Frist a Major Shareholder in Reputed For-Profit Abortion Provider

Human Events ^ | 12-20-02 | Terry Jeffrey

[The Old Hoosier]

Don't worry: Frist hasn't won yet, and Lott's decision today to step down (thank goodness) means the position is open--someone good can hopefully challenge him.

[auboy]

>>When Republicans win a 2/3 majority in the Senate then we can afford the luxury of this kind of an infantile attack on the party by the single issue holier than thou 'everyone else is a RINO' crowd. Until then let's get behind Frist and get this agony over with and the agenda back on track <<

Exactly! We cannot hope to overturn Roe v. Wade by using a sledgehammer we are not yet strong enough to swing. We need more conservative judges. Lots more.

If whoever is chosen SML can help move us in that direction, we can build our strength slowly but surely. Good legislation that cannot make it past our courts is, in essence, an exercise in futility. Let's get going - time's a wasting.

By the way, I feel Senator Frist is a good choice. I think his recent voting record on conservative issues stands on its own merit. Is he perfect? No. But he doesn't try to use a 16 pound sledgehammer when a 16 ouncer will move our agenda forward - one step at a time. And I reject the notion that Dr. First is pro-abortion!

[Edit35]

Your implication that conservatives cannot or should not "profit" from abortions or they should be disqualified from office.

News flash, Mr. Old Hoosier. Anyone who owns a mutual fund (health sector or index) that invests in hospital chains or HMO's already profits, in a sense, from abortions.

You can stretch the logic indefinitely. For example, owning a construction firm that built an office building in which a doctor resides can said to have been profiting from abortion.

A band-aid company profited from abortions because, dontcha know, those abortion doctors had to use a lot of band-aids.

The argument is ridiculous on its face, I'm afraid.

(By the way, my dad was a big Hoosier, coming from Berne and Geneva area of Indiana. We saw the University of Indiana play in the Rose Bowl in 1968, the year OJ Simpson played for USC)

[xzins]

1. Who decides what the law will read? Legislation belongs to the Congress. House and Senate will propose language, it will be stroked, and a final version will come out. It should, in my opinion, outlaw all abortion except in the case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

2. Also, you are correct. Each of those terms must be defined. Life of the mother means a situation where emergency medical care must focus on saving either mother or child with the likelihood that the other will perish. This is probably rare: auto accidents, shootings, etc. Diseases, illnesses, generally are longer acting and provide opportunity for both to live. Rape - this should be defined as violent rather than statuatory, imo. Incest - actually, I'm not as concerned in this area. Statistics demonstrate that the probability of genetic abnormalities in cousin or brother/sister pregnancies is extremely rare. Therefore, I'd favor this only when the incest involved family member violent rape. It would actually fall under the rape provision.

[Keith in Iowa]

Frist's record From Vote-Smart.org

The National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Abortion Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.
[  ]	a) Abortions should always be illegal.
[  ]	b) Abortions should be illegal when the fetus is viable, with or without life support.
[  ]	c) Abortions should always be legally available.
[  ]	d) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
[X]	e) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
[X]	f) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
[X]	g) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
[X]	h) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial birth" abortion.
[X]	i) Prohibit public funding of abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
[  ]	j) Support "buffer-zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least five feet from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
[  ]	k) Provide funding for family planning programs as a means to decrease the number of abortions.
[  ]	l) Other

---

Sounds rather centrist...probably not good enough to satisfy the anti-abortion zealots though...

[P-Marlowe]

...it's an intelligence problem.

I don't believe I insulted you. Why do you insist on insulting me?

I'm just not going to cast stones because Frist's sin appears to be larger than my own. Have you ever heard of removing the log from ones own eye before advising others that they have splinters in theirs?

We are all guilty before God. Mr. Frist's investment in a hospital that may have saved my life or another family member's life is not going to be condemened by me. I can only thank God that there are those who are willing to invest in hospitals today. Quite frankly a hospital chain is not a very good investment. A lot of hospitals today are going belly up.

Would you prefer it if all of Mr. Frist's hospitals suddenly closed tomorrow? Would that promote the sanctity of life? Or are the lives of old people and cancer victims not important in your theology?

[xzins]

Check post #338 for Frist's positions.

Frist is a heart/lung transplant doctor. He has made no money on abortions. He has never been an abortion doctor.

[alnick]

If you've gotten this far in this thread and still think that article has any credibility whatsoever, then you're too far gone to be swayed by the facts.

[xzins]

If you support the option of abortion in cases of "life of mother" then you cannot support options a, b, d.

