Posted on 06/20/2008 5:09:31 AM PDT by rhema
President Bush told a crowd at the President's Dinner on Wednesday night that Americans face a clear choice in November on abortion and judges. He noted that John McCain and Barack Obama couldn't be more far apart on the two key issues for the pro-life community.
While McCain takes a strong position opposing abortion and has said he wants Roe v. Wade and its era of unlimited abortions overturned, Obama has repeatedly voted for abortions and making taxpayers fund them with public money.
"This November, the American people will have a clear choice when it comes to confirming good judges and building a culture of life," the president said.
"Republicans aspire to build a society where every human being is welcomed in life and protected in law," he explained. "We’ve funded crisis pregnancy programs and supported parental notification laws."
"We outlawed the cruel practice of partial birth abortion. We defended this good law all the way to Supreme Court -- and we won," Bush added. "This victory shows how important it is to put good judges on the bench."
Bush used the issue of judges to underscore his point and noted how McCain voted for his two Supreme Court picks who pro-life advocates think will help overturn Roe.
Obama voted against both picks and has promised to only appoint judges who will keep unlimited abortions legal another 35 years.
"We believe that unelected judges should strictly interpret the law, and not legislate from the bench. I’ve nominated and Congress has confirmed good judges, including the two newest members of the Supreme Court -- Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts," Bush explained.
"Our opponents have a different view. There’s no clearer illustration of their differences in our judicial philosophies than this: John McCain voted to confirm these eminently qualified Supreme Court justices. His opponent voted against them," the president said.
The dinner gave a preview of Bush's likely message over the coming months as the two senators compete to replace him.
"This is my eighth President’s Dinner -- also known as my last dinner before mandatory retirement," Bush joked.
"I can’t say for sure what I’m going to be doing at this time next year -- I suspect I’ll be in Crawford, watching the Rangers on TV. But I know what you’ll be doing -- you’ll be holding this dinner in honor of a new guest: President John McCain," he said.
"I know John McCain well. I have worked with him, and I have run against him. Take it from me: It’s better to have him on your side," Bush said.
That’s sick and twisted. I wonder if there is video or audio of him saying this? Come to think of it there would have to be, all legislative sessions are recorded for historical and security purposes, and it would have to be made public via a FOA request. Interesting.
The lives of tens of millions of unborn Americans ride on that little word "if."
Count me out.
McCain is not pro-life in any way that means anything.
I’m speechless. I sincerely hope someone accesses (Freedom Of Information Request) the video/audio of this committee session and runs that footage in tv and radio ads in battleground States this Fall, many swing voters don’t know all these facts about the messiah. This post is spot on:
“...Of course, the fact that they survived an abortion shows that they are living human beings to begin with. That has nothing to do with race or religion - it is scientific fact that a fetus is a living human being. The only legal question that remains in this debtate is whether that unborn living human being is a person, e.g., “has a soul.” Well, I can’t prove a fetus has a soul. I can’t prove that ANY living human being has a soul, but we can’t go around killing each other (or our born children) with the argument that “I don’t believe that living human being had a soul - that’s your religion so don’t force it on me.””
Funny short story. In my column this week, I noted that
“Barack Obama supports FOCA, which isn’t surprising because as a state legislator, he even opposed a law to protect already born babies from being killed. He argued that even though the baby was alive and breathing, it still couldn’t be a “person” because the mother wanted the baby dead [aborted]”
My editor was going to pull that sentence, because he didn’t think Obama had really argued that. But then he did some research and found my source, so he left it in.
In other words, even the editors of newspapers are unfamiliar with basic aspects of Obama’s past. This actually is a hopeful sign — it means we can get the truth out, and it could make a difference, because people who swooned over Obama did not know the truth.
How many more babies should be sacrificed on the altar of perfection?
There are children alive today because of the partial birth abortion ban. McCain will protect that act, Obama will overturn it.
There are children alive today because they were born alive after an abortion. McCain will protect them, Obama will not.
There are children alive today because of parental consent and notification laws. McCain will keep the federal government from overturning them with the "Freedom of Choice Act", Obama supports FOCA.
There are children alive today because of restrictions on late-term abortions. McCain supports those, Obama again supports FOCA which removes all restrictions.
There are children alive today because of rules requiring waiting periods, requiring informed consent, allowing sonograms. McCain supports those, Obama would eliminate those laws.
Obama will not simply lift the ban on federal funding for embryonic research, he'll actively push it.
There is a fair chance McCain will nominate judges that will overturn Roe, and even if not, will support existing restrictions. Obama is certain to pick judges who would throw out partial birth abortion bans and other laws restricting abortion.
Under most scenarios that can be envisioned, McCain will do just about exactly what any solid pro-life President would be able to do over the next 4 years. He will advance us down the road further than we are, or at least keep us from driving backwards.
How many of those children saved by all the restrictions we have today are you willing to sacrifice on the altar of perfection?
I hope I’m alive to see that. How long do you think it will take?
He's surely bamboozled NARAL, then (not to mention the pro-life organizations who support him). They're scared to death of him and sounding apocalyptic warnings about the specter of a McCain presidency.
[from the NARAL website]
During his four years in the House, then-Rep. McCain cast 11 votes on abortion and other reproductive-rights issues. Ten of these votes were anti-choice. In the Senate, Sen. McCain has cast 119 votes on abortion and other reproductive-rights issues, 115 of which were anti-choice.
In addition to his solidly anti-choice record, Sen. McCain has never cosponsored or supported legislation that would prevent unintended pregnancy or reduce the need for abortion.
Take action! Learn more about McCain's record and find out how you can help stop him.
Baloney. "Justice" Kennedy gave a primer for how to kill a baby "legally." Not ONE baby has been saved by that phony decision. All it has been is a way for Republican hacks to fool naive pro-lifers into sending them more money to pay NRTL's six-figure salaries.
NARAL, like NRTL, needs their boogey-men.
But smart people have discerned McCain’s wink-and-a-nod on abortion for years.
McCain’s votes have helped fund Planned Parenthood to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
McCain supports using fetal body parts for experimentation.
McCain supports the destruction of human embryos for the purposes of experimentation.
McCain negates the Reagan pro-life position and plank that asserts the personhood of the unborn under the Fourteenth Amendment.
McCain claims that states have the power to negate the God-given and unalienable right to life.
McCain has a habit of blocking pro-life, pro-family legislation behind the scenes in the Senate. His own colleagues have made this clear.
McCain is not pro-life.
Taking a pro-life position on 115 of 119 Senate votes = "a wink and a nod"?
Notre Dame law professor Gerard Bradley is on NARAL's boogey-man list, too, and apparently he's not very smart, either:
If there is a NARAL hit list I am on it. I have testified before one or another congressional committee in favor of almost every important pro-life law proposed in the last decade. I testified as an expert in constitutional law for laws against partial-birth abortion, human cloning, and killing unborn children (save in the course of a lawful abortion). The last one is technically about “feticide”; it was formally styled Unborn Victims of Violence Act. More popularly, it came to be known as “Laci and Connor’s Law,” for the mother and her (unborn) child who were killed by Scott Peterson a few years ago in California.
I also testified for The Born Alive Infants’ Protection Act. This law says that once a baby is actually delivered from the womb — even if delivery occurs during a “botched” abortion — that newborn baby is, legally speaking, a person. He or she may not be killed, just as no other person may be killed. NRO friend Hadley Arkes drafted this law, and worked tirelessly for its passage. John McCain supported all these laws. And I support him for President.
Can someone access audio/video of Obama in the Illinois Legislature saying this crazy stuff on the record? This has Freedom Of Information Act written all over it.
Is Mr. Bradley running for President? I guess I missed that.
Father Frank Pavone, the director of Priests for Life, began the discussion [with Catholic leaders] and thanked McCain for his “clear and convincing pro-life voting record.”
Editorial: Disagreeing with Doug Kmiec One More Time
State-Funded Embryo Research "Makes Taxpayers Complicit in Killing", say Bishops
McCain Meets Privately with Fr. Pavone - Says Constitutional Right to Life Applies to Unborn
Faithful Citizenship: “Catholic Vote” is very sought after
Has Obama dissolved his Catholic advisory council?
Commentary: Faithful Citizenship and the Formed Conscience
Catholic League: Where's Obama's 'Catholic Advisory Council'? [Not to be found!]
Right-wing Christians beginning to lean left (Misleading headline)
US Bishops Urge Voters to Give Priority to Life [Ecumenical]
Corralling the Catholic vote: Political necessity or pipe dream?
DOUG KMIEC: Catholic Reasons for Hope in the General Election
EDITORIAL: Why This Catholic Dreads the Campaign
The Catholic-Obama Problem (Pope Benedict XVI instructs Catholics about pro-abortion candidates)
Thoughts On ‘Roman Catholics For Obama’
How Obama's Catholics Will Dodge the Infanticide Question
Catholic Pro-Life Leader Feuds With Barack Obama's "Catholic" Backers
McCain and the Pope: McCain cannot win in November without the Catholic vote (Reagan re-visited?)
Catholics Cannot Vote for Pols Who Support Abortion, Except for Morally Grave Reasons: KY Bishops
Frank is now running around justifying rape and incest exceptions. Phooey.
Sad, but he’s allowed himself to become just another defender of the five-thousand-dead-babies-a-day status quo, a Republican before he’s a Christian or a pro-lifer.
Glad it’s him and not me who will have to explain to the Lord how it’s okay to worship expediency so much that you’ll provide a cloak for evil.
People who claim that John McCain is pro-life are either suckers or deceivers. One or the other. Take your pick.
Thanks for the links, Salvation. We don’t have a perfectly pro-life candidate in the race. For all but the willfully ignorant, however, Obama and McCain are light years apart on life-related issues, and dedicated pro-lifers like Father Frank Pavone see the distinction.
Voting Record: Sen. McCain has an anti-choice record. He received the following scores on NARAL Pro-Choice America's Congressional Record on Choice.
2007: 0 percent
2006: 0 percent
2005: 0 percent
2004: 0 percent
2003: 0 percent
2002: 0 percent
2001: Because only one choice-related vote was taken in 2001 – to confirm John Ashcroft as United States Attorney General – no numerical score was given for the year. Sen. McCain voted anti-choice.
Supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It’s a tough issue. I support federal funding.
John McCain - 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
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