July 2011 Archives

Most people understandably don't tune in to politics until relatively close to the election. But with the presidential stakes as high as they are in 2012, more Americans are taking an earlier-and more intense-look than usual.

We know that President Barack Obama is joined at the hip to the Abortion Establishment, wedded to promoting abortion in every way he can, including most specifically ObamaCare. But what of the Republican candidates?

The comparison piece "Where do the candidates stand on life" is 2012 Comparison piece now available from National Right to Life, the authoritative source, at StoptheAbortionAgenda.com. There are 9 candidates listed, all the announced candidates for the office of President of the United States who have scored a minimum of 3% in a national poll.

In addition to President Obama, the candidates include Congresswoman Michele Bachmann; Businessman Herman Cain; former Speaker Newt Gingrich; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman; Congressman Ron Paul; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former United States Senator Rick Santorum.

The comparison-based on public statements, statements from the campaigns, and/or statements appearing on websites-addresses the positions of the nine candidates on four issues: Taxpayer funding for abortion; Roe v. Wade/abortion; Funding for Abortion Providers; and ObamaCare.

If/when more candidates announce, their positions will be added.

Be sure to go here and see where the candidates stand.

July 27, 2011/Orlando, FL/Operation Rescue --

By Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, Operation Rescue

On July 21, 2011, a jury of six found that the notorious late-term abortionist James Scott Pendergraft IV was liable for injuries sustained by a pre-born baby during a failed abortion ten years ago. The jury stunned eye-witnesses in the courtroom by ordering Pendergraft to pay $36,737,660.16 in compensatory and punitive damages.

The case is number 2004-CA-001202 captioned C. H. et al. v. James Scott Pendergraft IV, et al.

Yesterday, Operation Rescue obtained two amended complaints in the case that finally concluded last week. Court authorities told Operation Rescue that the case had generated 16 volumes of documents, which were all sealed by the court. However, at the direction of Operation Rescue, one pro-life activist was able to procure the rare documents through an open records request.

The documents reveal an almost typical abortion malpractice case of the kind that has occurred by the thousands over the years. What is extraordinary about this is that the aborted baby survived to sue her abortionist for a crippling monetary judgment. Most of these cases are settled out of court for undisclosed amounts of money, then sealed so the public never knows the truth about the dangers of abortion or the shoddy skills of abortion suppliers in America.

"In this case, Pendergraft's pride may have been his downfall. If he'd settled this case, we would not have the documentation of the horrific details of his seedy abortion business," said Newman. "There was an attempt to seal this case, but the documents got out anyway."

According to the complaint, on November 15, 2001, twenty-year old C.H. walked into Pendergraft's Orlando Women's Center for what she thought would be an abortion of her 18-20 week pre-born baby.

Instead C.H. was told by untrained, unlicensed employees that she was 22.3 weeks along in her pregnancy. Because she nearly died from serious complications during the delivery of her previous child, which was delivered by Caesarian Section, C.H. submitted to the abortion out of fear.

Florida law requires that a licensed physician review abortion risks with patients prior to their abortions.

A person purporting to be one of the jurors in the case later posted comments about the trial to a story about it on JillStanek.com. A court observer verified to Operation Rescue that statements made by "Juror" on Stanek's blog are consistent with what she heard in the courtroom.

"Juror" wrote:

She was given a stack of papers to sign and not instructed on the risks(against law) Ms. Howard was checked in and "counseled" by office staff, which as far as we could tell was making sure she signed all the forms and making sure she had the money.

C.H. was never examined by a physician, not before her abortion nor at any time during her ordeal. She gave consent for her abortion to be done by one of Pendergraft's hired abortionists, Randall Whitney, but Whitney never showed up. In fact, Pendergraft himself was in jail at the time on extortion charges, but records show that he set up protocols that led to the injuries inflicted on C.H and her baby.

