Judie Brown, "National Right to Life Committee: The Wayward Weigh In"

AIPNews.com ^ | November 11, 2009 | Judie Brown

[EternalVigilance]

Posted: Wednesday November 11, 2009 at 2:01 pm EST by Judie Brown
http://www.all.org/newsroom_judieblog.php?id=2839

The problematic nature of pandering to politicians with half-measures while announcing to pro-life troops that a victory has been achieved is not a new malady. It has been a relatively consistent pattern woven into National Right to Life Committee politics for many years now.  Having said that, the problem with what is currently being said about the Stupak Amendment to the Pelosicare bill is the most egregious I have seen in my 40 years of pro-life activism.

For starters, on Saturday, November 7, NRLC sent a letter to each member of Congress in which the following statement was made: 

“As NRLC’s congressional scorecard for the 111th Congress will clearly explain, a vote against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment only be construed as a position-defining vote in favor of establishing a federal government program that will directly fund abortion on demand, with federal funds, and a second federal program that will provide government subsidies to private insurance plans that cover abortion on demand. NRLC regards this as the most important House roll call on federal funding of abortion since the House last voted directly on the Hyde Amendment in 1997. If you do not wish to go on record in support of creating major new federal programs that will both fund abortions directly and subsidize private abortion coverage, please vote for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. NRLC will regard a “present” vote as equivalent to a negative vote on the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.”

While it could appear that NRLC is threatening members of Congress with a bad score if they vote against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, the fact is that the amendment itself is halfhearted and fraught with problems. And if one examines the actual text of H. R. 3962, the Pelosicare bill, one finds the following:
 

 

This should make it obvious to anyone with a heart for the principles upon which the pro-life movement was founded to see right through the smoke and mirrors that NRLC is now using to deflect criticism from its political misjudgment.

To make matters worse, as if they could get worse, Lifenews.com published an article entitled “Pro-Life Movement Must Unify After Strategy Difference on Stupak Abortion Amendment.” Its simply unbelievable observations, pitting Congressman John Shadegg of Arizona’s strategy against that of the Stupak supporters, defy logic. Steven Ertelt describes what Shadegg attempted to do to ensure the abominable Pelosicare bill’s failure and then defends the Stupak strategy, claiming that with or without the Stupak Amendment, the bill would have passed. Interesting how he defends the NRLC strategy as the only real game in town.

But the most troubling comments come toward the end of the article, where we find these Ertelt insights: 

The aftermath of the Stupak amendment vote hasn’t been pretty. I’ve read countless comments on Twitter and Facebook from pro-life people who are livid at one side or the other.

But attacking pro-life groups, lawmakers or people for supporting one strategy or the other is not productive. We have so many battles ahead that a divided pro-life movement only leads to losing the battles on abortion funding and stopping this pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia health care bill.

Even with Stupak added, every pro-life group admits that rationing and conscience issues remain and that the bill still has concerns or the pro-life movement. No pro-life group -- and even the bishops despite some mis-reporting in the mainstream media -- are supporting the House bill as approved.

Let’s cease the attacks on one another. This is only a strategic debate between people who wholeheartedly want to see abortion end immediately if not sooner and not a matter of one side or the other abandoning pro-life principles. We all want to get the ball in the end zone and some of us want to pass and some to run the ball.

There are too many unborn children and elderly and disabled at risk in the health care bill to let this one inning (excuse the mixed sports metaphors) define where we go as a pro-life community. There is an entire game to be played and adopting Stupak has riled and motivated the pro-abortion forces. Divided, they win, but united we can stop abortion funding and defeat this pro-abortion, pro-rationing bill.

Ertelt’s description of the pro-abortion forces is, of course, correct. NARAL Pro-Choice America has described the Stupak Amendment as “extreme anti-choice politics.” Of course it’s riled; not a single baby should be protected by law, according to its strategic plan. And it’s united with its fellow pro-deathers, including Planned Parenthood, which claims the Stupak Amendment is an “unacceptable addition to the health care reform bill that, if enacted, would result in women losing health benefits they have today.”

In fact, Planned Parenthood is so upset it even forgot to mention that if this bill passes, with or without the Stupak language, Planned Parenthood’s already-huge government subsidies will increase dramatically. Gee whiz! How could it have been so absentminded?