You can't make it illegal and provide the option at the same time. The test is illogical in that it is repetitious.

Frist answered as I would, given that I support life of mother exclusion and violent rape exclusion.

[The Old Hoosier]

1) It's not that Frist would be influenced or have influence. It's that a true pro-lifer would not own $5m or more (possibly much more) in this kind of stock. It throws his truthfulness into doubt.

2)OK, so maybe the 89% thing is wrong, but given that he could own five times as much HCA as $5m, it's probably not too much of a stretch. Either way, that part does little for the piece anyway.

3) It's more than a rumor. As recently as 1998, HCA was telling people yes, we do them. This fund won't hold them because they do them. Now they're not answering Jeffrey's phone calls. Should he not write the piece just because they won't answer questions? The use of "reputed" and "reported" only shows that he's extra careful, nothing more.

4) When you get the answers--which will be forthcoming now, I'm sure--will you still support this guy like you have money bet on him? I'm very suprised at the vehement defense of him by so many people.

People who b!tch and whine because real conservatives want to have a small hand in running the GOP are not the kind of people I'd expect to see on FR.

[sitetest]

Dear patent,

"What a disaster this guy will be."

I assume that you mean Sen. Frist. Why do you believe that he will be a disaster?

His voting record on pro-life is good. He is as pro-life regarding abortion as is feasible for a politician who wins elections (opposes legal abortion except for life of mother, rape, incest).

He's not so good on stem cell stuff, but regrettably, a number of otherwise-reliable pro-lifers aren't, either.

He seems about as conservative as Sen. Lott, in terms of the issues. But Sen. Lott, like Sen. Dole before him, believes that the purpose of the legislature is to legislate. Thus, Sen. Lott believed it was more important that the Senate act than that is act conservatively.

I don't know enough about Sen. Frist to know if he has a similar predilection, but I think it is unlikely that he could be worse. And, in Sen. Frist, we will have the benefit of a Majority Leader who does not believe himself obligated to kow-tow to the affirmative action crowd to maintain his viability.

"I don't know if I can vote for a team with this man on it."

I remember there were folks who felt that way about the first President Bush because of advisors like Richard Darman. Of course, the failure to support Mr. Bush led us to the presidency of Mr. Clinton. For me, enough bad things happened during Mr. Clinton's term to justify thinking that conservatives ought to have better supported the first President Bush.

We quickly forget how much damage a liberal president can do.


sitetest

[The Old Hoosier]

People who b!tch and whine because real conservatives want to have a small hand in running the GOP are not the kind of people I'd expect to see on FR. But it's a big tent, so FRegards.

[Desdemona]

He's not so good on stem cell stuff, but regrettably, a number of otherwise-reliable pro-lifers aren't, either.

Do you think this has anything to do with his profession?

[The Old Hoosier]

For example, owning a construction firm that built an office building in which a doctor resides can said to have been profiting from abortion.

The man owns more than $5 m in the stock of an abortion provider, yet says he's pro-life. That doesn't make you wonder at all? Or are you just going to bend over because he's Dubya's pick?

[The Old Hoosier]

If you think Lott was a squish (and he was), just wait till this guy gets in there. You'll be longing for the days of Bob Dole.

[xzins]

If I remember correctly, by judicial decision a public hospital cannot prevent abortions taking place therein . Private hospitals and church related hospitals can prevent.

If I remember correctly, HCA deals with public as well as private hospitals.

[The Old Hoosier]

I'd say YOU'RE too far gone to care about the fact that he's probably a liar, as the article points out clearly enough. YOu would do well to read the whole thing, btw.

If you just want to drop your pants for whoever looks like the next SML, fine, go ahead. I'm looking for another SML candidate.

[The Old Hoosier]

I'll say it again: People who b!tch and whine because real conservatives want to have a small hand in running the GOP are not the kind of people I'd expect to see on FR. But it's a big tent, so FRegards.

[FreeReign]

Have you ever been treated by a hospital that performs abortions?

being treated and profiting from are not the same thing.

You can't be treated at a hospital that performs abortions without somebody investing in a hostpital that performs abortions.

If it is ok to be treated in a hospital that performs abortions then it is ok to invest in a hostpital that treats people in addition to performing abortions.

I'll ask the question again because you never answered it; Have you ever been treated by a hospital that performs abortions?

[P-Marlowe]

I think you are right. Its probably some kind of civil rights violation if you don't allow the surgical rooms to be used for abortion. I might look it up if these holier than thou people keep this smear going.