At approximately 1:30 PM, on November 15, 2001, unlicensed workers administered Cytotec, a drug meant to treat ulcers that has the unfortunate side effect of causing uterine contractions, and RU 486, an abortion pill not approved for use after the seventh week of pregnancy. The off-label use of this deadly combination of drugs sent her into painful labor. Pendergraft's unlicensed staff, following Pendergraft's protocols, administered twelve doses of 200 mg of Cytotec over an eleven hour period, which vastly exceeded any recommended dosages.

"Juror" wrote on Stanek's blog site that C.H. was in severe pain, but was denied pain medication and requests to speak with Whitney by Tanya Severence, a medical aide with only a high school education, who "ran the show." He indicated that testimony showed that the excessive doses of Cytotec put C.H. at high risk for uterine rupture.

At about 1:00 AM on November 16, 2001, C.H. was excruciating pain. One trial observer told Operation Rescue that clinic workers told C.H. to walk off her labor in the parking lot, and if she didn't like that, she could leave.

C.H did in fact leave the clinic and was later rushed to a local hospital where she delivered by Caesarean Section a viable baby girl with a sub-normal Apgar score of 3/3 and weight of 555 grams or 1 pound, 3 ½ ounces.

Her baby, J.F., suffered catastrophic damage to her health. Today J.F. is ten-years old, suffers from seizure disorder, physical and mental developmental delays and numerous other afflictions.

If C.H. had stayed at the clinic, and providing her uterus weakened by surgery did not rupture, she would have been expected to squat over a toilet and deliver her baby into the bowl.

Concerning these live births, "Juror" wrote:

One of the things that kept me up at night was hearing the routine practice was for the women to void the fetus' into the toilet of the facility, often by themselves. The MA testified on occasion movement was seen, yet no vitals were checked or resuscitation was performed. All of these protocols were put into place long ago by Pendergraft. He preys on poor, scared women in their time of desperation. Howard was 20 when this occurred. Her feelings of guilt are palpable, yet she is also a victim...

Tanya [Severance] testified squirming was observed "a couple times" which to me translated to numerous times. All the clinic workers said most of the infants were evacuated into the toilet as well. Pendergraft even testified it was no big deal and that "Most countries squat to give birth". Needless to say his testimony did him no favors in our eyes.

• $462,305.16 is to be paid in compensation for J.F.'s medical care to this point of her life.


• $18,275,355 is to be paid to a trust fund to provide medical care for J.F. for the rest of her life.


• $11,888,000 from Pendergraft and $6,112,000 from Orlando Women's Center is to be paid to the plaintiffs for a total of $18 million in punitive damages.

Randall Whitney was not ordered to pay anything. The jury found that everything that happened to C.H. and her daughter was the direct result of protocols put into place by Pendergraft, who was the sole owner and medical director of Orlando Women's Center and therefore responsible for everything that happened.

While the judgment "rang the bell" for the plaintiffs and should be enough to put Pendergraft out of business for good, there is concern that C.H. and J.F. may never collect a dime.

Pendergraft operates several Limited Liability Corporations that could shield him from paying. "Juror" voiced these concerns on Stanek's blog:

Pendergraft in fact has upwards of 8 LLC's he funnels money through. The umbrella company for his 5 clinics, Wilson Management, he put 64% controlling interest in his girlfriend's name and the other 36% is in his. He and his girlfriend refused to divulge the umbrella company's finances as authorized by discovery rules, choosing to instead be charged with contempt. All of the jurors' greatest hope is the plaintiff can recover the money awarded. Unfortunately, we all realize it most likely will be a long hard road fraught with appeals. But that is out of our hands.

Operation Rescue has worked to expose Pendergraft and his misdeeds for years.

"While the events leading to this malpractice case took place a decade ago, we have every reason to believe that shoddy and dangerous practices continue at Pendergraft-operated abortion clinics. We will continue to work with the authorities and through all peaceful, legal avenues available to us until Pendergraft and his cohorts are out of the abortion business for good," said OR's Troy Newman.