I hope my point has been made. Regardless of who is riled, who is playing politics with babies’ lives or who is running for cover as they try to make lemonade out of the lemons they’ve tossed at principle, nobody should be pleased at the prospect of government-run health care. In case we have forgotten, dear friends at NRLC, this is the very government that thirsts for the blood of the innocent in unimaginable quantities!

Obama supporters’ “health care reform” bills, regardless of their title or bill number, are so fatally flawed that wise pro-life strategists would have withheld any 11th-hour efforts, including the back-room meeting orchestrated by the USCCB and NRLC that led to the Stupak fiasco. The concerns that Ertelt now mentions about rationing and conscience protections were a concern before Stupak and still are. And, of course (though curiously absent from his analysis), increased funding for PP, abortive birth control and the like, which have been included in every version of this “health care reform” effort and are equally disquieting. All of these provisions should have been sufficient for pro-life activists of every stripe to simply walk away, continue to preach the full pro-life message and let the bill go down in flames.

Instead, we have this silly argument about how we all have to go along, now that the Stupak language is in the bill, and do our best, tra la, tra la, tra la la la.

Well, sorry, but I don’t buy it! When people fail to be honest in their interpretations of pro-life philosophy before a major political effort, what will they do afterward? Now we know. They will spin a tale, whether valid or not, about uniting forces and pressing on.

Agreed. Now that the water is over the dam and the damage is done, we all must do one simple thing! We must demand that the following be included in any health care reform proposal:

Respect for human personhood, respect for human personhood and respect for human personhood.

If this single principle were the cornerstone of reasonable health care reform—a reform based on justice for all—there would be no anti-life provisions in at all. As of this writing and regardless of which bill we read, none measure up to this standard, and thus all should be opposed.

But this is probably why American Life League does not get invited to those closed-door, 11th-hour meetings wherein some individuals negotiate away principle in order to rush out celebrating a fictitious success. Frankly, we at American Life League get on our knees and thank God that we are not invited to such events, as we would prefer to serve the best interest of the human person—who deserves equal protection under the law at all stages of life—rather than serve the special interests of Democrats and/or Republicans who are convinced that playing games with human lives is acceptable practice.

NRLC has exposed its agenda. While it’s surely no surprise, it is also deplorable. The good news is that this is not the final act in the “health care reform” drama.

So … now that the wayward have weighed in, the rest of us better get busy focusing on human personhood.

Judie Brown

[EternalVigilance]

Re: your tagline...prayers going heavenward this morning for Ben.

My eldest will in all likelihood by in theater before long as well.

[cmj328]

The column on the right is a LIE.

[cmj328]

Then why did Judie feel the need to obfuscate?

[EternalVigilance]

The column on the right is a LIE.

You've already admitted that the amendment allows for the destruction of some classes of innocent human beings. What more does a pro-life person need to know?

[EternalVigilance]

What do you claim that she “obfuscated”?

[EternalVigilance]

And, by the way, since we’re on the subject of obfuscation, to what degree did National Right to Life inform its constituency in the run up to the Stupak vote that the amendment contained a rape and incest exception?

[cmj328]

Then why did Judie feel the need to LIE about it?

[cmj328]

If you want to make this about rape and incest, make it about rape and incest and let’s have an honest discussion.

[EternalVigilance]

You’re the only one being dishonest about it. I make no bones about the fact that I won’t support any bill or amendment that destroys the principle of the equal protection of the unalienable rights of all.

National Right to Life once held that position as well, but they abandoned principle a decade ago.

[EternalVigilance]

From NRTL mouthpiece Steven Ertelt, prior to the vote:

The Stupak amendment would apply the fundamental principles of the Hyde amendment, which has long prohibited abortion funding under the Medicaid and HHS programs, to the health care reform bill and essentially prohibit all government funding of abortion under it.

[Bolded portion is blatantly false. Fails to inform naive and ill-informed pro-lifers of rape and incest exceptions contained in the amendment.]

Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, told LifeNews.com after the committee vote on the Rule that the vote on the Stupak could be the most important abortion-related vote cast in Congress since Roe.

"This will be one of the most important roll call votes that U.S. House members ever casts on a pro-life issue," he said. "Any lawmaker who votes against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment is, in effect, voting in favor of establishing a federal government program that will directly fund abortion on demand, with federal funds."

