Obama voted against this straightforward human rights legislation 4 times (aside from his "no" counted "present" vote), stating as the sole state senator speaking against it on the Senate floor in 2001 it would be "unconstitutional" to declare very premature abortion survivors persons because "the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute."
In other words, if premature abortion survivors were declared legal persons, they couldn't be legally "kill[ed]" - Obama's word.
Obama not only opposed IL's BAIPA, he took a leadership role to kill it. His website still contains an ABC News quote from the IL Planned Parenthood CEO at the time stating "Obama approached her" to strategize to defeat BAIPA as well as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban. Barack Obama actually sought out PP to help him defeat a bill protecting abortion survivors.
Finally, for 4 years Obama lied about his record opposing BAIPA. In 2003 he voted against an identical version that passed 98-0 in the U.S. Senate and for which the pro-abortion group NARAL even expressed neutrality.
He then purported several times, as recently as August 16, 2008, that the bills were not identical and he would have supported the IL version had it been the same as the federal version. This was yet another LIE, which Obama's campaign finally had to recant after his actual vote tally from the IL General Assembly archive was posted online.
I've added this post as a resource for Jeremiah Films pro life BlogWatch
I'm one of the 70 million Catholics that believe in Pro-Choice, as does Obama. I do not believe in Abortation, as Obama does not, but I believe God has given me free Choice to choose to do the right thing. I will not make other people do what I believe or want. This is a free country, for them to choose the right choice. God treats abortation as he does other sins, like adultry, divorce, not taking care of the poor, animals, etc. I do not see why extreme angelications, pick one sin. Why are you guys not raising hell about John McCain's adultry. Do you see his three older children up there campaining for him. like Rudy Guilliano, they haven't delt with his adultry yet. You need tyo keep religion out of politics.
Pro-choice is certainly pro-abortion/pro-death, despite any personal feeling to the contrary. In fact, the position not only denies legal rights to one group of people but it protects, and in Obama's case believes in funding, those who choose to kill the unprotected unborn.
It is indeed dastardly for one in authority to stand by and watch a bully pick on an innocent child. This is an act of omission and is morally indefensible. However, a person who protects those from intervention or punishment who are bullying an innocent child commits an act of commission and is an accomplice to the crime.
Similarly, government authorities who hide behind the pro-choice position are not only pro-abortion but are willing and purposeful accomplices to the most heinous holocaust this world has seen (49,000,000 killed).
Keep religion out of politics is impossible since many laws are based on moral or religious teachings. Also, if that is the case, no liberal or conservative politicans should use faith-based justifications for their political views at all. That's impossible since that would violate freedom of speech.
Good point - actually all law embodies some moral code based ultimately upon religion or a set of ultimate beliefs which is religious in nature.
70 million pseudo-Catholics maybe. You cannot be Catholic and pro-choice regarding abortion, any more than you could be Catholic and pro-choice regarding slavery, or pro-choice regarding child abuse... either abortion is a great evil that should be abolished or it is not, either the unborn are humans with rights or they are not. If they are human (which you must believe if you're truly Catholic) then according to your logic why not grant parents the "choice" to kill their infants or toddlers as well?, we can just hope they make the right decision, like you say it's a free country.
Phyllis, I'm a Catholic, and for years I believed as you did, only to learn I was really wrong. I didn't know squat about the Catholic beliefs, really, until I was given a copy of the Catholic Catechism (not the Baltimore Catechism, for those who are as old as I am), but the real complete Catechism of what it means to be and believe as a Catholic. Here is what it says:
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
...
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
This means that to call oneself a Catholic, one must "defend the embryo" and that includes in the voting booth. This is how you cannot support a pro-abortion candidate such as Obama has clearly stated (to Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups) that he is, not if you want to remain calling yourself a Catholic.
You can't listen to what Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, or any other pseudo-Catholics say. They are blowing smoke up your arse. Always have been. And it started being politically correct for such politicians to do so with JFK, who far too many Catholic citizens idolized. The guy was no better than Clinton for sleeping around on his wife. What a great role model for today's pseudo-Catholic pols.