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Emergency Webcast Tonight to Combat Imminent Passage of Abortion-Funding Healthcare

By James Tillman

WASHINGTON, DC, October 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- Eminent pro-life leaders from across the nation will be speaking tonight during an emergency Stop the Abortion Mandate nationwide webcast, designed to educate people to the dangers of the abortion-funding healthcare bill and show how they can help stop it.

The live webcast is being run by the Stop the Abortion Mandate Coalition, an alliance of over 70 pro-life and pro-family organizations across America who have joined together to help stop legislation that pro-life leaders have called the largest expansion of abortion since Roe. v. Wade.

The event aims to give the latest details from Washington, where abortion industry lobbyists and their friends in Congress may attempt to ram abortion-funding legislation through the House as early as this week. 

The event also aims to detail how abortion is funded by the bill, despite the Obama administration's denials, and to show people how they can work against this bill to keep many of the pro-life advances of the past years from being undone.

The one-time-only live webcast event is taking place tonight at 9PM Eastern (6PM Pacific, 7PM Mountain, 8 PM Central.)  To sign up for this free event, go to http://stoptheabortionmandate.com/webcast/.

Invited speakers include Rep. Chris Smith, David Bereit of 40 Days for Life, Kristen Day of Democrats for Life, and Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee.  Previous speakers have included Mike Huckabee, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

The previous StoptheAbortionMandate webcast on July 22 was the largest pro-life webcast in history, with 36,000 listeners. 

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Director of Planned Parenthood at 40 Days for Life Birthplace Resigns after Watching Abortion Ultrasound

Planned Parenthood seeks restraining order

By Kathleen Gilbert

BRYAN, Texas, November 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The director of the Texas Planned Parenthood abortion mill where the 40 Days for Life campaign began has resigned, saying she experienced a conversion after watching an ultrasound video of a child being killed by abortion.

"I just thought I can't do this anymore, and it was just like a flash that hit me and I thought that's it," said Abby Johnson in an interview with local news network KBTX 3. 

Johnson had been affiliated with Bryan's Planned Parenthood facility for eight years, and worked as its director for two.  She said she began to feel uncomfortable with Planned Parenthood's business philosophy after the organization, suffering from the economic downturn, told her to try to bring more abortions in the door.  "The money wasn't in family planning, the money wasn't in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that," said Johnson. 

But the turning point for Johnson was reportedly when she witnessed an actual ultrasound image of an abortion being performed on an unborn child.

"I feel so pure in heart. I don't have this guilt, I don't have this burden on me anymore," said Johnson.  "And that's how I know that this conversion was a spiritual conversion."

Johnson resigned on October 6th, near the beginning of Bryan's sixth annual 40 Days for Life campaign, and she has since joined up with the nearby Coalition for Life to begin praying near her old workplace.  Coalition for Life is the local group that began 40 Days for Life, the national prayer and fasting campaign that was ongoing at the time of Johnson's resignation.

"This is by far the most amazing thing that has happened to the Coalition for Life throughout its entire history ... we thank God!" wrote Coalition for Life director Shawn Carney, who has been working with Johnson since her resignation, on the group's website.

40 Days for Life national director David Bereit said that Johnson's "amazing conversion demonstrates the importance of a constant, peaceful prayer presence in front of abortion facilities."

"From that first campaign in 2004, we've prayed for Abby - and for all abortion workers - that they would come to see what abortion really is, and that they would leave the deadly business. In this case, those prayers have been answered," said Bereit.  "We are so proud of Abby's courage to leave the abortion industry and publicly announce her reasons for leaving."

The story is receiving broad attention after it was posted on the Drudge Report website today.

Planned Parenthood reacted with legal action on Friday by filing for a temporary restraining order, seeking to prevent Johnson and the Coalition for Life from disclosing confidential information.  "We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff; however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary," said Planned Parenthood in a statement.

A hearing for the restraining order has been set for November 10.

Johnson is one of eight abortion industry workers who left their jobs during the fifth coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign that concluded yesterday in 212 cities. She was the highest-ranking of the eight. Others who quit their clinic jobs included nurses, office staffers and security personnel.

In addition, a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Kalispell, Montana announced that it will close its doors on November 20, citing a decline in business as the reason for the closure. That clinic was the site of a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil this past spring.

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NY 23 Conservative Hoffman Jumps to Commanding Poll Lead after Liberal GOP Drops out, Backs Democrat

By Kathleen Gilbert

WATERTOWN, New York, November 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new poll shows Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman having launched into a comfortable lead for New York 23 District's Nov. 3rd special election. The new numbers come after the socially liberal Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, dropped out of the race Saturday and threw her weight behind the Democrat candidate. 

Polls had already shown Hoffman either ahead of, or neck-and-neck with Democrat Bill Owens, while Scozzafava's hopes to take the deeply conservative district crumbled under the weight of her hard-left viewpoints.  Now, a survey released by Public Policy Polling Monday shows Hoffman 17 points ahead of Owens at 51%-34%, with Scozzafava - whose name will remain on the ballot - at 13%. When left to only the two active candidates, Hoffman leads Owens by 16 points, 54%-38%.

The saga unfolding in the district has come to be closely watched across the nation as auguring the future face of the GOP - and the latest developments appear to have given a dramatic answer in favor of traditional conservative values. 

"Even if Hoffman wins big in tomorrow's election, however, the consequences of the Republican Party's blunders in this campaign are likely to be felt far away from upstate New York," observed the American Spectator's Robert Stacy McCain on Monday.  "A yawning chasm of alienation between the GOP establishment and the party's grassroots has been exposed."

Discontent among local conservatives erupted in the district last month after GOP insiders selected Scozzafava, a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual "marriage" candidate to replace the popular conservative Republican Rep. John McHugh, whose appointment as Army Secretary had created the vacancy.  In a district that has remained Republican since the Civil War, the race grew unusually heated between the major party candidates thanks to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Running on a pro-life, pro-family platform, Hoffman began to gather endorsements from notable conservative figures, including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Dr. James Dobson, and Sen. Jim DeMint.  Groups including the Susan B. Anthony List, the National Organization for Marriage, and Concerned Women for America endorsed and mobilized grassroots-level campaigning for the dark horse candidate.  Soon, Hoffman's polling numbers began to inch ahead of both Scozzafava and Owens.

A further, more ironic blow to the GOPer's campaign may have come when NARAL attempted to rescue Scozzafava from sliding poll numbers by touting her pro-abortion credentials.  Pro-abortion commentators complained that the strategy coincided with a conservative ad campaign that also exposed Scozzafava's strongly pro-abortion, pro-card check and pro-homosexuality record to conservative New Yorkers.

"When your messaging and tactics are indistinguishable from the right-wing dirty tricksters, you know you've screwed up," wrote Daily Kos writer Markos Moulitsas.

In a surprise move Saturday, Scozzafava gave up the campaign.  According to Politico, the White House and New York Democrat leaders convinced Scozzafava to drop out and back Owens with the hopes of adding Scozzafava's independent supporters to the Democrat ticket.

"In recent days, polls have indicated that my chances of winning this election are not as strong as we would like them to be," said Scozzafava in a statement Saturday.  "The reality that I've come to accept is that in today's political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money -- and as I've been outspent on both sides, I've been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record," she added.

Critics took issue with the claim that Scozzafava was outspent, pointing out that the National Republican Congressional Committee had poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the assemblywoman's campaign. Instead, they say, blame could be placed more squarely on Scozzafava's patently liberal agenda.

"When a GOP candidacy is not based on fundamental conservative values, the party and the principles are inevitably betrayed at critical moments," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, following Scozzafava's Owens endorsement.

