Pro-Abortion Former New York Governor George Pataki May Run in 2012
Albany, NY — Former New York Governor George Pataki may launch a presidential bid in 2012 and would face a crowded field of pro-life advocates. Should he run, he would likely face the same uphill battle as pro-abortion former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had problems attracting Republican support because of his abortion views.
The former governor, who served three terms in New York and was governor at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, announced his potential bid in an interview on ABC’s “Top Line” on Monday.
“What I’m going to be looking at is, do we have the right people out there who have that experience, who have experienced leadership, who have been challenged and who can bring people together — not just Republicans and conservatives, but conservatives [and] Democrats,” Pataki said. “And make a decision on who else is out there, and whether or not they have those characteristics we need to be able to win this election and govern successfully.”
Pataki was a rumored presidential contender in 2008, but decided against getting into the race. He raised his profile during the 2010 elections.
Pataki, who emerged from relative obscurity as the mayor of Peekskill, N.Y., to be elected governor in 1994, also took a jab at former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin noting, "It was a challenging job, mayor of Peekskill, let me assure you," he said. "Twice the size of Wasilla."
Pataki said he would support Palin should she win the GOP nomination in 2012, but suggested he wouldn’t be all that excited about it.
“It was hard for me to support Carl Paladino. And I did that. So certainly if the choice is between [Palin] and President Obama, I don’t think I’d have any difficulty at all supporting Sarah Palin,” he said.
Washington State Board of Pharmacy Votes on Pharmacist Conscience Clause
Olympia, WA — The Washington state Board of Pharmacy voted 3-2 on Thursday to move forward with changes to a rule that prohibits pharmacies from refusing to dispense legal medications, including the Plan B drug. The current rule allows individual pharmacists to refuse to dispense a medication based on moral objections, although pharmacies are still legally required to help the patient.
Thursday’s vote does not change the rule, but it launches a months-long revision process. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for December 16.
The rule took effect in 2007, one year after it was adopted by the state Department of Health and Board of Pharmacy. Shortly after the rule’s implementation, two pharmacists and an Olympia-based pharmacy challenged it in federal court on the grounds that it violated constitutional rights.
Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion group Legal Voice joined the lawsuit over concerns about patients’ access to medication. A judge has put the case on hold to allow the state to modify the rule and avoid lengthy court proceedings.
Court documents from earlier this year suggest several possible changes, including allowing a pharmacy to refuse to fill a medication as long as it provides a “facilitated referral,” which would include calling another pharmacy, confirming that the medication is in stock and telling the patient where to go. Such referrals are already common practice for out-of-stock drugs, according to the state.
Gov. Chris Gregorie (D) and Health Secretary Mary Selecky also oppose changing the rule.
Israel Knesset Committee Defeats Pro-Life Bill Banning Late-term Abortions
Jerusalem, Israel — The Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs on Monday rejected a private bill proposed by Knesset Member Nissim Zeev (Shas) prohibiting abortions after the 22nd week of pregnancy, and implementing a change in the current law which allows abortions during later stages of the pregnancy.
In his commentary on the bill to amend the penal law on abortions, MK Zeev wrote: “At 22 weeks the fetus is alive and termination of the pregnancy is murder of the fetus and not ‘abortion’. This is why the claim that prevention of abortion is interfering in a woman’s rights to her body cannot justify the termination of the pregnancy at this stage”.
According to the MK, abortion of a baby at this stage is “executed in a cruel manner by putting the fetus to death via injection, causing the fetus to endure a great deal of pain.
“Putting live fetuses to death, when scientific and technological progress means that their lives could be saved outside the uterus, is an immoral and unjustified act in spite of the collision with the right a woman has to her body.”
According to figures he presented, over 20,000 legal abortions are carried out in Israel every year, with double that number being performed privately or illegally. So that according to unofficial estimates, around 80,000 abortions are carried out in Israel every year. (YNet)
Colombia Conservative Party to Pursue Bill Banning All Abortions
Bogota, Colombia — Colombia’s Conservative Party announced Wednesday that it will pursue a constitutional reform, endorsed by the Catholic Church, to make abortion illegal in all cases, reports El Espectador.
The party’s new president announced that in March, the Conservatives will seek to overturn the 2006 Constitutional Court ruling that made abortions legal if the unborn child is diagnosed has supposedly having severe birth defects.
“It is not an unborn baby’s fault if it was the result of rape or had a deformation,” said party President Jose Dario Salazar. “Colombian society is Catholic and Christian, and because of this we’re going to reform the constitution.”
The Conservative said that the right to life must be protected from conception to death, and said claims that the current law permitting abortions in select cases is being abused.
The loophole has been exploited as 61 percent of all legal abortions were said to be because of fetal abnormality. Another 20 percent were due ot the mother’s life at risk and 18 percent because of rape or incest.
British MPS Debate Informed Consent Before Abortions, Citizens Ill-Informed
London, England — Women who seek an abortion should be “fully informed” about the possible consequences, a group of consultant psychiatrists have said in a letter to a national newspaper. In the letter the medics highlighted a recent poll which showed the idea of “informed consent” enjoys massive public support.
Their call follows a debate in the House of Commons on the issue of abortion where MPs raised concerns over current abortion counselling practices, The Christian Institute reported.
The debate in the House of Commons was led by Conservative MP Nadine Dorries. Mrs Dorries raised concerns about the current system of performing abortions, saying they are done “as quickly as possible and without fuss”. She warned: “Minimal counselling or no counselling is provided in some NHS hospitals and some clinics.”
Meanwhile, a poll which was referred to by the top medics was carried out by ComRes and commissioned by the campaign group Christian Concern.
As well as showing 89 per cent support for informed consent, the survey also revealed that the vast majority of people either vastly underestimated or didn’t know the true number of abortions taking place in Britain.
During 2009 there were over 200,000 abortions, but the survey revealed that just 3 per cent of the respondents correctly estimated that the number of abortions was between 150,000 and 250,000.
