Many of our readers are familiar with "Focus on the Family" founder Dr. James Dobson. A staunch pro-lifer, Dr. Dobson criticized pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama on his Tuesday program. Ironically, his remarks followed Dr. Dobson's kind words for the late Tim Russert, the kind of reporter, Dobson said, who asked the tough questions.

Although much of his Obama critique does not address our single-issue concerns, his remarks are very much worth listening to. You can catch Tuesday's edition of Dr. Dobson's program at www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=2008-6-24.

Speaking of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Obama is receiving the kind of kid gloves treatment that mere politicians can only dream about. Occasionally a critical beam of light shines through. Let me briefly talk about one example.

The headline on the June 24th Wall Street Journal op-ed is "NARAL Catholics Line Up for Obama." The author is William McGurn and his cut-to-the-chase opinion piece can be read in its entirety at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121426513087798463.html?mod=djemEditorialPage.

As would be found in any first-rate piece, McGurn's analysis covers all the bases. Let me just touch first and second.

First, to cover his flank, the Obama campaign has created what it calls its National Catholic Advisory Council. McGurn's opening point is that a "majority of the elected officials [on this council] have the seal of approval from NARAL Pro-Choice America." Specifically, "Of the 21 senators, congressmen and governors listed on the council's National Leadership Committee, 17 have a 90%-100% NARAL approval rating," McGurn writes. "Even Mr. [Robert] Casey [Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania] now enjoys a 65% NARAL approval rating."

Their approval ratings are right in line with Sen. Obama's, who has a 100% stamp of approval from the usual pro-abortion suspects. Indeed, as McGurn puts it, "In sum, if you want to know what Mr. Obama's policies mean, it's this: taxpayer-funded abortion on demand."

McGurn makes the very important point that this is no small deal for Catholics. "[A]bortion is not just any issue," he writes, in response to the predictable comeback by Obama partisans that he is "good" on other issues. "In the language of the [Catholic] church, abortion is an 'intrinsic evil,' always and everywhere wrong."

Which brings us to our second point. "Given this awkward fact," McGurn writes, "the political reality is that a National Catholic Advisory Council may do less to advance Mr. