President Obama and Planned Parenthood

Given his pattern of dropping friends as soon as they start to prove politically embarrassing, does the recent revelations concerning Planned Parenthood mean President Obama will soon be severing his close ties to the abortion giant?

Obama Pushes Abortion Unhealth Care

President Obama has now offered his version of health (sic) care reform. Not surprisingly, his version is similar to the pro-abortion Senate proposal.

His bill provides a starting point for discussion at the upcoming health care summit - that's likely to be the argument his administration will make. But there are hints that if pro-lifers and Republicans (not synonymous, by the way) don't go along with what he wants, he might just seek a procedural way to ram it through.

Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups and individuals will undoubtedly applaud - and contribute to his 2012 campaign.

We need some health care reform, but without the protections for life and conscience, his proposed bill is unacceptable.

March for Life to include White House rally

This year's March for Life events in Washington will include something that is warranted given President Obama's radical pro-choice agenda: A rally outside the White House.

Organizers of the March have scheduled a two-hour rally January 21 from 6-8 p.m. at Lafayette Park, across from the White House (that's the evening before the March).

This is being described as an attempt to demonstrate participants' commitment to the pro-life movement to President Barack Obama, who continues to push for abortion - including in health care reform - despite the fact that a majority of Americans now identify themselves as pro-life.

The January 21 rally is being called a "mini-rally" because the permit limits the gathering to 3,000 demonstrators. How many will show up is a guess. Unfortunately, many people (including the people on the buses from Rochester) will still be en route to take part in the March on the 22nd.

I will not be able to go this year. But next year, when the March is on Saturday, I will be able to participate in Washington for the first time. I am looking forward to that. Even better, though, would be if President Obama had a change of heart, and the Supreme Court overturned Roe before next January 22nd, making the March unnecessary. (Yeah, I know I'm dreaming.)

I wonder if there are any rallies or prayer vigils planned in Rochester for the 22nd? Anyone know of any?

Obama - kept promising, fails to deliver on C-SPAN

There are campaign promises, and then there are lies.

Bad Haiku Friday: Nuts About ACORN

a Lila Rose grad
uncovers ACORN aiding
prostitution scam

bad low-budget film
pimp and prostitute reveal
ACORN’s true values

ACORN has been caught –
still more friends of Obama
who said, “Nuts to you.”

Possible Health Care Reform Implication?

Gilbert Magazine's Strong Pro-Life Editorial

Gilbert Magazine, the magazine of The American Chesterton Society (i.e. G.K. Chesterton), has posted a strongly worded pro-life editorial in its June 2009 issue.

The title, "Reining in the Baby Butchers," makes it clear where they are heading.

The editorial focuses on the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as it notes, Barack Obama told Planned Parenthood, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing I'd do."

FOCA is an attempt to codify Roe vs Wade. It would abrogate any state or federal laws banning partial birth abortion and the use of taxpayer money for abortions, or calling for parental notification and "informed consent." And there's no conscience clause protection for health care employees or agencies. "Catholic hospitals would have to permit abortions or shut down. Catholic doctors would have to perform abortions or find another line of work."

The editorial points out that "Under FOCA, there would be no restrictions whatsoever on abortion."

Of course, it has to get voted on by Congress before the man they refer to as the "Abortion President" can sign it - and Congress - fortunately - has not acted on it yet. But the editorial warns that it may eventually do so.

Meanwhile, the editorial notes, copycat bills are popping up around the country in state legislatures. The editorial cites the example of Illinois legislation - bringing up again the Abortion President's "one legislative achievement when he sat in the Illinois State Senate ... he blocked legislation that would have made it a crime to kill babies who survive an abortion."

The Illinois "FOCA" bill was the target of "highly-organized pro-life groups" who had the support of Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, and is, for now, dead. Legislators who supported it initially, the editorial says, abandoned it as pressure mounted.

This defeat shows, "that pro-abortion legislation can still be defeated, even in today's extreme pro-abortion climate.

"The baby butchers and their enablers would do well to keep that in mind."

Bravo to the editors of Gilbert Magazine. Bravo to them for not mincing words.

They are right: Pro-lifers have to be vigilant, for the pro-abortion forces and their governmental minions like Obama will not stop.

Father Corapi on Notre Dame and Obama

Wonderful commentary. Thank you Father Corapi for your clear words and your message of hope.

Huckabee goes pro-life on Obama (and the flu hype)

This is the kind of thing that got me campaigning for him in 2008 - and looking forward to doing so again in 2012!

100 Days

President Barack Obama
should not be confused with Osama,
but his anti-life ways
lead to more deaths these days.

(I actually posted this last week over at Chesterton and Friends, but in honor of President Obama's first 100 days I'm posting it here as well.)

Sebelius Approved: Obama Death March Continues

The U.S. Senate voted 65-31 today to confirm pro-abortion Catholic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback - a pro-life Catholic - sadly voted yes.

Sebelius is extreme in her views on abortion, and is a supporter of and supported by late-term abortionist George Tiller.

Obama continues to deliver what he promised - to his pro-abortion supporters.

More Bishops on the Obama/Notre Dame Fiasco

They keep coming.

More bishops are speaking out against the University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to speak at this year's commencement and receive an honorary doctorate despite his staunch pro-abortion record.

Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa and Bishop Eusebius Beltran of Oklahoma City have joined their ranks.

Bishop Slattery wrote to Notre Dame's president, Father John Jenkins, urging him to drop plans to invite Obama.

"For President Obama to be honored by Notre Dame is more than a disappointment, it is a scandal,” Slattery said in his letter dated Tuesday.

"His being honored by Notre Dame will make it easier for a woman who contemplates abortion to submit herself to this cruel and deadly procedure. At the same time, the University of Notre Dame will have distanced itself from the bishops of the country who unanimously have asked that no politician promoting abortion be honored by any of our institutions.”

Bishop Beltran said he also sent a letter.

"President Obama, by word and action, has approved of abortion and other atrocities against human life. Therefore he deserves no recognition at a Catholic institution,” Bishop Beltran said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the petition is up over 227,000.

Archbishop Dolan on Notre Dame's "Mistake"

One of the latest members of the hierarchy to speak up on the Notre Dame mess is Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee - who will soon be the Archbishop of New York.

In a television interview Sunday Archbishop Dolan, when asked if Notre Dame made a mistake when it invites President Obama to speak at and receive an award at its commencement this year, said:

"They did, and I say that as one who loves and respects Notre Dame. They made a big mistake."

He went on to say, "There’s a lot of things that President Obama does that we can find ourselves allied with and working with him on, and we have profound respect for him and pray with him and for him. But in an issue that is very close to the heart of Catholic world view, namely, the protection of innocent life in the womb, he has unfortunately taken a position very much at odds with the Church."

Obama's anti-life record ... so far

Tom Hoopes over that the National Catholic Register is compiling a list of Obama actions related to abortion and stem-cell research - dating back to his days as a State Senator.

Hoope's looking for other input - so if you have some actions and dates, contact him.

As it is, so far Obama's record is horrific.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.”

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.

Stay tuned!

Notre Dame Cartoon

Notre Shame?

More on the Obama at Notre Dame scandal.

There's now a protest site called (no surprise) Notre Dame Scandal. Go there, get some addresses, write, sign a petition.

Get the word out to any Notre Dame alumni and donors you know.

This invitation appears to violate the U.S. bishops’ 2004 “Catholics in Political Life”: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

Back when I was a student at St. John Fisher College, the school had invited the then-New York Governor Hugh Carey - a pro-abortion Catholic - to speak at our commencement in a year in which he was up for reelection. We protested loudly, and something mysteriously "happened" and we got a different speaker.

I hope this year's graduating class at Notre Dame also speaks up. If I were a 2009 ND graduate, I would boycott the ceremony if Obama is speaking. You get your degree and diploma anyway. If I were a faculty member, I would consider not being up on the stage.

Until then, "Jeer, jeer for old Notre Shame ..."

Obama's Death March Continues

We knew he was going to do it, but now it's reality: Federal money - our money - being used for embryonic stem cell research.

And you know it's going to be on more than just "left-over" babies from fertility clinics (as if that justifies killing them anyway). You know some doctors will create babies just to harvest the stem cells because it's easier or cheaper.

I wonder what phase of the Culture of Death he will implement next?

Another FOCA article (sorry naysayers)

Some folks have been ridiculing pro-lifers for raising alerts about the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), saying that there are no signs of attempts to reintroduce it, and that pro-lifers were just overblowing the situation.

Well, here's a sign.

The St. Lous Post-Dispatch reports that a spokesman for Democratic Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York is saying that that FOCA is among the congressman’s priorities and will be introduced “sooner rather than later.”

The Post-Dispatch quotes Ilan Kayatsky, a spokesman for Congressman Nadler, as saying the legislation is “among the congressman's priorities. We expect to reintroduce it sooner rather than later.”

Kayatsky also said he expects FOCA’s other original sponsor, California's Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), to introduce the bill in the U.S. Senate.

“We expect it to be more or less the same bill with some minor tweaks," Kayatsky told the Post-Dispatch.

As a Senator, Barack Obama was a co-sponsor of FOCA. In 2007 he promised at a gathering of members of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund that he would sign FOCA as one of his first acts in office. That depends on it reaching his desk.

The first step in it reaching his desk would be for it to be reintroduced.

Even if it is reintroduced, it's unclear that it would pass. But with the pro-abortion nature of the Obama administration, the odds against it seeing light of day have gotten smaller.

Keyes: Does not recognize Obama as President

Alan Keyes, a pro-life Catholic who ran against Barack Obama for the Senate in 2004 and the Presidency in 2008, and who has filed suit saying Obama is not eligible to be President, had some strong words in a recent interview.

Obama campaign fooled some Catholics

Hey, guess what - The Obama campaign manipulated Catholics!

The intrepid reporters at the Diocese of Kansas City- St. Joseph, Missouri's Catholic Key - those guys are good! - have the scoop.

I wonder when Catholics who tried to justify voting for Obama are going to open their eyes?

Hopefully, in time for 2012.