operate hand-to-mouth, are given just a few bucks, some women who otherwise would abort won't.

And there is nothing that makes pro-abortionists angrier than a woman, any woman, evading their clutches.

Consider the use of ultrasounds. To protect women's health, most abortion facilities already use ultrasounds. Why? So they can zero in on the child's precise location and then, after killing her, make sure that all the parts of the baby's body have been removed. (If any remain, it could lead to an infection.)

But I was never so naïve as to think that the Planned Parenthood types would sit idly by as a piece of equipment that is used to polish the killing technique is transformed into something that would give women a genuine opportunity to make a truly informed decision whether or not to abort her child.

I thought of this as I read an hysterical editorial that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel Tuesday. The usual measured words were on display--"ugly," "bunk," insulting," etc., etc., etc.--as the paper vented its displeasure over a bill that had passed out of committee giving women contemplating an abortion the chance to see live ultrasound images of their kid.

Check this out this reasoning. A colonoscopy on men after the age of 50 is "proven to save lives," the Sentinel tells us. Is the state going to make that mandatory? No, "it's not law because it's none of government's business how citizens choose to get informed when making medical decisions. Abortion should be no different."

At the risk of offending anyone who has attained the age of reason, getting a colonoscopy and having an abortion is not remotely equivalent. For one thing, a colonoscopy is intended to increase the likelihood you won't die from a disease. An abortion is desired as a 100% guarantee that someone will die.

For another thing, a colonoscopy is conducted voluntarily on a patient at his or her request. An abortion involuntarily takes the life of someone else--a baby--who has no voice in the decision.

Anything that gives pro-life forces a lift up (no matter how tiny), or which increases the chances that a woman will see whom it is they are dispatching to oblivion, will always drive "pro-choice" forces crazy.

Good Orwellians that they are, in their lexicon, "choice" does not mean actually having different options and choosing among them.  "Choice" means doing everything possible to eliminate all choices except one: the choice for death.

Contact: Dave Andrusko
Source: National Right to Life
Publish Date: April 2, 2009

Alternative to new U.S. population policy

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered a strongly worded speech yesterday, sharply criticizing the  "population reduction" mentality defended by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a Planned Parenthood gala last Friday.

The Papal Nuncio began his opening remarks—a time usually reserved for non-polemical issues—by denouncing the anti-life attitude he saw in the preparatory documents for the U.N. summit for the International Conference on Population and Development (known as Cairo +15).

"In reading the preparatory documents for this session of the Commission one cannot help but get the impression that populations are seen as the hindrance to greater social and economic development rather than vital contributors to the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and greater sustainable development," Archbishop Migliore said.

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See slammed "the preparatory statements by some NGOs," which "give the impression that the very institution which launched the MDGs fifteen years ago is giving priority to population control and getting the poor to accept these arrangements rather than primarily focusing upon its commitments to addressing education, basic health care, access to water, sanitation and employment."

Migliore recalled that 15 years ago "many demographic experts and politicians" were forecasting an apocalyptic vision of a  "population explosion."

Nevertheless, "now, fifteen years later, the population growth has begun to slow, food production continues to rise to the point where it is capable of supporting a larger global population and is even being diverted to the production of fuel."

The Apostolic Nuncio found "almost ironic" the fact that "environmental destruction is perpetrated primarily by States with lower growth rates and that developed countries are supporting population growth at home while simultaneously working to reduce it in developing countries."

According to Migliore, experts agree that the increased birth rates in Africa represent "an unprecedented advantage in economic terms over regions whose ageing populations show growing economic challenges."

But, "to capitalize on this opportunity, for Africa and ultimately for the whole world, greater commitment must be made to provide economic assistance and investment in human capital and infrastructure to support economic growth."

Directly opposing the recently renewed U.S. commitment to population control, Archbishop Migliore said that "additional funding programs which focus upon lowering population growth rather than fostering an environment for development will slow, not expedite, the achievement of the MDGs."

"Through its continued presence and emphasis on providing quality and affordable education, health care, access to food and respect for all human rights, the Holy See and its various organizations show that care for the poor, along with overall poverty reduction, serves as a model for a human centered approach to development," the Archbishop said.

"My delegation reaffirms its reservations made at the Cairo and Beijing Conferences as well as its consistent affirmation that abortion is not a legitimate form of sexual and reproductive health, rights or services," he stressed.

"Likewise, it hopes that international organizations and policymakers maintain or, where necessary, redirect public efforts towards the human centered approach to achieving the MDGs," Migliore concluded.

Source: Catholic News Agency
Publish Date: April 2, 2009

How Sebelius subverted the Tiller abortion trial

On Friday afternoon, March 27, it took a Wichita jury just 45 minutes to acquit Dr. George Tiller of 19 misdemeanor charges relating to his prolific late-term abortion business.

Tiller needed help. And for those paying attention, the real help came not in the courtroom but in the proverbial back room where, some three years earlier, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius engineered the deal that would keep Tiller's practice alive.

Sebelius persuaded Paul Morrison, the popular Republican district attorney of the state's most affluent county, to switch parties and run against sitting Attorney General Phill Kline.

Kline had proved deadly serious in bringing Tiller to justice, a move that had the potential to throw a major wrench in the Democratic fundraising apparatus.

"The Emerging Brave New World" covers the gradual dehumanization of human beings that has invaded American culture

With Tiller's massive financial support behind him, Morrison ousted Kline. Before leaving office, however, Kline had filed 30 counts against Tiller for performing illegal late-term abortions.

In other words, Tiller stood accused of taking the life of 15 fully viable unborn babies whose mothers were equally healthy, in utter disregard of Kansas law.

While Morrison was reviewing these charges, Sebelius honored Tiller and his staff at an elegant but extremely discreet soiree at Cedar Crest, the governor's mansion.

Among the more revealing of the photos taken at the event is one of Sebelius holding a T-Shirt presented to her by Tiller, which reads, "Trifecta 2006: Sebelius, Parkinson, Morrison." In the photo, Sebelius points at Tiller as if to acknowledge his contribution to that victory.

To no one's great surprise, Morrison dropped the felony charges Kline had brought against Tiller. As Morrison interpreted the law, if a doctor said an abortion was necessary to protect the life and health of the mother, that was good enough for the AG.

Given the exposure, Morrison had to charge Tiller with something. He resorted to the avowedly "technical" charge that Tiller used a second confirming doctor who was not financially independent as the law required.