"In this race and in future races, we will stand for the candidates who firmly believe in these fundamental American ideals," said Dannenfelser, whose organization supports Hoffman's pro-life, limited-government platform.  "These principles are not only right, they are the path to electoral victory."

Conservative radio guru Rush Limbaugh urged the GOP to take back the mantle of conservatism Tuesday, warning that the party's trending towards liberal values constituted a "death wish."

"Gallup: 40 percent of Americans now say they are conservative, 20 percent say they're liberal, 36 percent say they're moderates. And of those three groups, which one is being ignored - not just ignored - which one is being attacked by the Republican Party? The conservatives!" said Limbaugh.

"Right now conservatism is on the ascendancy, it's actually good to be a conservative, and this is the time to reassert control over the Republican Party," he continued.  "It's not going to be easy but the Democrats, the far left didn't go out and form a third party. They took over the Democrat Party."

Hoffman's victory may help mark a palpable conservative push-back against President Obama's election last year, if it coincides with GOP wins in the key gubernatorial races of New Jersey and Virginia.  New Jersey's incumbent Jon Corzine and Virginia's Creigh Deeds, both Democrats personally endorsed by President Obama, are behind in the polls in the lead-up to Tuesday's election.  Obama traveled to New Jersey on Sunday to stump again for Corzine, who is seen to stand more of a chance against Republican Chris Christie than his Virginia counterpart against Republican Bob McDonnell.

See previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

NARAL Supports GOP Candidate in Fight for NY23 Against Surging Pro-Life Conservative
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09103016.html

New Polls Show Pro-Life Conservative Upstart Hoffman Taking Lead in Battle for NY 23
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09102805.html

Conservative Rebellion Explodes in New York over Extreme Liberal GOP Candidate
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09102314.html

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Canadian MP Launches Petition to Stop Federal Funding of Planned Parenthood

By Patrick B. Craine

OTTAWA, Ontario, November 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "We, the undersigned residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to stop all funding of International Planned Parenthood Federation," reads a new petition being circulated by Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Brad Trost (Saskatoon-Humboldt).

The petition refers specifically to a 2006 pledge from the Canadian federal government to allocate $18 million over four years to International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).  CIDA is overseen by International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda (C-Durham), who took the position in 2007.

The goal, says Trost, is to stop the IPPF funding when it comes up for renewal, which he says is supposed to happen around December 31st.

He has circulated a similar petition "on a low-key level" by word-of-mouth since the March for Life in May, but has redrafted it and posted it to his website.  He has already presented these petitions in the House of Commons a few times, but is now stepping up his efforts.

He raised the issue informally, he says, as have others, but "got a brush off."  "I then started ... to roll this out so that people would realize and understand that the federal government ... funds Planned Parenthood International," he told LifeSiteNews.com, "and I find that disturbing and would like to have the money rerouted to something else."

IPPF is the world's largest abortion provider and, as they themselves admit, promotes international abortion 'rights' as one of their central focuses.

In addition to IPPF's abortion advocacy, the petition cites the fact that the organization "does not support physicians' freedom to practice according to their conscience and/or religious beliefs regarding abortion referral."

According to IPPF's 'Charter on Sexual and Reproductive Rights', physicians may only refuse to offer contraceptive and abortion 'services' "if they can refer the client to health professionals willing to provide the service immediately" (5.3).  "No such right exists in emergency cases where lives are at risk," they add.

IPPF took in $119 million in 2008, with almost 80% coming from government grants.  In the midst of a financial crisis, $23 million of that money went towards staffing, with over 3 dozen people given six figure incomes that topped out at $480,000.

CIDA would seem to have become a dedicated supporter of organizations that advocate de-population and actively work towards global abortion access, giving away millions of Canadian tax money.  In 2007, for example, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation reported that, in addition to the money pledged to IPPF, in 2006/2007 CIDA had given $44,050,000 to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as well as $18 million to UNICEF.