Documents:

• Amended Complaint Case No.2004-CA-001202


• Second Amended Complaint Case No.2004-CA-001202


• Case History from http://myclerk.myorangeclerk.com as of July 26, 2011

July 25, 2011/Public Discourse --

by Helen Alvaré

The new, pro-contraceptive recommendations by the Institute of Medicine endanger the health and well-being of women.

Richard John Neuhaus once commented that the "philosophes" of the French Revolution would turn over in their graves to discover how the Catholic Church had become the chief defender of the place of reason in the public square in the late 20th century. Today in the 21st century it is the feminist revolutionaries of the 1960s who are squirming in their rocking chairs as the Catholic Church dares to defy "the establishment" to stand for the freedom of women and of conscientious objection to federal mandates.

The greatest attack on women's freedom is last week's recommendation by the Institute of Medicine that the new health care law should mandate "the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods [and] sterilization procedures" as "preventive services." This means that every health insurance plan must provide these services without co-pays or deductibles. "Grandfathered" employer plans are exempted, but these lose their "grandfathered" status if the plans are significantly changed; HHS estimates that by 2013, about 88 million Americans' preventive services coverage will be affected by federal decisions. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has solicited IOM's recommendations and will render a final decision August 1.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops responded immediately that the new threat to religious conscience posed by this recommendation fails women. He noted further that the "FDA-approved" category includes even abortion-inducing methods (such as Ella), and that IOM's report appeared to be driven by ideology, not science or care for women's health....

Read entire article here.

ROCKFORD, Ill., July 22, 2011 /Christian Newswire --

British population-control fanatics and radical environmentalists are once again showing their irrationality and true totalitarian colors by using the birth of a 4th child to English football star David Beckham and his wife to climb on their over-population soapboxes.

Simon Ross, CEO of the Optimum Population Trust, calls the Beckham family "very bad role models." Ross insists, "There's no point in people trying to reduce their carbon emissions and then increasing them 100% by having another child."

If this guilt and fear mongering weren't enough, Ross then calls for changing government "incentives" to encourage smaller families despite the data that shows family-size is already decreasing in every region of the world.

World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs congratulated the Beckhams for "giving the gift of life to another precious child. Unlike the myths propagated by radical environmentalists, feminists, secularists and socialists, the facts are that the number of children in the world continues to decrease. In fact, worldwide, there are 6 million fewer children (6 years of age and younger) today than there were in 1990."

Jacobs continued:

Groups like Optimum Population Trust play on fear and ignorance. Over-population is based on a long-discredited 1960s paradigm and Paul Ehrlich book, The Population Bomb. The world's population may be temporarily on the rise, but, worldwide, birthrates have fallen by 50% since the 1960s. Today, almost half the world's population lives in countries with below-replacement birthrates - in many cases, well below replacement. In Europe, the number of children under 6 has fallen by 36% since 1960. According to the United Nations Population Division, if current trends continue, by 2050 there will be 248 million fewer children in the world under 6 than there are today....

Optimum Population Trust won't have to worry about so-called carbon footprints when there aren't enough people (what economists refer to as human capital) to keep modern, industrialized societies functioning.

World Congress of Families sponsored the world's first demographic summit, "Moscow Demographic Summit: Family and the Future of Humankind" at the Russian State Social University, June 29-30. The Summit brought together demographers, economists, researchers and leaders to discuss the pending de-population crisis. Click here for more details.

World Congress of Families VI will be in Madrid, May 25-27, 2012. World Congress of Families VII will take place in Sydney in 2013. Demographic Winter will play a prominent role in both.

July 21, 2011/Topeka, KS/Operation Rescue --

During the second day of hearings in the ethics case against former Attorney General and Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline, new details emerged concerning a secret agreement made between the grand jury and Planned Parenthood, which reveal political corruption that irreparably corrupted the grand jury process.

