Redstate

Posted at 11:49am on May 9, 2008 Obama on judges

Protecting the Powerless?

By Feddie

Here is Senator Obama describing what he will look for in a judge if elected president:

[W]hat I do want is a judge who is sympathetic enough to those who are on the outside, those who are vulnerable, those who are powerless, those who can't have access to political power and as a consequence can't protect themselves from being being dealt with sometimes unfairly, that the courts become a refuge for justice. That's been its historic role. That was its role in Brown v Board of Education.

Except for unborn babies, of course.

Those, you can kill with impunity (even after they're born).

UPDATE (Dan McLaughlin): San Diego Union-Tribune cartoonist Steve Breen made this same point with a cartoon worth a thousand words during the Alito hearings:

Cartoon below the fold...

Posted in Abortion | Judicial Activism | Judicial Appointments | Life Issues — Comments (47)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:11pm on Apr. 10, 2008 South Park on Abortion: "The Ultimate Cheat"

By Ben Domenech

I know not all of you are South Park fans. I'm a huge fan of their work, and as RS editors know, I try to force them all to watch the episodes and marvel at the phenomenal social commentary hidden behind a layer of the absurd and/or the obscene.

The South Park guys aren't conservatives - they're libertarians. But they're awesome libertarians. They hate the global warming preachers, NAMBLA, Jesse Jackson, Hillary Clinton, and save some of their strongest bile for the celebrity political activists - George Clooney, Rob Reiner, Rosie O'Donnell and Barbara Streisand. They can't stand politically correct authoritarians and they authored the definitive anti-9/11-truthers response (which actually ends up being kinda pro-W, believe it or not). They've made Al Gore into a walking joke among Comedy Central viewers. Yes, they bash the Catholic Church a lot and they have some cutting remarks about redneck Americans and country music...but their episodes bashing Richard Dawkins and atheism are far more vicious, and amazingly composed.

Posted in Abortion | Libertarians | Life Issues | South Park — Comments (38) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:45am on Mar. 31, 2008 "Punished with a baby"

By Feddie

Ben Smith wonders whether these remarks by Senator Obama will be his "next controversy."

I think there is a chance that they will, but much will depend on what sort of coverage the remarks receive in the blogosphere, and whether that buzz is enough to translate into MSM attention.

Posted at 2:54pm on Mar. 25, 2008 NOW hates women who fail to have abortions

By Neil Stevens

Over at Flash Report they've followed the story of Assemblyman Chuck DeVore's (Republican of Orange County) Assembly Bill 1940, which would allow pregnant women to get temporary placards to park their cars in handicapped parking spaces. The Assemblyman has gotten many reports of pregnant women who have trouble in large, full parking lots, particularly in the summer, when they have a long way to walk.

It seems like a simple, common-sense thing we can do to help expectant mothers, right? Think again. Democrats defeated the bill in committee, with a member who voted to defeat the bill, Assemblywoman Betty Karnette (Democrat of Long Beach) saying that instead of this, pregnant women "need a man around the house."

Apparently Karnette, NOW, and the rest of the radical left think that pregnant women need to live their lives as helpless shut-ins, living at the whims of the men in their lives, even if it means staying home all day because the men have to go out and earn a living.

It baffles me how anyone can claim that positions like these are pro-women. How far have we sunk, that an organization gains credibility as 'pro-woman' by favoring unrestricted abortion on demand, but can then actively seek to hinder pregnant women like this?

I guess NOW just hates women who don't kill their young.

Posted in Abortion | California | Chuck DeVore | handicapped parking spaces | NOW | pregnancy | State Politics — Comments (53)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:40pm on Mar. 7, 2008 Barack Obama's "Mad World"

By Feddie

Dear Senator McCain, this is the kind of ad you might want to consider running againt Senator Obama this Fall:

Warning: There are some graphic images in the video.

