Life of the Party

November 2008 Election Historic for Pro-Life Movement

Because it's a presidential year?  No.  Because of a particular congressional race?  Well, perhaps some of them might prove to be interesting, but not that either.  Because voters in the state of Colorado, the first state to liberalize abortion laws before Roe vs. Wade, will be the first of any state to vote on defining "personhood" and when it begins.  Why is that important?  Watch this video and pay particularly close attention to the discussion between Justice Potter Stewart and Attorney Sarah Weddington who represented Roe in Roe vs. Wade.   

Colorado for Equal Rights Personhood Amendment from Personhood USA on Vimeo.

I'm suddenly reminded of one of the "principles" (more like verbal gymnastics) of Mainstream Republicans of Washington:

We value life and seek to protect it - We should not attempt to legislate a definition of life.

Well, yes we should.  How else will we know who is protected by the law?  They know this is an attempt to sidestep the issue, their organization being full of lawyers and experienced politicians, several of them instrumental at liberalizing our own state's abortion laws pre-Roe. 

Kudos to Kristi Burton, who is showing courageous leadership at such a very young age, and to all in Colorado who have worked to get the personhood amendment on the ballot.  Many of us will be watching and praying for Colorado, and ready to follow in their footsteps.  You have set the example for us all!

Conservatives Ready To Battle McCain on Convention Platform

Conservative activists are preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain in advance of September's Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party's official declaration of principles.  Full story.

If the Washington State Convention is a precursor, conservatives will have their work cut out of them.  The list of issues will most likely include abortion as well.

Declare Independence...from Abortion

(A message from 40 Days for Life):

232 years ago, 56 courageous men gathered together in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. They were willing to put everything on the line to declare independence, and as a result, a new nation was born.

Tomorrow, July 4th, we remember the courage of these heroes while celebrating the many rich blessings we enjoy here in America.

In a similar way, years from now -- when abortion has been ended -- our children and grandchildren will pause to remember the heroes who put everything on the line to declare independence from the injustice of abortion.

What will they say about YOU?

Interested in 40 Days for Life in your town?  Check out 40 Days for Life. 

A Sexual Revolution

...of a new kind.

Pro-Life Surrender Politics

At least someone else is challenging the status quo.  Thank you RNC for Life:   

QUESTION: How can John McCain defeat Barack Obama?

ANSWER: John McCain can win in November if he energizes the pro-life, pro-family conservative base of the Republican Party so they will work hard and beat the bushes to get him elected.

LifeNews.com (6/13/08) reported that John McCain and assorted Catholic pro-life leaders met at Philadelphia’s Union League Club on Friday, June 13 to talk about establishing "outreach" to Catholic voters. Catholic columnist Deal Hudson, former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, former Vatican Ambassador and RNC Chairman Jim Nicholson, and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback were there, along with Priests for Life director Rev. Frank Pavone.

McCain cited the "stark contrast" between himself and Barack Obama on pro-life issues, according to Life News. He talked about his differences with Obama on taxpayer-funded abortions and the ban on partial-birth abortion.

Nowhere in the LifeNews report does it say that the Catholic pro-life leaders present at the meeting asked John McCain to make a public commitment that he would, as President, veto the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) if it makes its way to his desk. Nowhere does it say that the Catholic pro-life leaders present asked John McCain to reverse his long-held support for the killing of human embryos for scientific research, and for the taxpayer funding of such research. Nowhere does it say that the Catholic pro-life leaders present asked John McCain to reverse his position in support of legal abortion for babies conceived through rape or incest.

Catholic pro-life voters specifically, and pro-life voters in general, are waiting for real pro-life commitments from John McCain. Catholic pro-life leaders have an obligation to make him aware that firing up grassroots pro-lifers to do more than simply vote against Barack Obama on Election Day requires his promise to work for protection of all the babies, embryos included, and his promise to veto FOCA. Were these matters discussed at the Philadelphia meeting? If not, why not?

Thank God a new generation of pro-life leadership is emerging! 

Vote Pro-Life

In the presidential race, that might not be so easy to do.  But in local races here in Washington, there are some great candidates to support. 

At the Washington State Republican Convention, I had the pleasure of hosting the first ever Life of the Party booth.  With the help of some wonderful volunteers, we collected pro-life pledges from candidates for national delegates, and confirmed through the many pro-life voter pledges collected, that grassroots Republicans are still strongly pro-life. 

We also had a few candidates for public office stop by and take the time to fill out the Republican National Coalition for Life Candidate Questionnaire, and I'm happy to report, after reviewing their answers, that the following candidates take a firmly, pro-life position:

John Ahern is running for re-election for State Representative in the 6th Legislative District.

Steve Beren is running for U.S. Congress, challenging the very entrenched pro-abortion liberal Democrat incumbent in the 7th Congressional District, Jim McDermott.

Michelin Doan is running for State Representative in the 17th Legislative District, challenging the incubent, Deb Wallace, who votes in lockstep with NARAL and Planned Parenthood. 

Matt Shea is running for State Representative in the 4th Legislative District, in an open seat, vacated by retiring Republican Lynn Schindler, who has endorsed Shea. 

The willingness of all of the above candidates to take the time to fill out a candidate questionnaire at a busy Republican convention, says a great deal about their seriousness toward protecting the right to life.  Please consider giving them your early support this campaign season. 

I've also had the opportunity to get to know Michael Delavar and his wife Katja, through the Ron Paul campaign.  I'm very impressed with Michael's grasp of the issues, especially with regards to the right to life.  He's running for U.S. Congress in the 3rd Congressional District against Brian Baird. 

And closer to my home (but not in my district), Val Stevens, a champion of Republican principles, including the right to life, is running for re-election.  Her seat is probably pretty safe, but she deserves the enthusiastic support of pro-life Republicans. 

GOP Leadership Out of Touch with Pro-Life Base

More examples of it in Colorado.

Full Report of Washington GOP Convention

Coming Soon!

Highlights include:

Allocated National Delegate Ballots with only one candidate (pre-screened by John McCain staffer), and no option for write-ins or nomiations from the floor.

Ron Paul takes 4 unallocated national delegates from the state of Washington. 

McCain & Party Leadership led a March Out in Exodus, in order to pull quorum, to avoid debate on the issues. 

When the March Out backfired due to the hefty quorum remaining, the McCain & Party Leadership Marched back in to fillibuster and obstruct the body from completing any other business.

Still, the body managed to pass three pro-life resolutions including: support for a Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, opposition to the WA state Assisted Suicide Initiative I-1000, and support for the freedom of conscience for pharmacists to not despense abortion drugs.  In addition, the body passed a resolution opposing any military action on a nation without the U.S. Congress declaring war, which is in keeping with our Constitution.

The spontaneous Ron Paul March and Rally immediately following the convention, signalling this movement has just begun. 

Please stay tuned for the full report.  I need to get reacquainted with my family and then find an opportunity to write a blow by blow.  Meanwhile, TVW has full coverage of the convention business.  Note: there are three segments and they are long.  Most interesting are segments B and C.  More details can be found here, here and here. 

My apologies to Geri Modrell (Snohomish Co. Republican Chair), who appears to have stayed during the "march out".  It was reported to me otherwise, and I am sorry for repeating that misinformation.

"Pro-Choice Republicans Starting Trouble for John McCain"

Or is it John McCain starting trouble for himself?

From RNC for Life:

"If he doesn't change the platform, then he's being the same kind of hypocrite that he accused Bush of being in 2000," said Jennifer Blei Stockman, the co Chairwoman of Republican Majority for Choice in an interview with ABC News. Her reference was to a 2000 debate in South Carolina, moderated by Larry King, during which McCain attacked George Bush for his refusal to support a change in the pro-life platform plank that would make an exception for killing babies conceived through rape or incest. As late as 2007, John McCain reaffirmed his desire to weaken the plank. We fully expect that there will be a move on the part of pro-abortion Platform Committee members to weaken the pro-life plank. They have been trying to do that since 1990 and we have been able to defeat them. This time, although he has said he has no intention of changing the plank, we have no public assurance from him that he would oppose their efforts and instruct the committee to leave the pro-life plank as it is:

"Promoting a Culture of Life (2004 Republican National Platform)
As a country, we must keep our pledge to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence.
That is why we say the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to
life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution
and we endorse legislation to make it clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections
apply to unborn children. Our purpose is to have legislative and judicial protection of that
right against those who perform abortions. We oppose using public revenues for abortion
and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges
who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life."

Brownback Leading Astray...And Now Betraying Pro-Lifers

First, it was endorsing McCain when there were still 3 pro-life candidates left in the race,  and then joining his campaign to co-chair his "Catholic Outreach" commmittee.  Now, he's ignoring the pleas of pro-lifers and endorsing the opponent of a pro-life hero in Kansas who is the acting District Attorney, the only DA in the country with a pending criminal case against a Planned Parenthood and according to Jill Stanek, " is likely the only DA in the country with the intestinal fortitude to stick with such an investigation."  Yet, Brownback is endorsing his opponent, Steve Howe, who refused to sign a petition to launch a grand jury investigation against Planned Parenthood in his own county, and has the support of several prominent pro-aborts in his state. Ms. Stanek asks:

Was Brownback enticed to support Howe for a promise of support in his gubernatorial bid by non-conservative Republicans?

Or perhaps he fears sharing the ticket with Kline in 2010?

Read the rest of her column, "Is Brownback Betraying Pro-Lifers?"

Oppose Assisted Suicide in Washington

Read the facts, and find out how you can help spread the truth about I-1000, the so-called "Death With Dignity" iniative.  Coalition Against Assisted Suicide

First Abortion Clinic to Close Following 40 Days for Life Campaign

The national 40 Days for Life blog has the news about a New York clinic scheduled to close tomorrow, April 25th.  This and other breaking news gives all of us here locally, and around the country, who have organized or participated in a 40 Days for Life campaign.  Pictured above, prayer volunteers during the 40 DFL at the abortion clinic that will close tomorrow.  How true that sign is as evidenced by this news!

Brain Teaser: "United" Against Purpose

National Right to Life, whose expressed and presumed purpose is "the right to life" has endorsed the same presidential candidate that has the support of Republicans for Choice, whose expressed purpose is "choice", a euphemism to cover up abortion, which violates the right to life.  How can these two purposes be united by one candidate? 

Good Republicans Must Rise Up and Oppose Corrupt Leadership

Hat tip: The Reagan Wing

This is the kind of thing they resort to when this doesn't work. 

The Pope, The President, Pro-Life Leaders, Panderers, Prayers & Miracles

Here are some loosely related pieces of news and commentary on the radar of Life of the Party today, giving a sense of the spiritual battle at hand:

40 Days for Life Leader Invited to White House for Pope's Visit

Pope's Visit Renews Abortion Debate

American Life League Greets Pope by Identifying Pro-Abort Pols

Pope Greeted by Founder of Susan G. Komen Foundation: Major Planned Parenthood Backer

Pastor Chuck Baldwin: Only A Miracle Can Save America Now

Old Hymn Animates Young Pro-Lifer on the Forefront of the Battle

Continued Live Coverage and Links of Pope's Visit Via American Papist

Spokane GOP, host of WA GOP Convention, Says "No" to McCain, "Yes" to Ron Paul

Pictured left: Kristi Burton, Colorado Personhood Sponsor.