Steve Maxwell, who worked for Kline as an Assistant Attorney General and later as an Assistant District Attorney, told the 3-member panel overseeing Kline's ethics trial that he was "stunned and horrified" to learn of a secret agreement between the grand jury and Planned Parenthood. The agreement was accompanied by 2 protective orders.

One of the orders prohibited any evidence supplied by Planned Parenthood from being used to prosecute it. That order was signed by Judge Kevin P. Moriarty, who oversaw the grand jury.

In addition, the agreement would have revoked immunity usually extended to grand jurors, making them civilly and criminally liable.

"Planned Parenthood was supposed to be under investigation by this grand jury for alleged criminal activity. It is incomprehensible that they would enter into an agreement with the object of their investigation that would essentially make it impossible for anyone to prosecute. This isn't just wrong, it's political corruption at its worst," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

"In the end Planned Parenthood was the one controlling and subverting that grand jury with the help of political collaborators inside the grand jury process. Those collaborators are the ones who should be held accountable for this gross miscarriage of justice."

The agreement with Planned Parenthood was made by grand jury foreperson Stephanie Hensel, who filed the ethics complaint against Kline, and Richard Merker, a special prosecutor assigned to the grand jury. Maxwell testified that the other grand jurors did not even know about the agreement until he told them about it.

Once they learned of it, not everyone on the grand jury supported the secret agreement and grand jury transcripts read in court indicated that at least two jurors opposed it.

The agreement would have allowed Planned Parenthood to provide documents of its choosing to the grand jury instead of complying with the one subpoena that had been issued. Planned Parenthood never complied with the subpoena.

In the end, back-room negotiations with Planned Parenthood by Merker and Hensel and other "bizarre behavior" made it impossible to proceed and the grand jury failed to indict Planned Parenthood.

Testimony in yesterday's hearing indicated that the grand jury was divided and "dysfunctional." Maxwell testified that it had been taken over by "anti-Kline" people. The grand jury served in the months following an vicious campaign waged by Kline's political opponents that created a hostile environment for Kline in Johnson County that continues even today.

In addition, grand jury transcripts read during the hearing indicated that Hansel overstated claims of things said by Kline in her complaint against him.

Maxwell and Kline insist that they never attempted to mislead the grand jury. Maxwell admitted that he "made mistakes" in not fully explaining Kansas laws, but that he never made any attempt to deceive them.

"We weren't trying to pull any punches," said Kline. "We're trying to be straight up and honest with what we had."

The grand jury was convened via a citizen petition circulated by Operation Rescue and a coalition of pro-life groups that alleged Planned Parenthood had conducted illegal late-term abortions and failed to report child sexual abuse. Eventually, Kline charged Planned Parenthood with 107 criminal counts without the grand jury. That case remains active and progressing through the court system.

Kline's ethics hearing is expected to wrap up on Friday. If the panel determines that Kline violated ethics rules in his investigations of Planned Parenthood and other Kansas abortion businesses, it will make a recommendation to the Kansas Supreme Court who will determine what disciplinary action will be taken.

"There can be no doubt that this ethics case is politically motivated," said Newman. "It's hard for people who are not in Kansas to fully understand the hostile and corrupt political environment that Kline's political enemies created here that made him a whipping boy for their pro-abortion agenda. The Disciplinary Administrator who is prosecuting Kline is a remnant of that corrupt political cabal and now has become more like the vengeance-filled Captain Ahab than one who is truly interested in justice. He is lashing out with his last political breath at the object of his hatred. This entire case against Kline is the final gasp of a shameful political scandal that sought to protect abortionists from accountability under the law at any cost."

For more information on the secret agreement, read Kline's motion to enforce the lone subpoena issued by the grand jury.

July 19, 2011/WASHINGTON, D.C./FRC --

Family Research Council expressed strong opposition to the Institute of Medicine's recommendation to the Department of Health and Human Services that health care plans be mandated to cover no cost-sharing contraceptives, including those that can destroy human embryos such as Plan B and Ella. There are no conscience protections for health care plans that object to such coverage, or for health care providers in insurance plan networks who object to prescribing such drugs.