(LvCJ)

Posted in 2008 | Abortion | Barack Obama | Born Alive Infants Protection Act — Comments (33)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:32pm on Feb. 24, 2008 California Republicans reject abortion, re-adopt compromise platform

By Neil Stevens

The California Republican Party has again adopted "a strong, conservative pro-life, pro-family platform", says Flash Report, but I think what really happened in San Francisco is that conservatives and moderates fought off an extreme pro-abortion fringe and joined to put in a moderate platform that reaches out in a reasonable way to a left-leaning state.

Posted in Abortion | California | Human Life Amendment | platform | Republicans — Comments (63) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:44am on Feb. 18, 2008 Bill Clinton's true colors

By Alexham

Stay classy, Slick Willie:

At a later event today in Steubenville, OH, Bill Clinton snapped hard at an anti-abortion protestor who had interrupted him.

“I gave you the answer. We disagree with you," Clinton said. "You wanna criminalize women and their doctors and we disagree... I reduced abortion… Tell the truth, tell the truth… If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison. And you won’t say you wanna do that because you know that because you know that you wouldn't have a lick of political support. Now, the issue is who … the issue is, you can't name me anybody presently in politics that did more to introduce policies that reduce the number of real abortions instead of the hot air putting out to tear people up and make votes by dividing America."

“This is not your rally. I heard you. That's another thing you need is a president, somebody who will stick up for individual rights and not be pushed around, and she won't."

Finally, a campaign theme for HRC: "Hillary '08: Sticking up for the right to abort innocent babies!"

You know, I don't know many people who are more active in the pro-life movement than I am, and I cannot recall ever hearing a prolifer express an interest in prosecuting or jailing women. To be sure, there are plenty of prolifers who favor going after doctors who perform illegal abortions. Indeed, I am one of them. But the prolifers I know have no desire to prosecute women who seek out abortions in a post-Roe world. No, what they need is our mercy and support. Bill Clinton, of course, knows this to be the case. But when you cannot debate the merits straight up, I suppose the only thing you can do is attempt to mischaracterize your opponent's arguments or engage in baseless personal attacks.

Has there ever been a man less worthy to occupy the White House than Bill Clinton? I think not.

Update: You can view the video here (LvJS).

Posted in Abortion | Bill Clinton | Culture — Comments (21)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:33pm on Jan. 30, 2008 Re: Imagining a Pro-Life America

By Ben Domenech

We have to trade the welfare state for an end to abortion? Yikes - way to allow for a future of something other than Gersonism.

I think Ross's assumption is based on a false assessment of the post-Roe universe. In a situation where roughly 30 states have rape-incest-life of the mother bans, and pro-lifers go from election cycle to election cycle battling for the remaining 20 or so (in some states, probably successfully - in the Northeast, probably not), we're supposed to assume this is going to lead inevitably to a massive expansion of the federal welfare state? This isn't Romania, people - there isn't some huge wandering gypsy population, giving birth to babies viewed as "inferior" by the citizenry, and abandoning them en masse to the state.

I don't see that at all, and it strikes me as sloppy reasoning. The likelier result is expansion of foster care funding, S-CHIP funds and children's health insurance, which is happening already, in the form of larger block grants to the states to allocate as they see fit. This is doubtlessly going to be accompanied by pro-lifers transferring their donations to fight Roe into more philanthropic ventures to help the children the law now protects. In both cases, that's just taxpayers funding the care of kids, not exactly some "epic social experiment."

As for that Village Voice piece about Romania - it gets a lot of things wrong, but I make a policy of not responding to the Village Voice. Instead, respond by going to Romania Reborn, a ministry to the foster children of that sad country, and doing your part to help.

Posted at 11:14am on Jan. 30, 2008 "Imagining A Pro-Life America"

By Alexham

This is a fascinating post by Ross Douthat on the complexities of a post-Roe world. I don't agree every point he makes, but it is a thoughtful piece, and well worth your time.

Posted at 2:49pm on Jan. 23, 2008 You really gotta hand it to the proaborts

By Alexham

They stick up for one another.

Posted at 8:51pm on Jan. 22, 2008 President Bush at his best

By Alexham

President Bush spoke to several March for Life rally participants today in the East Room of the White House. Here are his eloquent remarks to those in attendance:

I see people with a deep conviction that even the most vulnerable member of the human family is a child of God. You're here because you know that all life deserves to be protected. And as you begin your march, I'm proud to be standing with you.