To put this in context, it would be as if the Nuremberg justices charged Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoess with violating Germany's clean air act.

After reluctantly axing Morrison for his role in an impressively seamy sex scandal, Sebelius appointed obscure Democrat Stephen Six the new attorney general.

Six picked up where Morrison left off. He announced he would not conduct any further investigation of Tiller as such was "an invasion of privacy." Instead, he continued with the watered down case against Tiller that he had inherited from Morrison.

Six apparently was none too keen on conviction. In Wichita last week, critics, with some justification, accused the state of throwing the very case it had brought to trial.

The state put only one witness on the stand, Kristin Neuhaus, a marginal doctor who had no other practice but to rubber stamp Tiller's abortions.

Although allegedly friendly, Neuhaus proved hostile and answered the state's questions only grudgingly. The state offered no other witness and no physical records to prove a financial affiliation.

Meanwhile, Tiller's defense attorney, Dan Monnat, argued that every abortion Tiller performed was a heroic effort to save the mother from severe and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. The jurors were told nothing different.

Monnat continued that "in this one-witness prosecution" the state was simply continuing a persecution initiated by "anti-choice politicians." The media had been telling the jurors this all along.

Monnat suggested that if the state were serious and Tiller were operating anything but a legitimate medical facility, the state would have charged Dr. Tiller with more serious crimes. The jurors could only nod in assent.

What is more, Monnat insisted, Tiller only requested the services of the good Dr. Neuhaus on the advice of the state, specifically the then executive director of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, Larry Buening.

Buening, a Tiller friend and Sebelius appointee who has since resigned in disgrace, denies that he told Tiller that by using Neuhaus "all of your problems would go away."

It is likely, however, that the state did not call Buening for fear that Buening's denial would melt under oath.

And finally, Monnat argued, the one witness the state called, Kristin Neuhaus, denied the relationship the state claimed.

The state's best witness was Tiller himself. In answering a question about Neuhaus, Tiller stumbled, "When she was working for me – correction, when she was providing consultations for the patient ..."

On another occasion, Tiller referred to Neuhaus and said, "When someone new is going to join your organization ..."

Tiller's flubs comprised most of state's closing arguments. One wonders how its attorney would have closed if Tiller had refused to testify in his own defense?

For those who care, here is what really happened at Tiller's clinic. Neuhaus would sign a form letter claiming the mother would "suffer severe impairment of a major bodily function" – as required by law – if a late term abortion were not performed.

Neuhaus offered no diagnosis. Often she did not even see the patient. All patients were served up by Tiller, and all of Neuhaus's income came from Tiller except for the limited income she has received as a laser hair technician.

As to Tiller, he performed late-term abortions on viable children for any reason whatsoever. He routinely twisted statements by the mother that she wanted to attend a rock concert, a prom or compete in the rodeo into "severe impairment of a major bodily function."

For years, Tiller has used the revenue from these abortions – he boasts of having aborted 60,000 plus "fetuses over 24 weeks" – to buy off the state's "moderate" establishment, including the sitting governor.

The jurors, to be sure, did not learn any of this. A Tiller conviction would not have looked good on the record of our new secretary of health and human services.

Contact: Jack Cashill
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: April 2, 2009

Red and Yellow, Black and White ... Not All Precious in Our Sight

Day Gardner, National Black Pro-Life Union Urges Support of the Susan B. Anthony/Frederick Douglas Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act, (PreNDA)

Today in America, we all would like to believe that racism no longer exists, but that is just not the case.

That fact is most evident to me every night when I turn on the evening news and hear the stories night, after night, after night about the beautiful 2 year old or 5 year old little white girls who are either missing, or have been brutally murdered. My heart aches and breaks for them and their families -- beautiful children! Yet, I know there are little black girls who have disappeared or who died the same horrible, tragic deaths and the silence of the media regarding those black children is deafening! All African-Americans know exactly what I'm talking about.

The point is that in America, we subconsciously devalue black babies. We are tricked into thinking a black child has less value than a child of another race. In a nation marred by the battles of eradicating slavery and advancing civil rights for women and minorities, we cannot sanction the killing of babies simply because they are of an undesired race or sex.

Although U.S. law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in various contexts, including the provision of employment, education and housing, African-American babies are still openly targeted and discriminated against.

For instance, in recent YouTube videos there were several instances where Planned Parenthood representatives were willing to accept racist donations, even to the point of being "excited" at the possibility of taking money specifically earmarked to kill black babies.

More proof that black children are targeted for abortion is the fact that Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion chain continuously plants killing centers strategically in our urban and minority neighborhoods. This is no accident! The Alan Guttmacher Institute, along with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show that the majority of abortion clinics are located in minority neighborhoods -- experts estimate the number at higher than 75%.

We must come to grip with awful facts. There are those who believe killing black children will somehow make them safer. Some believe black babies are worthless and should be killed before they become welfare recipients. Why else would Planned Parenthood prey on black, poor women in urban and minority areas? This is the greatest civil rights battle of our time!

To date, no state has enacted a law to prohibit race-targeted abortions or the solicitation -- or acceptance of funds for purposes of financing race-targeted abortions. Therefore, it is paramount that the federal government set a precedent to ensure that there is protection for these children. A person must not be denied life because of the color of his or her skin.

We must eliminate racism wherever it lives and the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act (PreNDA) will help to do just that.

Contact: Day Gardner
Source: National Black Pro-Life Union
Publish Date: April 2, 2009

Four More Bishops Make Thirteen Opposed to Notre Dame Obama Invitation

Four more Catholic bishops have come out in opposition to the Catholic University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to be this year's commencement speaker and to receive an honorary doctorate. The latest statements bring the total number of bishops who have publicly opposed the decision to thirteen (see list at bottom).

In addition to the bishops, a petition launched by the Cardinal Newman Society in protest against the invitation has been signed by more than 225,000 individuals (To sign the petition, go to: http://www.notredamescandal.com)

The four bishops who have most recently criticized the decision are Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, Reverend Edward J. Slattery of Tulsa, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Harrisburg, and Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City.

The archbishop of Newark, Archbishop Myers, released a statement earlier today saying that he was "pained" to hear of the university's invitation to Obama.

The archbishop said, "When we extend honors to people who do not share our respect and reverence for life in all stages, and give them a prominent stage in our parishes, schools and other institutions, we unfortunately create the perception that we endorse their public positions on these issues."

He continued, "We cannot justify such actions, and the Bishops have stated so clearly and strongly."

Myers concluded his statement, saying, "If the president of Notre Dame University truly wishes to show that his institution is rooted in Catholic teaching and tradition and committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he must underscore this message at commencement plainly and clearly, and invite everyone to embrace an immutable and all-inclusive reverence for life."

In a letter sent to Fr. Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, Bishop Slattery of Tulsa "plead" with the president to cancel the invitation.

"Faithful Catholics and all men and women of good will are appalled by the sin of abortion," he wrote. "It is a cancer in our society which is eating away at all the other pro-life issues because abortion destroys human life at its very beginning and has become so common.

"For President Obama to be honored by Notre Dame is more than a disappointment, it is a scandal."

Another statement put out by Paul CB Schenck, Director of the Office of Respect Life Activities for Harrisburg, on behalf of Bishop Rhoades, said that the bishop has written to the university to express his disapproval of the invitation.

"It is disheartening and distressing when an institution that is regarded as Catholic, such as Notre Dame, fails to follow the guidelines set forth by the Bishops of the Catholic Church, especially in these vital moral matters," says the statement.

"It is Bishop Rhoades' hope and prayer that all the institutions that bear the name 'Catholic' will affirm the Church's teachings, expose the culture of death and build up the Culture of Life."

In a column published in "The Catholic Globe," the Catholic newspaper of Sioux City, Bishop Nickless said that, "This is truly a sad day for the famous university dedicated to our Blessed Mother.

"I encourage those who care to write to Father Jenkins and express their displeasure with this invitation. May Father Jenkins have the courage to rescind this invitation and not be afraid of the possible embarrassment by admitting that he has made a bad decision."

Bishop Nickless concluded, "Catholic institutions of higher learning must always be places where the Catholic values we hold so dearly will always be supported and promoted - not where the culture of death is allowed to be honored or valued. Let us pray for those who work so hard to keep our Catholic institutions truly Catholic in all they do to promote the gospel of life."

The bishops who have so far publicly come out in opposition to the Notre Dame invitation are:

1) Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend
2) Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, President, USCCB
3) Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
4) Bishop Morlino - Madison
5) Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg
6) Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York
7) Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston
8) Bishop Thomas Olmsted
9) Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin A
10) Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark
11) Reverend Edward J. Slattery, Tulsa
12) Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg
13)  Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City.

Contact: John Jalsevac
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: April 1, 2009

Governor Sebelius Too Extreme on Abortion to be HHS Secretary

Sebelius nomination breaks President Obama's promise to appoint Cabinet members that will unite all  Americans.
 
Governor Sebelius has vetoed legislation that would have banned late-term abortions, forced abortion clinics to have the same standards as other medical clinics and is a supporter of late-term abortion provider George Tiller who is under investigation by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.
 
As HHS Secretary, Governor Sebelius would be the point person to introduce taxpayer funded abortions as part of President Obama's health care initiative.
 
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states,
 
"The record of Governor Sebelius on abortion makes her too extreme and radical to be HHS Secretary.  The HHS Secretary who oversees America's health and social programs should be a person that supports human rights and social justice not crushes it.  Ms. Sebelius personal support of late-term abortionist George Tiller and her refusal to sign legislation that bans late-term abortion shows a profound lack of judgment and sensitivity for human life and the feelings of the American public.
 
"Sadly, President Obama has broken another campaign promise in which he stated his goal was to appoint Cabinet Members that would unite Americans and not divide them.  With the issue of health care reform being so critical, we should not have a nominee that is so committed to an ideological position that most Americans find offensive and divisive.
 
"Governor Sebelius will also be the point person for President Obama as he tries to push for taxpayer funded abortions as part of his health care plan.  It is essential for Americans to speak with a loud voice saying, 'We do not want our money being used to kill innocent children.'  Our health care and social programs should affirm the dignity of human rights not destroy them."

Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney
Source: Christian Defense Coalition
Publish Date: April 1, 2009

A House vote soon on human cloning?

Proponents of embryonic stem cell research may soon try to push through the U.S. House of Representatives a bill to approve federal funds for experiments on human embryos -- including cloned ones -- while falsely claiming that human cloning is being banned, according to a warning from a leading pro-life organization.

If successful, the legislation would pave the way for the U.S. government to underwrite "human embryo farms," the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) said. Those embryos could be created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or other techniques, including cloning, for use in federally funded research, NRLC said. Regardless of the method of their creation, the embryos would be destroyed in the process of the research.

The warning, which came in a seven-page, March 31 letter from National Right to Life Legislative Director Douglas Johnson to House members, said there was a "substantial chance" of a "bait and switch." Such an effort would come in the form of a proposal that would appear to authorize funding only for research on "leftover embryos" stored at fertility clinics but actually would go much further, he said.

"We expect that the legislation now being prepared may combine a phony 'ban' on human cloning ... with the language giving [the National Institutes of Health] expansive authority to conduct stem-cell research using human embryos of all kinds, both 'leftover' and created for research, whether created by IVF, human cloning or other laboratory methods," Johnson wrote.

Such a legislative effort would follow President Obama's March 9 order rescinding a ban on federal funding of stem cell research that destroys human embryos. In overturning a policy instituted by President Bush in 2001, Obama did not specify the guidelines for federal support of embryonic stem cell research. Instead, he directed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to issue rules on grants for stem cell research within 120 days.

Those guidelines will not permit funds for "the use of cloning for human reproduction," Obama said at the time. His comment apparently referred to barring cloning to reproduce a child brought to birth, but he did not rule out allowing grants for cloning embryos for research purposes.

The open-endedness of Obama's order appears to have encouraged congressional proponents of embryonic stem cell research to attempt a more expansive approach than in the past. In both 2006 and 2007, Congress approved federal funding for research using stored IVF embryos if donated by the parents. Bush vetoed both bills, because such use of the embryos would have destroyed them and violated his policy.

The bill NRLC expects to be promoted in Congress will contain language similar to the 2007 legislation, Johnson said in his letter. It likely will also provide the NIH director with "broad authority to sponsor research that depends on the killing of human embryos created specifically for research," including clones, he wrote. One form of this approach could be "open-ended empowerment language" that would give the NIH director the ability to "update the guidelines" in any way he considers appropriate, Johnson said.

This kind of language could be combined with a human cloning ban that is "an outright deception," Johnson said. Such a ban would prohibit cloning to produce an embryo for implantation into a woman's womb but not cloning to create an embryo for lethal experimentation. NRLC describes it as a "clone-and-kill provision," since it would require the embryo to be destroyed.

