Pro-Life Group: Clear Difference on Abortion Between Obama and McCain

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 28, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Life Group: Clear Difference on Abortion Between Obama and McCain

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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 28
, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A leading pro-life organization says there is a clear difference on abortion between eventual GOP nominee and leading Democratic candidate Barack Obama. Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser published a commentary in this week’s National Catholic Register that examines the difference.

"Nothing highlights worldview differences better than candidates’ and legislators’ positions on sanctity of life issues," Dannenfelser explains.

She says America is at a "turning point" when it comes to abortion and euthanasia because the next president will decide the makeup of the Supreme Court, which has guided the direction of abortion and other pro-life issues for decades.

"An especially telling difference exists between Senators Obama and McCain," Dannenfelser says.

The difference begins with the way the candidates discuss issues related to pregnancy and abortion — with McCain sharing his feelings about a “surprise child" and Obama saying he wouldn’t want to punish his daughters if they had an unplanned pregnancy.

"Obama, missing the mystery and blessing, sees only a burden," the pro-life political leader says. "He sees such a surprise baby as punishment for wrongdoing rather than the natural result of a bad decision to engage in sex."

Dannenfelser points to the actions Obama took in the Illinois legislature to oppose a bill that would allow babies who survive failed abortions to receive appropriate medical care. Obama voted against the bill in 2002 and then used his committee chairmanship to block a second effort for it in 2003.

“What we are doing here is to create one more burden on a woman and I can’t support that,” Obama said at the time.

"That’s a living human being he would allow to die because he judges it to be an expendable annoyance. For him again, the unexpected born baby is a punishment and burden – an unnecessary affront to the woman’s decision to abort," Dannenfelser laments.

The SBA List president says Obama is clinging to a pro-abortion position because he thinks it will help him with women voters, but she says recent polling data show that belief is mistaken.

"That’s not only because women themselves – especially younger ones – are moving away from the abortion position. It is also because the position of generosity and love is the stronger, more attractive position," she said.

In contrast, Dannenfelser says McCain’s position on abortions is one that embraces the joy of life.

She says more needs to be done to educate voters about the rarely repeated story of John and Cindy McCain’s “surprise” child.

Cindy McCain, traveling in Bangladesh at the time, had promised a Catholic friend she would visit Mother Teresa’s orphanage there. After her tour, two nuns brought two children to her. They explained that both babies would die because of medical issues that could be easily treated in the United States.

Moved by their pleas, John and Cindy McCain agreed to adopt the two children.

"The McCains’ immediate and generous ‘yes’ to taking responsibility for two children in an incredibly inconvenient circumstance is revealing – and inspiring," Dannenfelser says.

For pro-life people, Dannenfelser concludes, "No matter who you are, how smart or slow you are, how beautiful or plain you look, how much or little money you have, how healthy and physically fit you are – you are necessary. Your right to life is equal to all others.’"

"The McCains agree. The Obamas disagree. That is why the choice between the two agendas is easy."