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Election Season 2014

And it has brought us to this trainwreck called ObamaCare and we have bankrupted our kids and grandkids!

We are now headed into the 2014 Election Season and common sense and conservatism are on the rise. Please stand-up and be counted!

Reading Collusion: How the Media Stole the 2012 Election is a great place to start!

The Founding Father's Real Reason for the Second Amendment

And remember the words of Thomas Jefferson "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." See Video of Suzanna Gratia-Hupp’s Congressional Testimony: What the Second Amendment is REALLY For, below (u-tube HERE).

The Leaders Are Here... Palin, Cruz, Lee, Paul, Chaffetz....

T'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Can You Really Still Believe That None of These People Would Have Done a Better Job???

Bloggers' Rights at EFF

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY...

Showing posts with label pro-life Americans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pro-life Americans. Show all posts

Friday, September 21, 2012

Finally a Fair and Tough Interview by Univision… Obama is Scorched!

Univision does job American MSM won’t do, asks tough questions

Most of the media is content to follow along whatever story line the Obama campaign leads them down. War on women. Romney is a bully. Romney might be a felon etc. In a horrible economy and unstable world Obama has amazingly been questioned very little. It took a foreign media outlet, Univision, to finally ask him some tough questions – and he failed badly.

“We have to go to a foreign entity to be able to get an interview that even asks a hard question of this president. We have to go to Univision,” Glenn lamented on radio this morning.

The Blaze describes: 

President Obama was skewered by Univision reporters on Thursday for breaking his promise to enact lasting immigration reform during his first term in the White House.

“But it was a promise, Mr. President,” Univision reporter Jorge Ramos said. “This is very important, I don’t want it to get lost in translation. You promised that, and a promise is a promise and with all due respect, you didn’t keep that promise.”

Obama’s only response was that he does not have the power as president to accomplish everything he wants to, saying it requires cooperation within the other branches of government.

“I am happy to take responsibility for the fact that we didn’t get it done but I did not make a promise that I would get everything done, 100 percent when I was elected as president.”

Video: Beck’s Radio Show Discussion of Univision Obama Interview

Check out some highlights from the interview below:

Video -  Jorge Ramos: I Don’t Want This To Get Lost In T…

Video - Jorge Ramos Grills Obama On His Promise to Pass…

Video -  Maria Salina:  You Offered Many Excuses F…

Obama can’t answer why America’s embassies weren’t more secure  -  Univision was the network to finally ask the President about the security at our embassies. Why wasn’t it better? Glenn Beck plays Obama's answer, which painfully shows why he has been avoiding real reporters and going on Letterman, The Pimp with a Limp radio show, and People Magazine - he has no answers.

Mitt Romney gains traction among Latino voters… They are not fooled by DNC political games

Video: New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez addresses the 2012 Republican National Convention

Real Clear Politics: MITT ROMNEY: I am pleased to represent the party of Governor Susana Martinez (R-NM), Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NV), Governor Luis Fortuno (R-Puerto Rico), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and the Texas Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ted Cruz. These leaders are Republicans for the same reasons as millions of other Hispanics. They see that ours is the party of opportunity, the party that will restore America's prosperity. Now at our convention, Governor Martinez describe an experience that some of you may find familiar.

At the beginning of her political career she was a Democrat, and her star began to rise and as it did so she and her husband got an invitation to go to lunch with a couple of Republicans. The words Democrat and Republican never not come up. Instead, they talked about issues, not about party, such as how to keep welfare from become a bear to work and how much government is needed before it becomes burdensome to families and small businesses. When the lunch was over she turned to her husband and she said this, ' I'll be darned, we're Republicans.' I love hearing stories like that, I like to hear it much more often and I'm convinced the Republican party is the rifle home of Hispanic Americans.  See Video Here.

Mitt Romney at Univision forum

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, right, appears with Univision news anchors Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos at a forum in Coral Gables, Fla. (Charles Dharapak, Associated Press / September 19, 2012)

Romney tells Latino audience he would fix immigration system

Mitt Romney says at a Univision forum that he would find a bipartisan solution to illegal immigration, and accuses Obama of breaking his promises to Latinos.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Mitt Romney gains traction among Latino voters… They are not fooled by DNC political games

Juan Williams (D) pundit: “I think the winners of the Republican National Convention were Latinos… specifically Latina’s who were represented and highlighted at the convention; women like First Lady of Puerto Rico Lucé Fortuna and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez”

The Hispanic Community was well represented at the GOP National Convention and welcomed. In addition to the First Lady of Puerto Rico Lucé Vela Fortuño and New Mexico Republican Governor Susana Martinez there were speeches by tea party favorite Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz, small business owner and candidate for DE Lt. Governor Sher Valenzuela, Governor Luis Fortuño, Texas Rep. Francisco Canseco as well as the coveted speech slot to introduce the party’s presidential candidate was delivered by Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

The First Lady of Puerto Rico Lucé Vela Fortuño along with the first female Governor (first) of Indian decent of South Carolina introduced Ann Romney before her speech.

"I am the proud mother of 20-year-old triplets, a practicing attorney, a proud Latina, and a die-hard Republican!" Lucé Fortuño said in accented English as she gave her introductory speech of Ann Romney. Democrats have accused Republicans of waging a ‘war on women’ that disproportionately affects Latinas…” obviously not true.

Republican Luz Weinberg, Vice President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, or NALEO, said these speeches and the convention were a good start to attract Latinos.

And if there is one thing that the Republican National Convention proved it is that there is ‘no’ conservative, Republican or Romney war on women, no war on blacks, no on Latinos and no war on anyone else.  They have a pretty wide tent.

Video: New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez addresses the 2012 Republican National Convention

Some of the highlights of Susana’s speech was when she talked about how she carried, and can shoot a .357 magnum, when she worked as a security guard for her parent’s business… the business that “they built” with hard work.  And then she about going to lunch with her husband and some Republicans, where they talked issues not parties, before deciding to run for office… After the meeting she said, “We got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and I said, "I'll be damned. We are Republicans.” 

The truth is that Latino/Hispanic values are Republican values and one of the only reasons so many Hispanics/Latinos vote Democrat is the immigration issue.  But this is not a one issue election.  Hispanics are concerned about jobs and the economy, about traditional marriage and pro-life issues because they are primarily Catholics.  And they want America to remain a country of promise for their children and grandchildren. 

What they need to understand that the bill of goods being sold them by the Democrats is not true and many are beginning to understand that.  Let everyone also remember that just because it is written in the platform of either party, it doesn’t mean much nor mean that the candidate agrees or will act on it.

Rosario Marin, who served as U.S. Treasurer under President George W. Bush, said Republicans “hit it out of the ballpark” and that the message to all women was "genuine", and that the biggest issue for everyone is jobs and the economy.

But don’t count on facts getting in the way at the DNC message this coming week in Charlotte…

Surrogate for Obama, Hispanic Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, has  already said, “Republicans can't just trot out brown faces or people with a Spanish surname and expect them to vote for them or make inroads with the Latino community”  Really?  I wonder if Lucé Fortuño,  Susana Martinez,  Ted Cruz, Sher Valenzuela, Governor Luis Fortuño , Francisco Cansecoor, and Senator Marco Rubio know that they are just brown faces being used by the GOP?

And I am sure the Hispanic/Latino community is much smarter than the Democrats think they are, but it is going to be an ugly week and an even uglier campaign by the left!!  They have nothing else to run on… but fear, smear and false promises.  Their record is abysmal.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush also spoke at the RNC, including a few words in Spanish; he is very popular both in Florida and with the Latino community… the Cuban community in that state.  Romney’s youngest son, Craig, also speaks fluent Spanish and did so at the Convention. And let us not forget that the Romney grandparents and great grandparents lived in Mexico and the Romneys still have relatives there.