Thirty-five years ago today the United States Supreme Court declared and decided that under the law an unborn child is not considered a person. But we know many things about the unborn. Biology confirms that from the start each unborn child is a separate individual with his or her own genetic code. Babies can now survive outside the mother's womb at younger and younger ages. And the fingers and toes and beating hearts that we can see on an unborn child's ultrasound come with something that we cannot see: a soul.

Today we're heartened -- we're heartened by the news that the number of abortions is declining. But the most recent data reports that more than one in five pregnancies end in an abortion. America is better than this, so we will continue to work for a culture of life where a woman with an unplanned pregnancy knows there are caring people who will support her; where a pregnant teen can carry her child and complete her education; where the dignity of both the mother and child is honored and cherished.

We aspire to build a society where each one of us is welcomed in life and protected in law. We haven't arrived, but we are making progress. Here in Washington we passed good laws that promote adoption and extend legal protection to children who are born despite abortion attempts. We came together to ban the cruel practice of partial birth abortion. And in the past year we have prevented that landmark law from being rolled back.

We've seen the dramatic breakthroughs in stem cell research that it is possible to advance medical science while respecting the sanctity of life. Building a culture of life requires more than law; it requires changing hearts. And as we reach out to others and find common ground, we can see the glimmerings of a new America on a far shore. This America is rooted in our belief that in a civilized society, the strong protect the weak. This America is nurtured by people like you, who speak up for the weak and the innocent. This America is the destiny of a people whose founding document speaks of the right to life that is a gift of our Creator, not a grant of the state.

My friends, the time is short and your march is soon. As you give voice to the voiceless I ask you to take comfort from this: The hearts of the American people are good. Their minds are open to persuasion. And our history shows that a cause rooted in human dignity and appealing to the best instincts of the American people cannot fail. So take heart.

Take heart, be strong, and go forth. May God bless you.

On days like this, we are reminded why it matters so much to have a man who genuinely believes in the inherent dignity of the unborn occupying the White House.

God Bless you, President Bush.

Posted in Abortion | culture of life | Life Issues | President Bush — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:53am on Jan. 22, 2008 A day to remember a moral and judicial abomination

By Alexham

Thirty-five years ago today, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Roe v. Wade that a woman has a constitutional right to kill her unborn child. There is much I could say about Roe, which I believe is, hands down, the worst judicial decision in the history of our constitutional republic. But for today, I will hold my tongue.

Instead, I would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the foot soliders in the pro-life movement; many of whom will brave the cold today to stand up for a "Culture of Life" in this country. God Bless you all. Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless; for being people who are willing to defend the most vulnerable members of our society. It is a call that we all should heed. As Pope John Paul the Great once remarked:

The inviolability of the person, which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -- for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination . . . The human being is entitled to such rights in every phase of development, from conception until natural death, whether healthy or sick, whole or handicapped, rich or poor . . . [Moreover, if,] indeed, everyone has the mission and responsibility of acknowledging the personal dignity of every human being and of defending the right to life, some lay faithful are given particular title to this task: such as parents, teachers, healthworkers and the many who hold economic and political power.

And to that, all I can add is: Amen.

Posted in Abortion | culture of death | Life Issues | Roe v. Wade — Comments (10)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:13am on Jan. 22, 2008 Thirty-five years and 50 million Americans while the horror of slavery fades from memory

By RightMichigan.com

Cross-posted on Right Michigan at www.RightMichigan.com.

Today's one of those big days that leaves me at a bit of a loss for what to say.  On January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court legislated a new "right" into the Constitution, legalizing the pre-birth murder of innocent human beings.  In the thirty-five years between that day and this the United States has slaughtered 50 million children.

Posted in Abortion | Breaking News — Comments (16) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:10am on Jan. 21, 2008 The pursuit of truth... even when it's inconvenient

By RightMichigan.com

Cross-posted on Right Michigan at www.RightMichigan.com.

