Washington Times Calls Barack Obama "Liar" on Abortion, Backs John McCain

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 2, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Washington Times Calls Barack Obama "Liar" on Abortion, Backs John McCain

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 2
, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The Washington Times didn’t mess around in a Sunday editorial talking about Barack Obama and his position on abortion. The newspaper called the presidential candidate a "liar" for misleading voters about his votes against an anti-infanticide bill when he served in the Illinois legislature.

The issue concerns the various version of the born alive bill that Obama voted against as a state lawmaker.

The measure came up after Chicago-area nurse Jill Stanek exposed the practice of "life-birth abortions" where babies born alive after a failed abortion or purposefully birthed prematurely were left to die at her hospital.

The bill mandated appropriate medical care for the newborns, but Obama voted against it. He claimed the bill would run afoul of Roe v. Wade — yet legislative documents show he voted against the bill even after voting for an amendment to make the legislation Roe neutral.

In an editorial entitled, "Obama is a ‘liar’ on abortion," the Washington Times discusses the events in depth.

"If you want to know Barack Obama’s real views on abortion, you should meet registered nurse Jill Stanek," the Times says.

After recounting the events leading up to the legislation, the Times noted that Obama would only go as far as telling Stanek that "comfort care" — giving the infant a warm blanket and permitting the baby to be held by someone — as she dies.

"This is the most Mr. Obama could find in his heart to provide – a warm blanket for a child grasping for life," the Times wrote.

Obama has clung to the position that he voted against the bill because it interfered with Roe, even though that’s not the case with the Roe neutralization amendment he supported added to it.

Obama, as a presidential candidate, talks of compassion for the weak and underprivileged but to Stanek and the Times, the rhetoric rings hollow — especially in light of the way Obama misrepresented his votes.

"Frankly, I think he is a liar," Stanek said.

The Times also highlights other aspects of Obama’s record and position that can only be described as pro-abortion.

"There is no doubt that Mr. Obama wants not only to uphold existing abortion laws, but a more radical view," the newspaper writes. It focuses on how he supports a bill that would overturn every pro-life law nationwide.

"Contrary to Mr. Obama’s pledges to reduce the number of abortions, he really wants to make them easier to get – while overriding state and federal laws," the Times adds.

The newspaper contrasts Obama’s views with those of John McCain, who is pro-life on abortion.

"Mr. McCain believes unequivocally that life begins at conception," it wrote. "Mr. McCain even supports requiring parental notification for underage girls who want to abort the fetus. His 0 percent rating by NARAL is perhaps one of his greatest achievements as a senator."

"On one of the fundamental moral questions of our time, the choice is clear: One man favors life, the other prefers a society that permits the death of the most innocent and vulnerable of us," the newspaper concludes.

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