Sweet Tweets

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Hot Button Topic

Abortion is a topic that we typically like to stay away from, knowing that it is polarizing and can clear guests from a dinner table faster than finding a roach in the dish of mashed potatoes.

But it is an issue that will be defined for our nation in the coming years as Supreme Court seats open up, bills are created and amendments upheld or overturned. Do you know where the candidates stand?

The following is an interesting article from Robert P. George who is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He makes the distinction between being pro-choice and pro-abortion. I don't often hear about candidates being pro-abortion. But as George highlights Obama's voting record and public commentary concerning abortion, he is clearly in this camp. While decidedly pro-choice senators Kennedy and Kerry voted in favor of bills that provided federal funding for pregnancy-crisis centers and the right for babies that survive a unsuccessful abortion to have medical care, Obama came out against these measures.

Here is the full article which is found at the Witherspoon Institute: Obama's Abortion Extremism

A few key points:
  • Obama supports legislation that would repeal the Hyde Amendment, which protects pro-life citizens from having to pay for abortions that are not necessary to save the life of the mother and are not the result of rape or incest. [Through federal funding of abortions]
  • He has promised that ''the first thing I'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act'' (known as FOCA). This proposed legislation would create a federally guaranteed ''fundamental right'' to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, including, as Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia has noted in a statement condemning the proposed Act, ''a right to abort a fully developed child in the final weeks for undefined 'health' reasons.'' In essence, FOCA would abolish virtually every existing state and federal limitation on abortion, including parental consent and notification laws for minors, state and federal funding restrictions on abortion, and conscience protections for pro-life citizens working in the health-care industry-protections against being forced to participate in the practice of abortion or else lose their jobs.
  • Obama, unlike even many ''pro-choice'' legislators, opposed the ban on partial-birth abortions when he served in the Illinois legislature and condemned the Supreme Court decision that upheld legislation banning this heinous practice.
  • He wishes to strip federal funding from pro-life crisis pregnancy centers that provide alternatives to abortion for pregnant women in need.

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Listening to: Chris Tomlin - Enough
via FoxyTunes

6 Remarks:

Melissa said...

This is so typical of the pro-choice response that I chose not to delete it, but rather to relocate it here since I'm relatively sure that this post sparked such an interesting comment. If in supporting REAL choices for women that includes funding for pregnancy crisis centers makes me someone that "dislikes other women so very much," I would be scared to know what yankeegeorgia's version of loving other women is...


10/16/2008 1:47 PM
yankeegeorgia said...

Dear Sweet Melissa,
You seem so nice, so genuine, so very sweet and good. So how can it be you dislike other women so very much? I have long been intrigued by the vapid nature of people who wish to impose their anti-choice views upon others. Truly, it is an antediluvian posture. Goodness, life is so short, can we not, as humans of civility, let others live their lives as they see fit? I'm not saying we should allow muslims to kill us, or nasty people like McBush to rule our lives; just let it be unless it genuinely hurts you.

maggiemae and family said...

wow i had no idea. thanks for posting this. cant wait to read the whole article.

Sandy said...

Thank you for bringing Obama's extreme Pro-Abortion voting records and plans to the attention of your readers. I fear for the fate of the nation whose leader has seen the beating heart of a pre-born human on ultrasound, yet believes that the determination about when life begins is above his payscale. Thank you for loving unborn "woman" enough to fight for them, Melissa.

Anonymous said...

Is Doug Kmiec wrong?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/convictions/archive/2008/03/23/endorsing-obama.aspx

Is William F. Buckley's son? http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-10/the-conservative-case-for-obama

Is Kenneth Adelman? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ken-adelman/why-a-staunch-conservativ_b_137749.html

Is Colin Powell?

What do you know that conservatives don't? Do you have any doubt at all that you might be wrong about Obama? This kind of absolutely certainty is very unattractive. It's arrogant, actually. And if the last eight years of President Bush (good man, bad president) have taught us anything, it's that having no doubt about anything is pretty disastrous. Yes, you do need to know what you stand for. But you should also have just enough humility to recognize that you might be wrong once in awhile. (As for abortion, Obama is on record as having many reservations about it, even though he is pro-choice.)

Melissa said...

1. I do not select my candidate or choose to live/vote by my values in some vain attempt to be attractive to others. That's a losing game.

2. If picking a candidate that most closely fits my values makes me arrogant then I believe that puts you in the same boat my anonymous commenter.

3. If you have read my blog at all you would know that I do have doubts about a variety of things, but what you are finding arrogant is my decisiveness in who my candidate is. How does that description not apply to you as well?

4. When did it become a bad thing (or arrogant) to decide which candidate best represents you and support them? Are you leveling this charge at your fellow fervent Obama supporters? Would you consider Oprah to be arrogant and unattractive in her certainty that Obama is "the one?" Or is she just an impassioned Obama supporter in your view?

5. What reservations on record can you cite about Obama's stand on abortion? Robert George's article is spot on to cite Obama's voting record, campaign promises and stated agenda. Obama is intent on removing any limitations on abortion.

6. John McCain was not my choice to be the Republican candidate, YET he is far closer to my value set than Obama is, therefore he IS my candidate.

7. As to the few conservatives that are voting for Obama:

a. Doug Kmiec lists multiple viewpoints as lining up with the RNC, but believes Obama will do his best to ACCOMMODATE them if he can. I would rather a candidate that will FIGHT for those viewpoints, such as the institution of marriage, the sanctity of life, and smaller government; all viewpoints Kmiec sights as important to him.

b. Christopher Buckley doesn't like Palin - citing her lack of experience. Yet he is willing to vote for a man that has no experience but is a great orator. His choice. Not mine.

c. Adelman says this in his article: "Granted, McCain's views are closer to mine than Obama's." and this: "Even at a risk, since Obama lacks lots of executive experience displaying competence (though his presidential campaign has been spot-on). And since his Senate voting record is not moderate, but depressingly liberal."
It is his choice to go with the candidate that doesn't represent his views - why he would I can't understand, but since he doesn't like McCain, he's going with the guy that doesn't represent his values at all. Interesting choice.

d. Powell claims that Obama would be energizing for this country. I happen to think a booming and energized economy is one that isn't weighed down by excessive spending, higher taxes in the name of "fairness," but not actual revenues, (http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzA2NGY1N2VlYjMxMzAzMDUzYThkOGVkMjY4M2Q4ZGU=)
or a redistribution of income.

Anonymous said...

I think these random anonymous people need to get a life!! Obviously you don't know Melissa so do you really have nothing better to do than sit around reading a stranger's blog?? Also, this is HER blog so she's entitled to post HER opinion here. Go write your OWN blog to post YOUR opinions & find something productive to do with your time.