Another week and another important Monday and Tuesday.  Last week it was the final run-up to Michigan's Primary followed by a day at the polls that saw the Hillary Clinton train nearly derailed by some guy named "Uncommitted."  This week we won't get the national attention we got seven days ago but we join the nation in observing several important dates.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I'll save the speech and the homage for men and women far more eloquent than me but if there's a day on the calendar each year worth reflecting on how far we've come and how far we still have to go as a nation, as a State and more importantly, as individuals, this is it.  

I was blessed to be able to listen to another fantastic sermon from my pastor at Berean Baptist Church in Grand Rapids (best church in the world, by the way) on the nature of the man's work... the pursuit, in action, of truth, and it's implications in our lives.  It's easy to claim to pursue truth.  Everyone here does it every single day.  Our challenge, then, is to follow that truth wherever it takes us, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.

Which leads us into January 22nd.  Tomorrow is the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing the barbaric killing of innocent, defenseless boys and girls based on geography (two inches from free air and entirely without the protection of law).  Medical science, common sense, the human conscience and yes, truth, cry out against this holocaust, perhaps the darkest wave of violent atrocity in recorded human history.  But who is willing to pursue THAT truth?

Thank goodness there are other issues to consume us and distract us from the cancer we've created inside our own society with an organized and militant assault on my generation.  

Not that those other issues aren't often important.  And not that there isn't, at times, an overlap.  

The Lansing State Journal, this morning, encourages it's readers to begin their preparation for the 2008 legislative elections, citing two distinct schools of thought on government spending that will, in November, collide.  They pay lip service to the smaller-government crowd (that'd be us) before charging into the crux of their argument:

For those who believe the state is underachieving, the problem is equally complex. They will argue (as the Michigan Fiscal Responsibility Project did last week) that personal income has grown at nearly twice the rate of state spending. They take the position - with data to back it up - that Michiganians are prosperous enough to support a proper array of government services.

Darn it all.  I knew it was a mistake for any of us to be successful.  (End sarcasm)

Did you catch the insidious argument buried below the surface of that paragraph?  Michiganians are prosperous enough to support a "proper" array of services.  The inherent argument is that we don't currently support a proper array of services and that, more importantly (and more ridiculously) we exist for no other purpose.  The LSJ just told it's readers that they exist to prop up the government.  Scary.  (And the media isn't liberal at all, but I digress.)

And as far as that proper array of services, once the State and local government bodies start behaving more responsibly with the cash they've already been given then and only then should even the most liberal lunatic among us (yes, I'm talking to you, Andy Dillon) talk about taxing us more.

This bulletin from the Associated Press leads me to believe we haven't quite hit that mark just yet.  Looks like the Detroit Public Schools spent $1.5  million on trips and catering, about the same amount as it spent in 2006 despite pledges at the time to seriously curtail such waste.

Superintendent Connie Calloway declined to discuss the spending. Her office referred questions to district spokesman Steve Wasko, who said nearly all these expenditures took place before Calloway came on board in July.

The latest spending is for the fiscal year that ended September 1.

Mix that with a Triangle Project here and an Office of the First Gentleman there and a pandemic of State cash being spent lobbying itself it's a wonder everyone isn't whipping out their checkbook scribbling a bigger bank note to Treasury.

And Michigan, we might be leading the nation in all the wrong categories but no one knows how to misspend like the federal government.  On that front, and beyond the Presidential election Michigan has something to say again too.  The entire Congressional delegation is up for reelection and so is Carl Levin.

Word broke a few weeks ago that State Rep and Right Roots blogger Jack Hoogendyk was in the race and this weekend brought a "new" contestant to the primary field:

(Andrew "Rocky") Raczkowski, a 39-year-old Southfield businessman, said he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Levin because the state has declined in recent years. He said his military service in the U.S. Army Reserves in the Horn of Africa from 2003-04 made him "realize more than ever that partisan politics isn't what's going to get the job done."

Posted in Abortion | Breaking News | Carl Levin | Michigan | MLK | senate — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »