Posted on 09/17/2008 4:08:31 PM PDT by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Catholic attorney Douglas Kmiec, who claims to be pro-life, is continuing his defense of presidential candidate Barack Obama's pro-abortion position. In a new piece, Kmiec says he would have voted for a bill to protect newborns who survive botched abortions, but he can understand why Obama didn't.
The debate comes on the heels of a new television ad running in battleground states that features a woman who survived a late-term abortion criticizing Obama for opposing the bill for medical care for infants who survive like her.
In the article, Kmiec says he would have voted for the Illinois bill to protect born-alive infants had he been in the legislature, but he does not fault Obama for voting against it.
Kmiec's root defense of Obama is that the bill would have required doctors to take heroic measures to save pre-viable infants who had been delivered.
"Medical ethics does not require so called 'heroic' care at either end of life, and neither does Catholic teaching," Kmiec writes.
Since most of the babies protected under the law would be before viability in age, Kmiec agrees with Obama that the bill would be "very likely unconstitutional in most of its applications."
Ramesh Ponnuru, a writer with National Review Online, says, "None of this is true."
"First of all, it bears repeating that the Illinois bill was always very similar to the federal born-alive statute and, when Obama killed it in committee, nearly identical to it," he explains. "That law has never been held unconstitutional. I am not aware of any pro-abortion groups that have even tried to advance the claim."
He also says the bill does not work the way Kmiec describes.
"The House Judiciary Committee's report on the federal bill took some pains to address this very point," he says. "Medical care could be refused to a pre-viable infant, as it could be to a viable infant or, indeed, to anyone at all, if in the judgment of a doctor that care would not achieve anything. It could simply not be withheld from the pre-viable infant on the ground that this being is not a person recognized by the law."
Kmiec argues, further, that it is somehow novel for the law to define live birth in a way that includes pre-viable infants.
"Not true," Ponnuru writes. "Many states define born-alive infants in the same way and provides the same protections to them."
"Kmiec, in the linked piece, repeatedly accuses Obama's critics of dishonesty and bad faith," Ponnuru concludes. "I will not respond in kind. I will say only that Kmiec gets nearly everything wrong, and in a way that makes Obama (and himself) look better."
B.S.! Obama just wants to kill as many babies as possible.
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It is clear that someone is padding a large bank account for the demon-worshiping Kmiec.
“B.S.! Obama just wants to kill as many babies as possible. “
Especially those that are not physically perfect.
What is it that Steven Ertelt did that offended you?
In my mind, there is no such thing as a Catholic (or otherwise) attorney. Connecting the two is like the 'bridge to nowhere'
“Medical ethics does not require so called ‘heroic’ care at either end of life, and neither does Catholic teaching,” Kmiec writes.
Since most of the babies protected under the law would be before viability in age, Kmiec agrees with Obama that the bill would be “very likely unconstitutional in most of its applications.”
Wrong, Mr. Kmeic. The law was designed to protect babies BORN ALIVE that SURVIVED an attempted murder. Sheesh.
Where did you go to law school?
Babies who are have not achieved viability in age ARE BORN EVERY DAMN DAY!!! No one lets them die.
Obammie and his pals are depriving these babies of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These babies are being murdered. I don't care what any so-called Catholic "lawyer" says.
How about John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito??
Kmiec, the pious fraud, demonstrates he is not a practicing Catholic.
Thou shall not Kill -applies to all of us, including Chicago thugs and politicians.
As someone who is pro-life I would really like to hear more about what young girls can do if they choose to have there unwanted babies..Like the *Joy of Adoption* and how they can give there baby to a couple that would bring them so much Joy..Maybe then we could eliminate so many of these type of stories in addition to aborted babies
The Newest One:
Police said a school administrator discovered the baby boy screaming inside the garbage can Tuesday afternoon with his umbilical cord still attached.
The baby seemed to be in excellent condition. He also appeared to have been carried to full term, said Capt. Victor Rangel, a Phoenix Fire Department spokesman.
Emergency crews took the newborn to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. The baby has since been placed in custody with state Child Protective Services, said Sgt. Andy Hill, a Phoenix police spokesman.
Phoenix police said the 14-year-old mother gave birth to the child inside the administration building at Osborn Middle School.
More importantly, both Kmeic and Obama are wrong since the law was constitutional in EVERY application; that is, every baby that survives an abortion is entitled to not be murdered.
RD
I don’t consider them “lawyers” in the sense that I was describing my feelings about “lawyers”. There wasn’t any umbrage intended against religion - only for a profession which has largely become the equivalent of cut-throat ‘me-ism’ and how much can I screw out of someone using the law as the game rules. Case in point- Baby Daddy John Edwards, you have to admit there are more lawyers like him than the Justices you cite.
It's the BEGINNING of life, Kmeic, the beginning.
Fake Christian BS
So he is acknowledging that Obama did vote against the Born Alive bill.
Don’t anyone tell Alan Colmes who has been denying it every day, including to Jenna’s face the other night.
Kmiec should be publically excommunicated and banned from teaching at any Catholic institution until he repents.
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