Jeanne Monahan, Director of FRC's Center for Human Dignity, made the following comments:

Several drugs have been approved by the FDA to be legally categorized as 'emergency contraceptives,' despite functioning in ways that can destroy a preborn baby before or after implanting in the mother's womb. A federal mandate to all insurance plans to include drugs such as ella essentially would mandate coverage for abortion. Inclusion of contraceptives also undermines conscience protections that President Obama promised would be maintained.

"Earlier this year, we sent a letter to Secretary Sebelius urging HHS not to mandate that abortion or contraceptives be covered free of charge under the new health care law. If HHS includes these mandates, the conscience rights of millions of Americans will be violated, including issuers of plans, providers who contract with such plans, and Americans who will pay for the cost of these services. HHS should focus on items and services that prevent actual diseases, and not include controversial services just to placate the abortion industry.

Click here to download a copy of Family Research Council's letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Appropriately named Eve Woman's Medical Center, this Miami clinic offers abortions, breast implants, liposuction, Botox, tummy tucks, and a host of other women's "services." It is the ultimate in one stop shopping for the modern liberal pro-choice woman. A woman can kill her baby and get breast implants without having to shop around. Then to round off her visit she can go to the spa for a massage and a facial.

Another Miami clinic, A Choice For Women, offers three levels of abortion services, each with corresponding privacy, care and fee increases. They offer Clinic Patient, Private Patient or Exclusive Patient. Another clinic, A Woman's Care, offers weight management services along with abortions "to assist individuals interested in looking and feeling great." Woman and Teens Healthcare abortion clinic also offers weight management services.

LifeNews.com is reporting that Margaret Hartshorn, Ph.D., the president of Heartbeat International, states, "Abortionists are now using gimmicks like 'free plastic surgery with your abortion' to seduce women into their clinics."

There are also clinics that offer dollars off coupons, coupons for free gynecological services with the purchase of an abortion, free sedation and 1/2 off specials. One clinic is offering a "limited time offer"of $125.00 off the purchase of an abortion. One offers free ultrasound coupons and if these examples weren't bad enough, in an even more sickening twist, Planned Parenthood offers Christmas and Mother's Day gift certificates for abortions. A few years ago they offered "punch" cards to clients. If they got five punches on their cards they got a free abortion. I'm sure that it won't be long before they offer buy one get one free or bring a friend and receive a free abortion coupons....

Read entire post here.

Washington, DC/July 13, 2011/Liberty Counsel --

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quietly released a report that details the dangers for women who are considering using Mifepristone, also known as the abortion drug "RU-486." The report states that 14 women have died and more than 2,200 women have experienced serious medical problems from the drug in the United States alone. In addition, the complications of this abortion-inducing drug have led 612 women to be hospitalized, of which 339 were required to undergo a major blood transfusion and 256 suffered from a variety of infections. In spite of serious complications, this drug is continuing to be marketed as "safe" and, according to the Abortion Care Network website, "Many women feel that Mifepristone is private and more natural."

This study also reveals that abortion businesses are misdiagnosing or misusing this drug. In the face of the FDA's warning against prescribing it to "patients with confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy," there were 58 cases where it was given to women who had an ectopic pregnancy.

Mifepristone suppresses a woman's immune system. In some cases, fragments of the unborn child or other cells are not entirely expelled from the uterus, causing infection and complications. RU-486 can result in endometritis (an irritation of the lining of the uterus), pelvic inflammatory disease (involving the nearby reproductive organs), and pelvic infections with sepsis (a systemic infection spreading beyond the reproductive organs). The FDA classified 48 of the infections as severe infections, which "generally involve death or hospitalization for at least 2-3 days, intravenous antibiotics for at least 24 hours, [and] total antibiotic usage for at least 3 days..."