Supporters of research cloning sometimes try to avoid the "c-word" by claiming they simply support "somatic cell nuclear transfer" -- which is the scientific name for cloning embryos.

Backers of the legislation also would likely seek to outmaneuver a federal law in effect since 1996 that bars federal funds from being used for the creation of human embryos for research, as well as experimentation that destroys or threatens the health or life of embryos, Johnson wrote. After gaining adoption of the new bill, they would try to "follow up by gutting or repealing" the prohibition on money for embryo research, he said. That ban is known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, which is attached to the Health and Human Services spending bill.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D.-Colo., the sponsor of legislation to fund embryonic stem cell research, has acknowledged she is working on an effort to eliminate Dickey-Wicker.

Stem cells provide hope for producing cures for a variety of diseases, because of their ability to develop into other cells and tissues. Many scientists have promoted embryonic stem cell research because stem cells from embryos are pluripotent, meaning they can transform into any cell or tissue in the body. Extracting the stem cells, however, destroys the embryo. Embryonic stem cell research has yet to provide treatments for human beings and has been plagued by the development of tumors in lab animals.

But there are other forms of stem cells, including adult stem cells, which are found throughout the human body.

Human trials using adult stem cells have produced therapies for at least 73 ailments in human beings, despite the fact such cells are not considered pluripotent, according to Do No Harm, a coalition promoting ethics in research. Non-embryonic trials in human beings have resulted in treatments for such afflictions as cancer, juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart damage, Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia and spinal cord injuries, the organization Do No Harm has reported.

Extracting non-embryonic stem cells does not harm the donor.

In addition, scientists have reported in the last 17 months discoveries of ways of converting stem cells from everyday skin cells into stem cells that have nearly the identical properties of embryonic ones. Such cells are known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Contact: Tom Strode
Source: Baptist Press
Publish Date: April 1, 2009

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NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY

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.

Promiscuous Sex is Normal, Right?

Recent Gardasil TV commercials have railed for HPV cancer protection for young girls. But that's not their real objective. The edict has been posted. We are now officially under the assumption that we all will have promiscuous sex out of wedlock, and we cannot stop it. We even have a vaccine called Gardasil to help prevent physical problems resulting from such activity.
http://www.nolanchart.com/article6244.html

Obama to Join Evil U.N. Human Rights Council

The Obama administration decided Tuesday to seek a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, reversing a decision by the Bush administration to shun the United Nations' premier rights body to protest the influence of repressive states. "Human rights are an essential element of American global foreign policy," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement. "With others, we will engage in the work of improving the U.N. human rights system. . . . We believe every nation must live by and help shape global rules that ensure people enjoy the right to live freely and participate fully in their societies."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/31/AR2009033102782.html?wprss=rss_nation

Patriot Act II: Rationed Health Care Agenda Hidden In Stimulus

Included within the recent stimulus bill signed into law by Obama several weeks ago were monies earmarked for the creation of a National Health Care Database which is to be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. This database is to be created in partnership with Microsoft in grant monies which are to be awarded to several colleges and universities which will receive the software and other technology necessary under the grants, and be charged with inputting the data under fellowships which will be given to students at these universities to essentially work for the government as part of their education.
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=14734

The Real Population Threat

For well over a century, many prophets of doom have predicted world overpopulation would lead to ecological disaster, famine, poverty and other woes. As Philip Longman points out in the March 24, 2009 edition of USA Today, the world's population is expected to hit 7 billion by 2012, up from the 6 billion mark set in 1999. So, is overpopulation a real threat? Not hardly. Though population density can threaten sustainability in some areas of the globe, the far greater danger for our future is what Longman calls "depopulation." On a global scale, we are seeing the population of older persons exploding and the numbers of young persons falling.
http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=3502

Hundreds of Thousands March For Life In Spain

Hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates filled the streets and plazas of cities throughout Spain on March 29 in protest against legislation proposed by the Spanish Socialist government to liberalize the country's abortion laws.

The country-wide demonstrations were organized by Spain's pro-life associations Derecho a Vivir (Right to Life), Hazte Oír (Make Yourself Heard), Doctors for Life, and ProLife Madrid.

The organizers estimated that 500,000 people took part in rallies in more than 80 cities across Spain, with AFP reporting an estimated 100,000 in Madrid alone.

The protestors called on Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to withdraw the legislation and warned that this was just the start of planned pro-life demonstrations. The Madrid march went under the slogan, "There is no right to kill, there is the right to live."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09033105.html

Pro-Life Groups Lobby Against Sebelius Nomination Ahead Of Confirmation Hearings

A coalition of pro-life groups on Monday sent a letter to each member of the Senate voicing opposition to President Obama's nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) as HHS secretary, The Hill reports. The groups -- which include the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America and Focus on the Family, among others -- said they were sending the letters "[o]n behalf of the millions of families represented by our organizations" in opposition to Sebelius, a Roman Catholic who supports abortion rights.

The Senate confirmation process is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, when Sebelius will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. On Thursday, she is scheduled to appear before the Senate Finance Committee, which has the sole authority to recommend her confirmation by the full Senate. The Hill reports that HHS nominees often face opposition from abortion-rights opponents because the agency presides over a number of programs related to reproductive health. Sebelius could be questioned this week on the recent federal court decision requiring FDA to reconsider its decisions regarding the Plan B switch to over-the-counter use and to permit Plan B's availability to 17-year olds without a prescription within 30 days (Young, The Hill, 3/30).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144544.php

Who’s running for school board?

Who's running for school board?

Vote Pro-Life on April 7

Next Tuesday, April 7, parents all over the state of Illinois will elect local school board members as part of the big statewide consolidated election.

How much do you really know about the school board candidates in your school district?

One of the central issues in the fight against HB2354 is the impact it could have on our kids by way of the mandatory sex-ed it would impose on all Illinois public schools.

With that in mind, who's running for school board in your area? Do you know the candidates? Do you know where they stand on comprehensive sex-ed and other issues that effect Illinois families?

What can you do to foster a pro-life school board?

If you do know, post what you know about the candidates in the comments section below so others can benefit. If you don't know, find out and report back with the information.

    * To find out who's running, can check with your local board of elections or election commission.
    * Call candidates in your area and ask them their position on sex-ed, their position on parental involvement in sex-ed curriculum and any other issues you think would be important to Illinois families.
    * Post your findings in the comment section below.