Three of the six people highlighted in a piece, Rising Stars of the GOP, written before the Republican convention were Hispanics: Ted Cruz, Susana Martinez and Marco Rubio.  I’m sure if they were writing it today they would have added Mia Love, Mayor of Sarasota Springs, Utah and U.S. Congressional candidate who rocked the house, to that list.

And one of the highlight speeches of the Republican National Convention was given by party (and tea party) favorite Senator Marco Rubio’s:

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney now appears to have gained some traction among Latino voters according to this week's impreMedia-Latino Decisions tracking poll

Even though Barack Obama maintains a commanding lead with 64% support among Latino registered voters, Mitt Romney's grew to 30%, his highest level yet.

When asked about the prominent roles that Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Susana Martinez played at the Republican National Convention, 39% of Latino voters who consider themselves independent stated it made a positive impression on them.

"This was the first bit of good news for the Republican candidate and his party", observed Latino Decisions pollster, Gary Segura. "This poll shows that Latinos are paying attention, but this is not a slam dunk. The fact that Romney still trails with only 30% of the vote should be somewhat disappointing." Jobs and the economy continue to be the most important issue for Latinos. But despite Romney's consistent efforts to negatively cast the President's handling of the economy, Latinos continue to trust Obama and the Democratic Party to improve economic conditions more so than the Republicans by 59% to 30%.

The weekly tracking poll is part of impreMedia's commitment to provide unique insights and superior coverage of the upcoming 2012 presidential elections. "We understand how critical the Latino vote will be in determining the outcome of this election and we will be reporting on the important issues, preferences and concerns of this growing constituent," stated Monica Lozano CEO of impreMedia.

To view more data and information on this week's poll visit: www.eldiariony.com/section/voto METHODOLOGY This is the second release, of an 11-week tracking poll of Latino registered voters. Each week, impreMedia and Latino Decisions will release a new rolling cross-section of 300 completed interviews with Latino registered voters across all 50 states. Interviews are conducted in English or Spanish, at the preference of the respondent, all conducted by bilingual interviewers at Latino Decisions calling center, Pacific Market Research. The survey averaged 10 minutes in length, and has an overall margin of error of 5.6% on results that approach a 50/50 distribution. All respondents confirm that they are Hispanic or Latino and currently registered to vote.

This first wave survey was in the field August 24-30, 2012 About impreMedia. impreMedia is the leading Hispanic news and information company in the U.S. in online and print. impreMedia's multi-platform offerings range from online to video, social media, mobile, audio, newspapers and magazines, including the http://www.impre.com portal. 25.5%of U.S.

Hispanic adults use an impreMedianetwork product. The networkis also the nation's largest Hispanic newspaper publisher with newspapers in top U.S. Hispanic markets, reaching 15markets total that represent 59% of the U.S. Hispanic population. Its leading publications include La Opinión in Los Angeles and El Diario La Prensa in New York.

ImpreMedia portals and publication websites are: www.impre.com, www.laopinion.com, www.eldiariony.com, www.hoynyc.com, www.laraza.com, www.laprensafl.com, www.elmensajero.com, www.rumbotx.com, www.vistamagazine.com, www.contigola.com, and www.lavibra.com.

About Latino Decisions Latino Decisions is a joint effort between Pacific Market Research, a nationally known research firm, and Dr. Gary Segura and Dr. Matt Barreto, leading Latino politics scholars and professors at Stanford University and the University of Washington. Both Dr. Segura and Dr.

Barreto are experienced and nationally respected researchers who have a deep understanding of U.S. Latino culture and advanced quantitative research skills. Their expertise, coupled with Pacific Market Research's logistical capabilities, makes Latino Decisions a leader in the field.  For more information, visit: http://www.impremedia.com.

Tracking Poll Wave 2: Romney gains among Latinos post-convention

By Matt Barreto, Latino Decisions on 09/03/2012

After a week in the spotlight in which many prominent Latinos took to the stage at the RNC Convention, the impreMedia/Latino Decisions tracking poll finds a noticeable bump in support for Romney and Republicans among Latinos, as reported by Pilar Marrero. The question will be can they sustain it, or will the new found support erode after the Democrats get their turn in Charlotte. In the second week of the impreMedia/Latino Decisions tracking poll Romney stands at 30%, up from 26% in week 1, and also improved his favorability from 27/55 (net -28) to 31/54 (net-23). While the clear majority of Latino voters continue to support Obama, this is the first time Romney has managed to climb to 30% of the Latino vote in the 10 months that impreMedia/Latino Decisions has polled on an Obama-Romney match-up. [Jump to full results]

In addition to Romney, the Republicans may have made some small in-roads with their presentation of Latino elected officials such as Susana Martinez, Brian Sandoval and Marco Rubio. The tracking poll asked, “During the Republican National Convention Latino elected officials such as Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Susana Martinez were given prominent speaking roles. Does this give you a more favorable or less favorable impression of the Republican Party, or does it have no effect on how you feel about the Republican Party?” Overall, 21% said they had a more favorable impression, 7% said less favorable and 62% said it had no effect. Although a large majority said the Latino RNC speakers had no effect on their view of Republicans, among those who did take this into account, we found a 3-1 advantage for Republicans in favorability.

Glass one-third full / Glass two-thirds empty?

While Romney made some gains following the RNC convention, the gains are relatively small. After their best week of coverage in which Romney and the RNC got to dictate the message, and President Obama struggled for coverage, Romney still maintains a net negative favorability rating of -23 while the President enjoys a net positive favorability rating of +43. And while Romney is inching towards one-third of the Latino vote, the data still suggest that close to two-thirds of Latinos (64%) plan to vote against Romney.

In looking at the question about perceptions of party outreach to Hispanics, the impreMedia/Latino Decisions tracking poll reveals almost no movement in the larger images of either party. One week ago 14% thought the Republican party was doing a good job of outreach to Hispanics, and today that number is 17%. Combined, 72% of Latinos think the Republican party either ‘doesn’t care’ or is ‘being hostile’ towards Hispanics, and that number that will take more than a 3-day convention to move. As Governor Jeb Bush acknowledge during the RNC, Republicans need to stop “acting stupid” and “to have a tone that is open and hospitable,” if they want to win over Latino voters.

The Republicans believe their path to the Latino vote is through the troubled economy, a message they reiterated during the RNC convention. However Latino voters may not share their views of who is to blame, and who can fix things. Last week, the impreMedia/Latino Decisions tracking poll asked who was to blame for the current state of the economy and 68% of Latinos said the policies of the Bush administration, compared to 14% who blamed Obama. This week we asked, “thinking about the future of our economy, which party do you trust more to make the right decisions and improve our economic conditions?” Here, 59% of Latinos said they trust Obama and the Democrats compared to 30% who said Romney and the Republicans. In courting Latinos, the Republicans need to do more than point the finger at Obama, they need to provide a clear policy alternative that does not sound like “Bush tax cuts” that would seem to benefit the Latino community. To this point, Latinos continue to give the Democrats a 2-1 advantage on fixing the economy. Back in February 2011 the impreMedia/Latino Decisions tracking poll asked what strategy was best for turning around the economy, and 57% said the federal government should invest in projects while 27% said we should lower taxes, a number quite consistent with the 59-30 advantage reported today, 19 month later on which party is best to fix the economy.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Senomyx: Pepsi Ignores Criticism on Use of Aborted Cells in Research

PepsiCo is ignoring criticism from pro-life advocates upset that the company contracts with a research firm that uses fetal cells from babies victimized by abortions to test and produce artificial flavor enhancers.

The first thing that popped into my head after hearing about this was ‘Solyent Green’.  We are eating people in the form of stamina pills, testing procedures and flavorings?

Last week, dozens of pro-life groups called for a boycott of Pepsi because of information that came to light in March showing biotech company Senomyx was found to be testing their food additives using fetal cells from abortions. Senomyx ignored a letter from the pro-life group Children of God for Life, which complained about its practices.

“The company’s key flavor programs focus on the discovery and development of savory, sweet and salt flavor ingredients that are intended to allow for the reduction of MSG, sugar and salt in food and beverage products,” the Senomyx web site says. “Using isolated human taste receptors, we created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor.”

Debi Vinnedge, of the pro-life group Children of God for Life, explained, “What they don’t tell the public is that they are using HEK 293 – human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce those receptors. They could have easily chosen animal, insect, or other morally obtained human cells expressing the G protein for taste receptors.”

After contacting Pepsi with their concerns, the beverage and food products company responded via email to pro-life advocates with an unsigned form response from “Pepsi Consumer Relations.”

“Thank you for contacting us to share your sincere concerns,” the PepsiCo response says. “Please be assured that PepsiCo is committed to using only the highest ethical methods in all aspects of our research. This is something we take very seriously, and we hold ourselves and all of our research partners to the same high standards as the world’s leading research centers.”

The email continues:  “With respect to the flavor discovery research with Senomyx, we utilize techniques that have been the gold standard for several decades by top universities, hospitals, U.S. government agencies, food and beverage companies, and essentially every pharmaceutical and biotech company in the world. Yet, there is some misinformation being circulated meant to distort what we’re doing and question our motives and those of other companies. This is unfortunate, and it is certainly not reflective of the work we are doing. We hope this information is helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for reaching out to us and allowing us to clarify the situation.”

In comments to LifeNews.com, Vinnedge says this is the latest example of PepsiCo avoiding or glossing over the criticism it receives.

“It seems that PepsiCo is simply not able to understand the concerns of consumers as they respond to their complaints with deceptive form letters,” she said.

“First, they tried to reassure the public their relationship with Senomyx was to produce “lower calorie great tasting beverages”.  Then after our first press release March 29th, they tried to insinuate the reports were false and they were being accused of doing aborted fetal research,” Vinnedge explained. “Now, as the full boycott begins, they brush off using aborted fetal cell lines as an industry gold standard.”

“Well, we have a message for PepsiCo,” the pro-life advocate continued. “We who are pro-life have a “gold standard” too. And that means we defend the sanctity of all human life
including the remains of innocent aborted babies that PepsiCo is exploiting for profit.”

“If they want to boycott to end, they need to tell Senomyx to start using moral sources for their research and development or they will sever their contracts,” she concluded.

Senomyx boasts that it has over 800,000 unique flavors for foods, Vinnedge says, but cells expressing certain proteins produce a chemical signal when the flavors are introduced, which determines if they have achieved the proper flavor. The aborted fetal cells are not in the product itself.

Pro-life organizations are asking the public to boycott all Pepsi drink products and encourage consumers to contact Pepsi management requesting that they sever all ties with Senomyx. Consumers are also encouraged to contact Campbell Soup and thank them for responding to pro-life concerns.

Pro-life groups joining Children of God for Life in the boycott to date are:  American Life League, Life Issues Institute, Concerned Women for America, Colorado Right to Life, American Right to Life, Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute, ALL Arizona, Central Nebraskans for Life, Pro-Life Waco, Houston Coalition for Life, Mother and Unborn Baby Fox Valley, Womankind, Billboards for Life, Movement for a Better America, Defenders of the Unborn, Focus Pregnancy Help Center, Idaho Chooses Life, EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers of NY, Four Seasons for Life, CREDO,  Life Choices, STOPP Dallas, CA Right To Life, Human Life Alliance, International Right to Life Federation, Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation. LifeNews.com has joined the boycott call as well.

ACTION: Contact these companies…

Jamie Caulfield, Sr. VP
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 253-2000
Email form: http://cr.pepsi.com/usen/pepsiusen.cfm?time=5189878

Source:  LifeNews.com

Related:

Chinese Company Reportedly Selling Stamina Pills Made of Human Fetuses – Updated

Soylent Green Anyone???

Coke CEO Says It’s Easier to do Business With Communist China than With U.S.  -  Hmmm… Wonder if that includes more than just economics?

More Background on Senomyx:

Senomyx: Sensing the Future through Innovation  -  Senomyx is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the discovery and commercialization of products and services relevant to taste and olfaction. www.senomyx.com - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
Senomyx: Company Info

Senomyx is discovering and developing innovative flavor ingredients for the ... www.senomyx.com/company/ - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight

Senomyx - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  -  Senomyx (NASDAQ Ticker symbol: SNMX) is an American biotechnology company that works toward developing additives to amplify certain flavors and smells ...  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Senomyx - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight
Pepsi Ignores Criticism on Use of Aborted Cells in Research ...

May 30, 2011 ... Senomyx ignored a letter from the pro-life group Children of God for Life, which complained about its practices. “The company's key flavor ...  www.lifenews.com/ 2011/ 05/ 30/ pepsi-ignores-criticism-on-use-of-aborted-cells-in-research/ - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight

MSG-Like 'Senomyx' Being Hidden In Food

Feb 10, 2010 ... If you haven't heard about Senomyx think of a flavor enhancer like MSG. The bad news doesn't stop there, but the FDA says they don't have to ... www.rense.com/general89/msg.htm - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight

Are Aborted Fetus Cells Helping to Make Your Diet Pepsi Sweeter ...

Mar 31, 2011 ... The Christian media is swarming with accusations that Senomyx, a San Diego- based research and development company, whose clients ... blogs.miaminewtimes.com/ shortorder/ 2011/ 03/ are_aborted_fetus_cells_helpin.php - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight

SENOMYX | LifeSiteNews.com  -  Senomyx. Flavor company that uses embryo cells hides partner company names · Pro-life groups call for Pepsi boycott over aborted fetal cell lines · Update: ...

Ask Marion - h/t to Jean Stoner

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Catholics Fear ‘Stealth’ Abortion Push in Healthcare

A Catholic mother holds her 2-year-old son as she visits the Sacred Heart of Mary Memorial Wall for the Unborn near Boulder, Colo., where thousands of fetal remains are buried. (AP Photo)

With Democrats planning a September vote on a sweeping new healthcare plan, America’s Catholic leadership is becoming increasingly concerned that the legislation will lead to federal funding of abortions.

Though U.S. Catholic bishops have long supported universal healthcare, they now find themselves in the troublesome position of seeing such a program fund abortion.

The implications of government-controlled healthcare would have serious implications for Catholic health institutions. One in eight hospitals in the United States is affiliated with the Catholic Church, according to The Wall Street Journal. They employ 750,000 people and care for 16 percent of all hospital admissions.

If government bureaucrats or the courts mandated abortion coverage, it could place the nation’s Catholic hospitals in a difficult situation. Some Catholic leaders have threatened to close their facilities if they are forced to conduct abortion procedures.

If Democratic healthcare reform becomes law, it will engender a huge expansion of abortion, said Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz.

"You know, one of the side issues that nobody pays any attention to, this healthcare plan will be the largest expansion of abortion in the United States since Roe v. Wade," Franks said on Fox News on Sunday. "Only this time, it will be paid for with taxpayer dollars."

"People don't see that as healthcare," he added.

In late July, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, wrote a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee warning that "much-needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an 'abortion rights' agenda."

In Massachusetts, the state-run health plan already subsidizes abortions for low and moderate-income women. This has created conflict between Church and state due to the requirement for Catholic hospitals to provide abortion referrals. The mandate flies in the face of Catholic teaching, and the Church hopes to keep this from happening nationwide.

Before the 1977 Hyde Amendment barred Medicaid from paying for abortions, courts and bureaucrats mandated abortion coverage because it was legal and not excluded from Medicaid. This precedent has reinforced Catholic concerns, because the House version of the healthcare reform bill lacks specific language barring abortion coverage.

Rigali's letter took issue with provisions of the bill, asserting that it could lead to federal funding of abortions and thereby violate the spirit of the Hyde Amendment.

“The legislation delegates to the Secretary of Health and Human Services the power to make abortion a basic or essential benefit in all health plans, or in the 'public plan' created by the legislation,” Rigali wrote. “This would be a radical change.”

Rigali also expressed concern that provisions in the bill requiring “timely access to all benefits covered by qualified health plans” could be used by the courts to invalidate state laws regulating abortions, such as those aimed at promoting a woman’s safety and parental notification.

His letter calls for the protection of conscience rights to prevent pro-life healthcare providers from being discriminated against if they decline to be involved with abortions.

The Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, and Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, echo the cardinal’s concerns and contend the healthcare legislation would cover abortions by default.

“This is a stealth FOCA bill,” Pavone said, referring to the Freedom of Choice Act.

That bill would guarantee women the "fundamental right" to "terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability," or to protect the life of the mother. Catholic opposition has prevented it from coming up for a vote this year.

“We know the provisions remain the goals of the abortion advocates, and healthcare reform offers them a good opportunity to put part of it in the bill," Pavone said.

"They may say [the bill] doesn’t mention abortion, but we say that unless abortion is specifically excluded from the bill, it is included.”

Catholics United, a left-leaning Catholic group, contends that the Capps amendment addresses Cardinal Rigali’s concerns and those of other pro-life Catholics. The amendment, which Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., introduced, passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee on July 30.

Supporters say it would bar the use of federal money to directly fund abortions, while allowing the funding of plans that provide abortions. It also includes a conscience provision that would bar discrimination against health providers who refuse to be involved with abortions, and would prevent state laws regulating abortion from being preempted.

“Capps is as close to a 95 percent abortion-neutral bill as we can get,” said Chris Korzen of Catholics United. “Work still needs to be done on specific parts, but the Capps amendment is still a little ways away from [providing] a true common ground on this issue.”

Donohue and others remain unconvinced that the Capps amendment would prevent federal dollars from being used to fund abortions.

“There is no question that the AP and New York Times are right that it does in fact provide funding for abortion,” Donohue said. “When [Republican Congressman Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania] put the question to counsel asking if it would allow for funding of abortion, he was told it would, so it is not a moot question.”

Passage of a healthcare reform package that angers Catholics could make abortion a huge issue in upcoming elections. Catholics number slightly more than 68 million in the U.S., according to the Official Catholic Directory 2009. They constitute 22 percent of the population, making them a key swing-voting group.

If the healthcare reform passes as it is written in HR 3200…

  • By the fact that the abortion issue (or any other issue or illness is not addressed means it will be covered under government-run healthcare.
  • There will be huge upswing in abortions and you will be paying for those services one way or other… whether you and or anyone in your family are having that procedure and whether or not you and your family believe in choice or are pro-life.
  • Pro-life medical practitioners and facilities will forced to perform those procedures whether it is against their convictions and beliefs or not.
  • In trying to cover an additional 27 million people without increasing costs and after reducing doctor’s pay, there will be a doctor and medical practitioner shortage. If pro life doctors, nurses and technicians leave medicine the shortage will be unimaginable. People in England and Canada wait years sometime just to get a primary care doctor.
  • One in eight hospitals in the United States is affiliated with the Catholic Church. They employ 750,000 people and care for 16 percent of all hospital admissions. Should the Church decided to close those hospitals, if they lose the fight, the medical care shortages in all areas will be insurmountable.
  • “This is a stealth FOCA bill,the Freedom of Choice Act (read details above).
  • This bill is another attempt to enact and force things onto the American people without even the honesty to tell them what is in the bill, what is government’s real intent… short and long-run, and what it will cost.

By: John Rossomando - Monday, August 10, 2009 7:08 PM – NewsWeek

Posted: Knowledge Creates Power