[Again, false claims, followed by coercion of pro-life constituents and elected officials on that false basis.]

Johnson urged all pro-life advocates to call both the Washington and in-state offices of their representatives in the U.S. House to urge support for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

[Right, have ill-informed constituents join in the deception.]

The vote on the Stupak amendment could decide the fate of the health care reform bill -- because das many as 40 pro-life Democrats could vote against the bill if the Stupak amendment is not adopted and the abortion funding remains.

[Ah, an admission BEFORE the fact that a vote AGAINST Stupak, a vote that COULD and SHOULD have been taken on a principled basis, was a vote NOT to give "blue dog" Democrats the political cover they needed to vote for the overall Pelosi bill.]

[EternalVigilance]

I wonder if you couldn’t show this thread to a few folks and perhaps get some feedback.

[EternalVigilance]

Let's review and "follow the money," or in this case the money and the political cover and capital:

What did everyone get out of the Stupak amendment?

National Right to Life gets to continue to justify their continued existence and tell their donors how indispensable they are. [Even though through commission and omission they deceived their constituents, the amendment won't save a single baby, and the vote destroys the the very principles upon which the pro-life position is premised.]

Republican Congressmen get to continue to tout their wonderful "rating" from National Right to Life to the voters. [Even though their vote didn't save a single baby and destroys the bedrock principles upon which the pro-life position is premised.]

"Blue dog" Democrats get to tout their wonderful "rating" from National Right to Life, and continue to deceive naive and ill-informed constituents back in their pro-life-leaning districts.

Nancy Pelosi and her fellow baby-killing cohorts get their constitution and liberty-destroying final takeover of our healthcare system.

The children in the womb? They get nada. Zilch. Nothing.

[EternalVigilance]

Cui bono.

(Latin for “to whose advantage?”)

[Cicero]

There are a ton of pro-life organizations. It depends if you are Catholic or Evangelical, perhaps, although personally I have donated to both.

There’s ALL, American Life League.

ACLJ, American Center for Law and Justice

HLI, Human Life International

LLDF, Life Legal Defense Foundation

Operation Rescue

PRI, Population Research Institute

Priests for Life

Survivors

Thomas More Law Center

[Lesforlife]

American Right to Life

Personhood USA

Personhood CO

[cmj328]

Thanks for the list. Here's how those organizations have responded to the passage of the Stupak Amendment:

ACLJ, American Center for Law and Justice

Pro-Life Amendment Passes - Only Bright Spot in Flawed House Health Bill

You made it happen. With nearly 170,000 of our members standing with us in opposition to the federal funding of abortion in the House health care bill, we realized an incredible victory tonight - the Stupak/Pitts Amendment - which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion - passed the House.

The passage of this pro-life Amendment represents the only bright spot in an otherwise troubling government-run health care package put forth by House Speaker Pelosi. The American people understand that health care should not include federal funding for abortion and we’re grateful to Democrat Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-Mich) and Joseph Pitts (R-Penn) for their unrelenting efforts in protecting the unborn.

The 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats who stood together in a bipartisan defense of life deserve our sincere gratitude. For many of these Members, this vote was cast in the face of serious pressure to oppose the amendment. While there is work yet to do on this issue, this vote represents an extremely significant victory for life.

HLI, Human Life International

Links to page where you can write your Representative with the following message:

I am pleased that the House-passed health care reform bill does not fund abortion.

LLDF, Life Legal Defense Foundation - No health care bill information on site

Operation Rescue

Washington, DC – The House version of the health care reform legislation narrowly passed with the vote of 220-215 late Saturday evening, but it was done without provisions for the funding of abortions.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment, which will deny tax funding for abortions, handily passed with a vote of 240-194. Abortion funding had threatened to derail the entire House bill on health care with pro-life Democrats strongly opposed to Pelosi’s scheme to force taxpayers to foot the bill for abortions.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman issues the following statement on today’s votes:

“Today, the voices of 71% of the American people who oppose taxpayer funded abortions were heard loud and clear. We thank each one who took the time to raise their voices in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi-Carhart effort to force taxpayers to fund the shedding of innocent blood through abortion.

“There is still a long way to go to prevent government subsidized health care from paying for abortions. Now the ball is in the Senate’s court, and we pray that the common sense displayed in the House on the matter of abortion funding will also prevail in the Senate.