Together, we can be informed voters and impact Illinois for the good of families.

Click here if you have any information about the school board candidates in your district and to find out what has been posted about other people running for school boards

Contact: Matt Yonke
Source: Coalition To Defeat HB2354
Publish Date: March 31, 2009

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"Infuriating" Pro-Abortionists Doesn't Take Much

Imagine yourself in this pickle. You're Tim Kaine, the Democratic governor of Virginia (for a few more months). You've worked assiduously to cultivate a moderate image on abortion, although in practice you are relentlessly pro-abortion.

The legislature passes a bill which allows for a specialty license plate ("Choose Life"). A portion of the proceeds will go to crisis pregnancy centers. If you can't sign this--which limits/bans/restricts nothing-- what could you sign?

But you're also the hand-picked choice of pro-abortion-to-the maximum President Barack Obama to lead the Democratic National Committee. For reasons best left to psychiatrists, the Abortion Establishment has worked itself into a lather over the prospects of a few bucks going into the hands of essentially all-volunteer organizations whose budget is roughly a zillionth of PPFA's.

NARAL and PPFA orchestrate a phony baloney "grassroots" campaign to crank out letters and emails to the governor, telling him that crisis pregnancy centers--far from doing saintly work--are of the devil. If you allow a nickel to go into the hands of these cretins, well, we have long memories.

But there is, of course, the larger backdrop. Obama won a lot of votes in 2008 and Democrats more than a few congressional seats by essentially saying that we Democrats are all for "reducing the number of abortions," and we won't act as crazy as usual if you give us control over the levers of power.

So what does Kaine do? He "infuriates abortion backers," as Politico.com headlined the story, by signing the legislation.

(An interesting summary of pro-abortionists' objections to CPCs: "The revenue from the specialty plates [actually only a portion] would go to crisis-pregnancy centers, which many abortion-rights backers believe proselytize against abortion and encourage women to keep unwanted children." Imagine that. What will they do next? Help the women find resources? Point out the father's legal obligation? Tend to their spiritual needs? Oh, sorry, they already do that as well.)

In his message, Kaine concluded with this zinger.

"I sign this legislation today in keeping with the Commonwealth's longtime practice of approving specialty plates with all manner of political and social messages. Furthermore, if Planned Parenthood--an organization that is already a recipient of state budget funds--or another similar organization ever chooses to seek a specialty license plate in Virginia, I believe the Constitution would require the state to approve that plate to protect against any viewpoint discrimination." (Emphasis mine.)

In other words, PPFA you already are and may always be on the receiving end of state (and federal) largess. Besides, if you want to do your own specialty plate (something like "Every Unwanted Child a Dead Child"), go for it.

Contact: Dave Andrusko
Source: National Right to Life
Publish Date: March 31, 2009

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Update on the Illinois FOCA bill (HB 2354)

The newly amended draft for Illinois HB2354 - The Reproductive Health and Access bill, has now been posted on the General Assembly website, and it hasn't changed very much.  The bill still seeks to:

1)  Make abortion a fundamental right preventing any common sense regulation, including parental notification for minors seeking abortions
2)  Allow partial birth abortions
3)  Expand public funding of abortion through medicaid and possibly state health insurance plans
4)  Mandate a program of comprehensive sex education in every public school.  (The bill stipulates that the course material and instruction must be free of bias in regards to gender identity and sexual orientation.  They are now allowing parents to opt out of this instruction, but how many parents will be informed enough to opt out?  What impact will such instruction to the majority of our public school students have on the moral fabric of our society?)
5)  Significantly weaken the Illinois Health Care Conscience Act by requiring the provision of information and referrals for abortion.
 
Obviously they did not hear our concerns loud enough.  They will attempt to convince legislators that the amendment makes enough changes to deserve their support.  Please call and email your Illinois State Representative as soon as possible to let them know that you are still opposed to this bill, and that you would still like them to vote against the bill.
 
April 3rd (this Friday) is the deadline for this bill's passage in the House (although they can always override those restrictions if it's a popular bill), so there will be a real push to pass this before the deadline.  Please pass this on to all who will help protect our children, our families, and our society from the ramifications of this bill.
 
Thanks for all you do.  Your calls and emails created enough pressure to prevent the bill from passing so far.  Please keep up the great work!

Click here to get information to contact your Representative

Click here for more information

You can also read the full text of the new amendment for the bill by going to www.ilga.gov and then click on "bills and resolutions"  On the next page, click on the bill number (HB2354) and then click on "House Amendment 002" at the top of the page.  This will also give you updates on the status of the bill.

Talking Points

SECTION 15:  On forbidding the State or any municipality, political subdivision, or government agency to deny or interfere with a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy HB 2354:

    * creates a fundamental right to abortion which entails a great range of consequences, some unknown, except that all provisions of the Act are to be "liberally construed";
    * prevents any state regulation of abortion, including those upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Casey v. Planned Parenthood (1992), including waiting periods, informed consent and parental notification.
    * Thirty years ago, we were told abortion would be a rare but necessary tragedy; today, we are being told abortion is a human right and those who attempt to regulate it in any manner or who will not provide it should be legally punished.

SECTION 35:  On rights of conscience, HB 2354:

    * Significantly weakens the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which ensures healthcare professionals do not have to obtain, receive, accept, deliver, pay for, or arrange for medical care that is contrary to their conscience;
    * requires health care professionals to provide prior notice to patients of their moral and religious beliefs;
    * coerces health care professionals to materially cooperate in the procedures or services they morally object to by requiring they or someone in their employ provide "timely and accurate information and referral";
    * mandates every healthcare facility in the state, including Catholic hospitals, to employ someone to provide "timely and accurate information and referral" for abortion.
 
SECTION 15:  On Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act:

    * Illinois' Parental Notice of Abortion Act has been tied up in the courts for over ten years, despite the Illinois Supreme Court issuing rules for the judicial bypass in October 2006;
    * The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to make a new ruling on the statute, possibly lifting the injunction, within weeks;
    * The enactment of HB 2354 would invalidate Illinois' parental notification statute by prohibiting the state from any "interference" with the "right" to abortion and again using the language "Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any other law to  the contrary."
    * As of the end of 2008, 35 states, and every Midwestern state other than Illinois, have implemented a parental consent or notification of abortion law.
 