These results reinforce other findings by the FDA, which reported adverse effects associated with RU-486 in 2006. That earlier study showed 1,100 women having experienced serious medical repercussions as a result of taking this abortion drug.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, said: "I hate to say this, but we told you so. We warned that the RU-486 abortion drug would kill and injure women. But the Obama administration and its abortion allies have lost common sense, because they are blinded to reality by their radical commitment to the holocaust. President Obama and the FDA must halt this destructive abortion chemical."

See a PDF of the report here.

July 11, 2011/Allentown, PA/Operation Rescue --

Allentown Medical Services, an abortion mill at least partially controlled by the notorious Steven Chase Brigham, has been once again cited for gross health and safety violations by the Pennsylvania Department of Health while a judge has ruled that the PDH acted properly when banning Brigham and his American Medical Services (AMS) abortion chain from operating, directly or indirectly, in that state.

Nevertheless, the abortion mill remains open and doing abortions up to 24 weeks, according to the AMS web site.

The State of Pennsylvania had revoked clinic licensing for five of Brigham's abortion locations in July, 2010, citing violations that endangered the public. Brigham appealed and last month, a judge ruled that revocation of the clinic licenses, including the Allentown facility, was justified.

"It is outrageous that Allentown Medical Services is still in business, especially in light of the judge's findings and the horrific and dangerous conditions discovered there that place the health and lives of women at risk," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

An inspection that took place on May 26, 2011, discovered out-of-date medicine, metal instruments with a brown material in the hinges and inside the supposedly sterile packaging, surgical instruments tossed in unsterilized drawers, and surgical instruments stored in a "musty" smelling suitcase in broken wrappers - all of which were considered by employees to be ready for use on patients.

Perhaps most horrific was the discovery of a freezer where "Infectious Waste", (the remains of aborted babies), was stored that was smeared with what an employee acknowledged was blood and contained a thick layer of frozen blood in the bottom.

Other violations included:

• State mandated patient safety meetings were conducted via teleconference, with the Allentown safety officer, who does not even work at the Allentown clinic, calling in from New Jersey. This teleconferencing practice violates Pennsylvania law.
• Dirty recovery room blankets and heating pad covers were discovered that workers admitted were washed at home by employees "occasionally."
• An earlier inspection in January, 2011, noted that patients were not properly monitored during or after their abortions.

No corrective plan for any of these or the many other discovered violations is on file with the Department of Health.

In spite of being ordered not to have anything to do with providing abortions directly or indirectly in Pennsylvania, the Allentown Medical Services remains at least indirectly under Brigham's control. When served with the order, Brigham reorganized his Pennsylvania clinics under the name of Rose Health Services and transferred ownership to an elderly woman in Ohio, who was later discovered to be his mother. Brigham continues to offer services in Allentown as part of his American Women's Services abortion chain that spans four states.

Last year Brigham made headlines after he and several associates were caught operating an illegal late-term abortion ring after one of his patients suffered a seriously botched abortion at a secret abortion clinic in Elkton, Maryland. The abortions were started illegally in New Jersey by Brigham and finished in Maryland where Brigham holds no medical license. (Background documentation.) As a result, Brigham's New Jersey medical license was suspended in September, 2010.

His Pennsylvania medical license was surrendered in 2004. A New York judge once ordered him to stop advertising his abortions as "safe" and "painless." His license was later revoked in that state. He currently holds no active medical license in any state, yet his abortion clinics continue to operate.

"Brigham has a long history of illegal activity and negligent behavior that endangers women and wrongly takes the lives of innocent pre-born babies that laws have been enacted to protect," said Newman.

"It is frankly shocking and unconscionable that the State of Pennsylvania allows Brigham's continued illegal association with this seedy abortion clinic that has severe and gross health and safety violations of the law on file. The public needs to let the Pennsylvania Health Department know that people are watching this case closely and that the Allentown Medical Services abortion clinic must be immediately closed in the interest of public safety."

Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health: (717) 346-4736

"Americans United for Life is calling for a Congressional investigation and hearings into the nation's largest abortion provider," said AUL President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest. "This report provides the intellectual foundation for an investigation of Planned Parenthood as well as revealing gaps in the information available to the American taxpayer, who is forced to subsidize the politically powerful abortion industry."

