Governor Sebelius Responds to Criticism of Party With Abortion Practitioner
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 28, 2008
Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius responded late Wednesday to criticism from pro-life groups about a party she had at the governor’s mansion with an infamous late-term abortion practitioner. A spokeswoman said the event was one of many receptions the governor’s office gives to charitable causes.
As LifeNews.com reported early Tuesday, the pro-life group Operation Rescue produced photos of Sebelius appearing at the mansion reception with George Tiller, who does late-term abortions in Wichita.
Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran spokes with the media and said the April, 9, 2007 event at Cedar Crest was given as a prize to the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus, a group that promotes pro-abortion candidates.
"Governor Sebelius donates auction items like a dinner or reception to organizations whose causes she supports," Corcoran said, according to an AP report. "We do not control who purchases it."
Corcoran said Tiller apparently purchased the reception at one of the dinners, but she was unable to say how much he paid.
Operation Rescue spokesman Troy Newman called the response ""laughable."
"According to our source, who attended the event at Cedar Crest, the party was ‘by special invitation only,’" he told LifeNews.com.
"It was obvious to this person that Tiller was on a very friendly basis with Sebelius and took the time to personally introduce each member of his abortion clinic staff to the governor," he added.
"Our source was very specific that the event’s purpose was to ‘honor’ Tiller and his staff. The pictures, especially the ones that include the political T-shirts produced by Tiller, back up our source’s claims," Newman said, referring to a shirt showing a "trifecta" of electing pro-abortion candidates, including Sebelius.
"It is laughable for Sebelius to now say she has no control over who she parties with. The Women’s Political Caucus is a radical leftist feminist organization that is providing the smoke and mirrors to cover for the Tiller party," said Newman. "We don’t buy it."
Newman also said he’s concerned that receipts his group received from the governor’s office about the event, obtained under the open records act, show the pro-abortion gala was paid for at taxpayer expense.
Just over a month after the Tiller soiree, Gov. Sebelius celebrated her birthday on May 15, 2007, at a party thrown by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri.
The event came at the same time the abortion business was under investigation from the state attorney general.