While UNFPA claims that they do not promote abortion, they are an ardent supporter of abortion advocacy groups, such as IPPF, which reported in 2008 that it had received $1 million from the fund that year.  In September, the UNFPA's leader, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, called for a budget of $23 billion to be able to fund abortions worldwide.

In Trost's opinion, the government has continued funding IPPF because of "inertia."  "The bureaucracy's done it before and no one wants to rock the boat," he explained.  "So at the end of the day, don't make any waves. ... I'm encouraging people to let their voice be spoken so that the unelected government, i.e. the bureaucrats in CIDA who support Planned Parenthood, don't get to dictate where people's tax dollars go."

He is encouraging people to write the Prime Minister and CIDA's Minister, Bev Oda.  He would like those who write "not only to oppose it because abortion is wrong, period, but also because there's other better ways to spend ... Canadian international development aid money."

"Write or encourage the Minister and CIDA to spend money on other things - vaccination programs, well-water programs," he said.  "There's other much better things this could be spent on."

The petition can be downloaded from Trost's website.  A French version will be posted next week or later this week.  Completed petitions are to be sent to his Ottawa office.

Contact Information:

Brad Trost, MP (Saskatoon-Humboldt)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 992-8052
E-mail: trostb@parl.gc.ca

Bev Oda, MP (Durham) and Minister of International Cooperation
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 992-2792
Fax: (613) 992-2794
Email: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Governments Maintain IPPF Funding Despite Financial Crisis in 2008
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09070910.html

Canada's Conservative Gov't Gave $80 Million To De-Population Groups in 2006/07
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/nov/07112708.html

Leader of United Nations Population Fund Calls for Global Abortion Funding
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09090403.html

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Alaska Introduces Personhood Initiative

By Kathleen Gilbert

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, November 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A statute recognizing the personhood of human beings from the moment of conception has been certified in Alaska.

"An Act Recognizing the Legal Personhood of All Human Beings Including Unborn Children" was introduced by 22-year-old local pro-life activist Christopher Kurka on August 24, and Lt. Governor Sean Parnell certified the application on October 22.  The initiative, which must gather over 32,000 signatures, will likely appear on the 2012 primary ballot.

The act reads: "Be it enacted by the People of the State of Alaska that all human beings, from the beginning of their biological development as human organisms, including the single-cell embryo, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, condition of dependecy or method of reproduction, shall be recognized as legal persons in the state of Alaska."

Alaska joins several other U.S. states with active personhood initiatives, either in state legislatures or constitutional ballot initiatives.

Planned Parenthood of Alaska (PPAK) objected to the initiative by claiming that it would lead to women being investigated for miscarriages. 

"Worst-case scenario is we might be in a situation where women or doctors would have to report if a woman had a miscarriage and then she might be investigated as to why," PPAK president Clover Simon told NBC 2.  "There are a lot of potential and unintended consequences for these initiatives and because we don't really know what they are until it's put into practice, I think it's kind of scary for women."

In a telephone interview with LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) Monday, Kurka called Planned Parenthood's objection "ludicrous."

"Even though they try to bring up all these distractions, they still have to focus on whether the unborn is a person, which is what the pro-life movement has needed to do," said Kurka.  "It's where we win the argument, it's where the real issue is.  It's not a ban on a procedure .... It's asking whether or not the unborn is a person, and is going to be protected like the rest of us."

The pro-lifer said that he was optimistic about the measure, pointing out the positive response even despite local news coverage he felt was negatively biased.

"Even though [the local media] did kind of a hatchet job, and they were quite biased, actually, I still got contacted by a lot of people who went through a lot of trouble to hunt me down because they wanted to sign the initiative," he said.  "I found that very encouraging."

Kurka, who has already been active in politics despite his youth, said he felt it was important for the statute to declare a recognition, rather than a definition, of personhood. 

"It's dangerous for the state to define persons, because then the state is claiming they have the right to define them, rather than recognizing who persons are, and therefore protecting them," he said.

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