SECTION 20:  On public funding of abortion, HB 2354:

    * requires state Medicaid assistance to cover the costs of abortion in all instances.
    * In fiscal year 1977/78, before Illinois had any restrictions on state Medicaid funding of abortion, 12,738 abortions were paid for with public money.
    * In fiscal year 1981/82, after the federal Hyde amendment and Illinois law restricting government funding of abortion were upheld in court, the number of abortions paid for with public money dropped to 22.
    * In 1990 a Cook County Circuit Court judge expanded the cases in which Medicaid funding could be used for abortion, and since then public money has been used to fund several hundred abortions every year.
    * If House Bill 2354 were enacted, any regulation of Medicaid funding of abortion would be invalidated, and Illinois would likely return to funding thousands of abortions every year.
    * House Bill 2354's requirement that any "State medical assistance" provide financial assistance for reproductive healthcare may be interpreted to require state health insurance to cover abortion.

SECTION 30:  On comprehensive sex education, HB 2354:

    * mandates comprehensive sex education in grades K-12 by amending the statutorily defined Comprehensive Health Education Program (which is mandated K-12);
    * wrests local control from parents and local school boards on the best approaches to sex education in their communities.

Conclusion

In 2007, the most recent year the Illinois Department of Public Health has complied statistics, there were 45,298 abortions in Illinois.  In Illinois, the sad fact is that anyone can procure an abortion for any reason at any stage of pregnancy.  Many people of good will have had to accept the fact our laws do not protect unborn human life.  Still, it's not enough.  Now, we are told there should never be regulation of the taking of those lives nor conscientious objection among health-care workers allowed. 

House Bill 2354 is a radical effort to codify a fundamental right to abortion and ensure all conscientious objections are swept aside, politically and in the health care profession.  

Please vote NO.

Click here to get information to contact your Representative

Please also visit http://StopIllinoisFOCA.com for more information.

Federal Legislation Would Stop Abortion Based on Race, Gender

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., reintroduced the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act today, which would ban sex- and race-selective abortions.

It is estimated that 50 percent of African-Americans babies conceived in the U.S. are aborted, compared to an estimated 15 percent of white preborn babies.

Steven H. Aden, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, commended  Franks for his leadership.

"No one should be allowed to decide that an innocent life is worthless, least of all because a child isn't of the preferred sex or race," Aden said.  "There is nothing constitutionally protected or medically necessary about an abortion that takes place because a child is not the preferred sex or race.

"And there is nothing in the law or the Constitution that prohibits America from joining other civilized nations in prohibiting such barbaric procedures."

Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: March 31, 2009

Stem cell research: Not in my state!

Legislator works to prohibit taxpayer funding of embryo destruction


Texas State Sen. Steve Ogden

A legislator in Texas has pushed forward a measure that could significantly limit future embryonic stem cell research in his state.

State Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, included into the Texas Senate's budget bill an amendment that would ban state funding from supporting research involving the destruction of human embryos.

Earlier this month, President Obama issued an executive order permitting federal funding of the controversial research, but Ogden's amendment could cause scientists to think twice before experimenting on embryos in Texas.

Ogden explained to the Dallas Morning News, "There is a significant moral concern amongst many Texans that a human embryo really meets every scientific definition of human life that's out there and that we shouldn't be using human embryos for scientific experiments."

Elizabeth Graham, director of Texas Right to Life, commended Ogden's efforts.

Graham told WND, "Senator Ogden is moving in the right direction in protecting Texas taxpayers from paying for research that destroys human embryos."

Supporters of the research, however, fear the amendment, if passed through the Legislature's final version of the budget, would damage Texas' reputation in the scientific community.

"Such an amendment would be detrimental to Texas," wrote a group of 18 of the state's scientists in a statement sent to the Legislature yesterday. "A ban would halt ongoing research projects and negatively impact the ability of Texas academic health institutions, both public and private, to competitively recruit and retain world-class scientists, professors and students in the biological sciences."

State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, also opposes the ban on state funding of embryonic stem cell research.

"We should embrace science, particularly science that's going to lead to the treatment and cure of disease," Watson told the Houston Chronicle. "We hold ourselves out to be a state that's open to wanting to attract the greatest researchers in the world, but we send a very negative message with something of this nature."

Graham, however, believes that Ogden's efforts could help make Texas – which was ranked the No. 2 pro-life state in the country by World Magazine in 2004 – a draw for scientists who also have ethical concerns about human embryos.

"It's very difficult for a scientist or researcher who wants to uphold the sanctity of life to find a clean research practice," Graham told WND. "Because there are so many ethical issues in biomedical research, many scientists are looking for ways to be progressive researchers and pioneers without jeopardizing their ethical convictions. I think Texas could be a beacon to attracting researchers who want to uphold the sanctity of life while furthering advancements in medical science."

Some opponents of the measure also worry the language of the amendment is broad enough to prohibit all embryonic stem cell research in state facilities, even experiments funded by the federal government.

Ogden, however, downplays the effects of the measure, saying it simply makes "explicit what was already the implicit state policy."

"In absence of clear state policy," Ogden told the Chronicle, "the rider just says we're not going to use state funds to destroy human embryos."

Graham also conceded that while Ogden's measure would stop state-funded embryonic research, federally funded experiments could still continue in Texas.

Ogden's amendment to the state budget reads, "No funds appropriated under this act shall be used in conjunction with or to support research which involves the destruction of a human embryo."

The 24-word budget rider narrowly passed the Texas Senate Finance Committee by a vote of 6-5 and will be included in the full budget bill to be debated in the Texas Senate Wednesday. The state's House is still developing its own budget bill.

Contact: Drew Zahn
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: March 31, 2009

"I Just Can't Take it Any More": Thanks to 40 Days for Life, Woman Wants Out of Abortion Business

I won't tell you where this is happening, but there is a woman we know of who's pondering a career change.

An abortion center employee has been talking to the 40 Days for Life prayer volunteers outside of her workplace - and she wants out!

Her message was simple - she just couldn't take it any longer. It was time to look for a new job.

She asked the vigil participants to pray for her. She said she couldn't simply quit her job, because she needs the income. Her prayer request was that she be able to find a suitable position elsewhere so she could give her notice at the clinic.

She also said the prayers of the vigil participants have a definite impact at the clinic. "When there are prayers happening outside, she said the tone of what happens inside changes," the local campaign coordinator told me. "Everyone is aware of their presence, and she for one, can no longer pretend that what is happening is OK."

There are women in Carson City, Nevada who "can't take it any longer" either. Because of 40 Days for Life, they've learned the shocking truth that the ob/gyn practice they go to for routine health care also does abortions.

It is indeed a fact that many people are simply unaware that abortions are going on in their own communities - even at their own doctors' offices. But thanks to vigil participants and pro-life supporters, 40 Days for Life is opening their eyes.

This ob/gyn practice is "feeling the heat of our presence," said Carol Marie, one of the local 40 Days for Life coordinators. "We know of at least three patients who have left the practice once they learned that abortions are performed."

One of those women told the abortion clinic staff she would no longer be their patient and the receptionist gave her a stack of forms to fill out. But the woman's response was that she was only interested in one form - a form where she could explain to this medical practice why she was going away.

"She then proceeded to put a long note in writing as to exactly what she thought of an ob/gyn center performing abortions as a part of their regular practice," Carol Marie said.

"This wonderful woman has ensured that they fully appreciate the reason they have lost her as a patient. By being present at the sidewalk, we are informing their patients about what is being done behind closed doors," she said. "With enough patients lost, they could rethink their commitment to performing abortions."

She added, "If you ever wondered if what we've been doing has been making a difference, well the Lord has given us an answer, loud and clear. Lives are being saved, people are leaving the business and we are costing

Contact: Shawn Carney
Source: LifeSiteNews.com / 40 Days for Life
Publish Date: April 1, 2009

1 million red envelopes deluge White House

'This is a message to a man that God hears the cry of innocent blood'

Over one million, empty, red envelopes have poured into the White House mail room, symbolizing the empty promise of lives snuffed out in abortion; and with Red Envelope Day planned for tomorrow, coordinators estimate that number could more than double.

The Red Envelope Project is an idea sparked in the mind and prayers of a Massachusetts man, Christ Otto, who envisioned in January thousands of red envelopes sent to the White House, a visual expression of moral outrage over the president's position on abortion.

On the backs of the envelopes, senders write a message Otto composed: "This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception."

"We are trying to change the president's heart," Otto writes on a website explaining the project. "This is a message to a man that God hears the cry of innocent blood. It is not a political stunt, although I hope it changes policy in Washington. If the capital is flooded with so many letters that no one can deny it, I am hoping the image will be burned into Barack Obama's mind that this is about human blood, and that he lies awake at night until he cannot resist doing something about it."

The original project began small, but when Otto sent out an email to friends asking them to join him in the envelope effort, the symbolic gesture spread through the Internet like wildfire.

"I sent an email to 120 people who pray for me daily, and asked them if they wouldn't mind sending a red envelope, and if they thought it was a good idea, forwarding it on to their friends," Otto told WND. "About a week and half later, a friend told me to Google it, and I found about 30 blogs dedicated to the red envelopes."

Otto told WND a few days later, he began receiving contacts from national pro-life organizations and churches that had taken up the cause.

By February, Otto learned of a Texas man named Brian Potter, who set March 31 as Red Envelope Day, a date when supporters would drop hundreds of thousands of the envelopes in the mail, presumably being delivered to the White House near the beginning of Holy Week, just prior to the start of Passover.

Potter's Red Envelope Day website has also partnered with AmazingCauses.com to enable supporters to send the red envelopes online in one easy and coordinated effort, so that, in Potter's words, "they will send out a truckload of envelopes to the White House."

Visitors to Otto's site have testified to over 1.1 million envelopes sent so far; Potter's website records more than 125,000 envelopes waiting to be sent on March 31; and Otto told WND churches around the country are piling up envelopes, thousands at a time, preparing to mail an estimated quarter of a million tomorrow.

The Catholic News Agency reports that a consortium of 11 different student groups at the University of Notre Dame, in protest of the university's invitation of Barack Obama to speak at graduation, plan to hand deliver a surge of the red envelopes to the pro-abortion president when he arrives to give the commencement address in May.

Christ Otto

Otto told WND the message on the backs of the envelopes was crafted in response to a previous Obama speech, his inaugural address.

"The president spoke for a long time about creating a culture of responsibility, and part of creating a culture of responsibility was not taking the lives of the innocent. He actually said that in his inaugural address," Otto said. "That was why I added the line, 'Responsibility begins with conception.'"

Otto's FAQ page about the project also explains why the color red was chosen:

"The envelopes represent the innocent blood shed through abortion, and the plea for the blood of Jesus over the sin of our nation," writes Otto. "This campaign is a symbolic act to flood the mail with red. The more we send, the more powerful this symbol will be."

Otto told WND he thought a few thousand red envelopes would simply be a statement, showing that there are still people who care about the abortion issue deeply. As more and more people have joined him, however, Otto says the red envelopes are having an effect.

"Do I think it will change the President? I don't know," Otto writes on his website. "Last week I received an unsolicited call from a senator's office. They thought that I was in Washington, and that I must have a huge PAC. This gave me indication that someone on Capitol Hill knows about these envelopes. So, I guess it is making a difference."

Otto told WND, "As I've watched this grow, it's become clearer and clearer to me that the thing I'd like people to see is that they can make a difference in whatever they do. The message of my life is to listen to God and do what he tells you. And if you listen to God and do what he tells you and live a live of prayer and obedience, you can make a difference.

"I know this has empowered many people who felt powerless before this came along," Otto continued. "I know that there are thousands of people involved – there are a quarter of a million on Facebook alone – and if people can see that they still have a voice, to me, that means it's a success."

Details on how to participate, including specific instructions to ensure envelopes aren't sent to the dead letter bin, are available at RedEnvelopeDay.com and The Red Envelope Project website.

Contact: Drew Zahn
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: March 30, 2009

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Abortionist Tiller's medical license at risk

After being cleared of criminal charges, administrative hearing remains

George Tiller

Wichita, Kan., late-term abortionist George Tiller's medical license remains at risk, despite his acquittal on 19 criminal counts stemming from allegations that he carried out abortions in violation of state law.

Tiller was acquitted Friday of the charges filed by former Attorney General Paul Morrison and pursued by Attorney General Stephen Six after Morrison was forced from office by a sex scandal.

The criminal counts accused him of violating state law by using a physician linked to him financially to give the second opinion necessary for conducting a late-term abortion.

State law in Kansas requires that the second opinion come from a physician without links to the abortionist.

Now the state Board of Healing Arts has confirmed 11 counts against Tiller that allege violations of the Healing Arts Act, including "performing an abortion on a fetus that was viable without having a documented referral from another physician not legally or financially affiliated with him."

The agency said the case "continues to move forward" with additional complaints related to unprofessional or dishonorable conduct or professional incompetency and commitment of acts likely to deceive, defraud or harm the public.

A pre-hearing conference is being scheduled to precede a hearing.

"Disciplinary action could include revocation, suspension, fines or other limitations," the board said. "The criminal case and outcome is not determinative of the board's administrative case."

Cheryl Sullenger of the Wichita-based Operation Rescue filed a comlaint in 2006 alleging an improper financial relationship between Tiller and Ann Kristin Neuhaus, who provides Tiller's second opinions.

"We are encouraged by this news from the KSBHA," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We have never put all our hope in the criminal prosecution and continue to work through a number of avenues to ensure that one day Tiller will be brought to justice."

Newman said, "While we know that there are challenges to getting any action against Tiller to stick, we are hopeful that the board will conduct a fair and impartial examination of the facts."

Operation Rescue said the state agency recently has undergone an overhaul of administrative staff. Former Executive Director Larry Buening, who had a long-time friendship with Tiller, and Chief Counsel Mark Stafford resigned in disgrace after failing to properly discipline physicians amid other allegations of incompetence, the group said.

Operation Rescue said the KSBHA requires a lower burden of proof than a criminal trial, which requires a determination of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Our own investigations revealed that Tiller was likely doing illegal abortions. The former attorney general came to that same conclusion," said Newman.

Last Friday, Tiller would have faced up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $2,500 on each of the 19 counts had he been convicted.

Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: March 30, 2009

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Obama: 100 Days of Abortion

Obama (wiki photo)

As his April 29 100-day mark nears, the Register is compiling an editorial about president Obama's abortion record, starting with his days as an Illinois state senator. Let me know if it's missing anything.

March 28, 2001: Voted "No" to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act in the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee.

March 6, 2002: Voted "No" to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act in the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee.

April 4, 2002: Voted "No" to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act on the Illinois Senate floor.

March 13-14, 2003: Voted "No" to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act in the Illinois Senate after voting for an amendment that made it identical to the federal law of the same name.

2005-2008: 100% pro-abortion record in U.S. Senate.

July 17, 2007: Tells Planned Parenthood, "Well, the first thing I'd do, as president, is, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act," which would wipe out all state laws regulating abortion.

Sept. 2, 2008: Obama campaign releases an ad putting abortion in the center of its effort.

Nov. 24, 2008: Names Melody Barnes domestic policy advisor; she previously served on the boards of both Emily's List and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Dec. 1, 2008: Nominates Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of State. Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards praises the pick on abortion grounds, saying: "Sen. Clinton understands that women's quality of life directly affects the major issues confronting the globe: national security, environmental sustainability and global poverty."

Dec. 11, 2008: Nominates Sen. Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services head. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) Pro-Choice America, says: "We appreciate his recent efforts to help defeat two abortion bans in South Dakota. We had a good working relationship with him."

Dec. 12, 2008: Appoints Jeanne Lambrew to become the deputy director of the White House Office of Health Reform. A Planned Parenthood statement quoted by LifeNews.com says: "She is one of the leading health-policy experts in the country, and someone who is an advocate for" abortion.

Jan. 5, 2009: Appointed David Ogden deputy attorney general; he's a pornography lawyer who opposed the Children's Internet Protection Act and has also fought for Planned Parenthood.

Jan. 5, 2009: Appointed Dawn Johnsen assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel; she's a former legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Jan 5, 2009: Appointed Thomas Perrelli associate attorney general. He was counsel to Michael Schiavo, who sought and received permission to starve and dehydrate his wife to death during Holy Week 2005.

Jan 23, 2009: Reversed the Mexico City Policy, allowing taxpayer dollars to go to organizations that perform and promote abortions overseas.  In a Gallup Poll, just 35% approved of the action, making it his least popular move as president so far.

Jan 23, 2009: Released a statement pledging to work with Congress to restore funding to the U.N. Population Fund. In 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell requested that Congress halt the funding, tying it to China's "program of coercive abortion."

Feb. 17, 2009: Signs stimulus package into law. The new law will fundamentally change the standard that Medicare follows in paying for medical care and, in so doing, may place seniors at risk of not receiving necessary, life-sustaining care.

Feb. 28, 2009: Nominates Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a pro-abortion extremist who has been publicly rebuked by her bishop and who has ties to Kansas abortionist George Tiller, to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

Feb. 4, 2009: Signs into law the SCHIP reauthorization. The Senate rejected an amendment extending health benefits to the unborn. (As senator, Obama voted against that amendment.) Under SCHIP, states are granted the authority to decide which health plans and services can be offered to children. "It's alarming that this has happened with virtually no public debate," said Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute. "Many people do not understand the implications of SCHIP as it is written."

March 5, 2009: Holds a health-care summit; invites Planned Parenthood and Human Rights Campaign but no pro-life groups.

March 6, 2009: Creates a new position and appoints pro-abortion activist Melanne Verveer ambassador-at-large for Women's Issues. Pro-lifers worry that the position was created to "promote abortion and overturn pro-life laws in nations across the world," the Catholic News Agency reports.

March 9, 2009: Obama overturned President Bush's restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research. Now, money from taxpayers can go to scientists who do fatal research on human beings created for the purpose. Obama stopped the Bush preference for proven, moral adult stem-cell therapies.

March 10, 2009: The Obama administration's Health and Human Services department opens a 30-day review period with an eye to challenging freedom-of-conscience rights that help Catholic doctors opt out of practices they deem immoral.

March 17, 2009: Nominates David Hamilton U.S. circuit judge for the 7th Circuit; he's a former ACLU leader who blocked pro-life legislation as a Clinton-appointed federal judge.

Additional Appointments:

Nov. 7, 2008: Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff; he earned a 100% pro-abortion voting record as a U.S. representative.

Nov. 22, 2008: Ellen Moran, White House communications director; she was executive director of the pro-abortion political committee Emily's List.

Dec. 17, 2008: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Interior secretary; he scored only 28% with the National Right to Life Committee.

Dec. 17, 2008: Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Agriculture secretary; Iowa Right to Life Committee Executive Director Kim Lehman, citing his record, said: "We definitely consider him anti-life."

Feb. 12, 2009: Leon Panetta, CIA director; as a U.S. representative in 1990 he co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act.

Contact: Tom Hoopes
Source: National Catholic Register
Publish Date: March 28, 2009

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