Barack Obama’s Hope? That Americans Won’t Know He’s Radically Pro-Abortion
by Laura Echevarria
LifeNews.com Editorial Columnist
October 12, 2008
LifeNews.com Note: Laura Echevarria is the former Director of Media Relations and a spokesperson for the National Right to Life Committee and has been a radio announcer, freelance writer active in local politics. She is an opinion columnist for LifeNews.com.
Once again, the political season brings out the strangest behavior in people.
Normal, ordinary citizens seem to morph into voters with "The Rage" at the mere mention of the candidate they oppose.
Where have we gone wrong as a nation? Have we lost our sense of etiquette? Have we no manners when we disagree on the issues?
I fear our problem runs deeper than that.
Over the years, certain candidates and their friends in the media have become very adept at manipulating the facts regarding a candidate’s record on an issue. As a result, people vote and react with their "feelings."
No longer do we find facts easily at our disposal. If you want to learn about a candidate, you—not the local news reporter—you will have to be the one to sift through records and web sites to figure out where a candidate stands. Manipulation and propaganda rear their ugly heads during these elections and the whitewashing of a candidate’s record is just part of the business for some.
As hard as it is—it seems—to find the truth, it is out there. Take for instance, a recent article that appeared in National Review. Written by National Right to Life’s Legislative Director Douglas Johnson, the article addresses the deliberate campaign to mislead American voters about Barack Obama’s record on abortion. Johnson wrote:
The Barack Obama ‘messaging machine’ is now in full overdrive mode, seeking to mislead religiously committed Americans into thinking that Obama has a middle-of-the-road position on abortion policy and will promote ‘abortion reduction.’
. . .
One important part of the ‘faith outreach’ sales pitch has been to insist that Obama would promote "abortion reduction" policies — that is to say, policies that would have the practical effect of reducing the number of abortions performed, without actually restricting abortion directly. This spiel was really a public relations strategy cooked up at a liberal think tank called Third Way, where veteran pro-abortion activists develop ‘messaging’ strategies to help pro-abortion politicians camouflage their positions. The Third Way ‘Culture Program’ (responsible for the ‘abortion reduction’ strategy, among other projects) is directed by Rachel Laser, whose previous job was with the Health and Reproductive Rights group at the National Women’s Law Center, and who before that worked for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, a major abortion provider.
But despite such efforts, more and more Americans are learning that the real Barack Obama is firmly committed to an agenda of sweeping pro-abortion policy changes that, if implemented, could be expected to drastically increase the numbers of abortions performed.
Once again, we see a candidate with a 100 percent approval rating from groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood whitewashing his record. Barack Obama claims to want to decrease the number of abortions in the U.S. but the policies he promotes such as pushing for the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act, reversing Mexico City Policy and appointing justices to the U.S. Supreme Court—who would broaden the scope of Roe v. Wade—would have the opposite effect.
Is Barack Obama that naïve?
No, he’s not.
He’s well aware of the fact that what he says and what he would do are poles apart. But Barack Obama is banking on the millions of American who do not know his record. He’s banking on the millions of Americans who blithely accept what a politician says he will do. He’s banking of the fervor of the mass media to give him a pass on this issue.
We must work now, right now, to protect the most vulnerable among us from the roll back of pro-life policies.
On November 5th, it will be too late.
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