"Momentum for defunding the abortion industry comes from the grassroots," noted Dr. Yoest. "More than 70 percent of taxpayers, whether pro-life or pro-abortion, agree that they don't want their tax monies subsidizing the abortion industry. This is a bi-partisan budget cut available for Congress and every state."

A number of states have begun the process of defunding abortion providers, though the efforts in Indiana have garnered the most media attention. Those states include New Jersey, Kansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio.

The report is one facet of AUL's strategic plan to end taxpayer subsidies to the abortion industry, to protect women, and to effectuate legal rights for all human beings. The AUL report documents known and alleged abuses by Planned Parenthood, and is intended to be a tool for use in investigating the nation's largest abortion provider.

The AUL report substantiates, synthesizes, and gives clear direction for the case against Planned Parenthood, which enjoys one-third of a billion in taxpayer support as a result of its intensive lobbying efforts.

According to the Federal Election Committee, since the 2000 elections, pro-abortion groups have spent more than $205M in campaign contributions or independent expenditures on behalf of candidates for federal office. In 2010 alone these groups spent over $30M on federal elections.

Since the 2000 election cycle, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates have disbursed at least $6.8 million through direct contributions and independent expenditures benefiting federal candidates for office. In the 2010 cycle alone, Planned Parenthood and affiliates spent nearly $1.6 million in federal races.

"It is time to find out what happens behind Planned Parenthood's closed doors and to receive full accounting for the funds taken from American taxpayers to support the abortion industry," said Dr. Yoest.

For more analysis and information about this project and to download a copy, click here.

If you would like to purchase a hard copy of the report, click here.

I am unapologetically pro-life. As far as I am concerned there are no reasons good enough to kill a baby. There are occasionally some very hard situations like ectopic pregnancy where the baby will normally die anyway so there is usually no choice but to end the pregnancy to save the mother. Although there have been extremely rare cases where some of these have lived. Hopefully someday medical science will be able to overcome these situations. But for now the parents are left with some devastating things to think about. This is obviously an extremely heart breaking scenario to have to go through.

The flip side of this is parents who abort because of a lack of perfection in the fetus. Ultrasound technology is a window into the womb and while it can be used to save an unborn baby's life it also allows things that were once hidden until birth to be glaringly visible leading to multitudes of unborn babies being killed by parents who would have wanted them otherwise. Other medical tests such as amniocentesis have also revealed former hidden issues and further increased the number of babies aborted for reasons of fetal imperfection.

In the United States an estimated 92% of all babies diagnosed with Down's syndrome before birth will be killed in the womb (1). Babies are also being aborted for everything from heart defects to cleft palates to dwarfism. This desire for perfection in order to love and parent is yet another indication of our morally bankrupt position as a society. True parental love is not bound by the imaginary standard of perfection but is steadfast, realizing that true perfection is non existent.

We have no guarantees in this life. A baby born today appearing to be perfectly healthy can develop leukemia tomorrow. A baby born today without the slightest blemish can me maimed in an accident tomorrow. What happens then? Do we stop loving and parenting because the child no longer meets the ambiguous definition of perfection? ...

Read entire article here.

So, I woke up this morning and thought, "I really need to blog." Tim (my husband) has been trying to get me to start a blog for many months now. For some reason he thinks I'm smart and have a lot of good stuff to say...my husband loves me and I love him. He's probably going to be my only "follower" for awhile. :) Anyhow, I was standing in my closet, getting dressed, and, once again, a stream of thoughts just started running through my mind. This happens to me a lot. I'll start thinking about something that is really important to me, and I won't know what to do with it.,,so I just think it through, lecturing myself or whatever, and that's it. This morning I decided it was time to start sharing my thoughts with the world! Or, at least with whoever will listen. I guess I'm just a few years behind the rest of the blogging public.