“We will continue to stand on behalf of the voiceless and oppose any efforts to restore abortion funding in any future version of health care legislation. But for tonight, we celebrate this day’s pro-life victory defunding abortion, which will save lives and prevent the immoral and fiscally irresponsible bailout of the abortion cartel.”

PRI, Population Research Institute

For the moment, however, the pro-life movement can justly take pride in its political strength. Politicians are nothing if not realists, and they have just been treated to the spectacle of both Pelosi and the President caving in to pro-life pressure from within their own party. Notwithstanding their strident support of federally funded abortions, and despite the anger that their action generated among a large part of the Democrat base, they backed down.

Priests for Life

Voting Records to Go To All Churches, Leading Priest States

Washington, DC – Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, stated this morning that the voting records of members of Congress on the Stupak-Pitts amendment to HR 3962 (and other abortion-related votes) will be distributed to every Catholic parish in America, with instructions to each pastor on how to make clear to his congregation the implications of how that congregation’s representative voted. “Whatever one’s position on abortion itself,” Fr. Pavone commented, “the vast majority of Americans have always opposed the idea that taxpayers should fund it. Our plan to inform pastors of these voting records is phase one of a year-long effort to activate Churches as never before regarding what they can legally do in preparation for next year’s midterm elections. Publishing voting records in a non-partisan fashion is certainly one of those activities.”

Fr. Pavone also said that in his role as President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, he would also involve Churches of other denominations in this project to educate voters on the outcome of the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

Survivors - no remarks about health care

Thomas More Law Center - no remarks about health care

American Life League

NRLC has exposed its agenda. While it’s surely no surprise, it is also deplorable.

One of these things is not like the other ones...

[cmj328]

What does ALL get out of using lies to bash NRTL?

American Life League gets to continue to justify its continued existence and tell its donors how indispensable it is as the self-appointed "conscience" of the pro-life movement.

Democrat and Republican Congressmen get to use ALL rhetoric to justify voting against pro-life provisions

And what would happen if ALL got its way and Stupak-Pitts was killed by Republicans?

"Blue dog" Democrats get to tout their vote to remove abortion funding from the health care bill as something which proves they are more interested in passing pro-life legislation than Republicans.

Nancy Pelosi and her fellow baby-killing cohorts get their constitution and liberty-destroying final takeover of our healthcare system anyway.

Abortion funding is included in the final bill, for which pro-life Democrats can blame Republicans. Millions more babies die as a result. Society gradually becomes less pro-life. An opportunity to check the advance of the most pro-abortion President and Congress in history is thwarted.

[cmj328]

Apparently, Judie Brown now sees that her real issue doesn't sell anywhere--in Congress (0 votes for Judie's original position on Stupak), with her donors, in the media, in the Church, nowhere, so that she NEEDS to LIE in order to excuse her position.

It's a staggering turnabout for Judie. So what is her position?

Her position is to damn the 98% of aborted babies who are not products of rape or incest or whose development does not threaten the life of the mother. "Sorry, folks," says the deranged Captain, "but there's only room on the first lifeboat for 98% of us, so we're all going down with the ship." Allowed to vote on a Constitutional amendment banning all abortion except in cases of rape and incest, Judie would vote no, even if it would mean 50 more years of legalized, unrestricted abortion.

It's like failing to liberate Auschwitz, and other concentration camps totaling 98% of all prisoners, simply because other camps might still be operating.

If the babies were made aware of Judie's role in their demise, as the vacuum probe made its way toward them, what would they say?

[EternalVigilance]

If there are not unalienable rights for ALL, with the equal protection of the laws for ALL, there are no secure rights for any.

I pray that one of these days soon God will reveal to you that it is people like you who are punching holes in the bottom of the ship and assuring that it’s going to the bottom with all hands.

[EternalVigilance]

Her position is to damn the 98% of aborted babies who are not products of rape or incest or whose development does not threaten the life of the mother. "Sorry, folks," says the deranged Captain, "but there's only room on the first lifeboat for 98% of us, so we're all going down with the ship." Allowed to vote on a Constitutional amendment banning all abortion except in cases of rape and incest, Judie would vote no, even if it would mean 50 more years of legalized, unrestricted abortion.

To codify injustice against the few, for the convenience of the many, is to destroy America's cornerstone principles, and to bulldoze the foundations of American liberty.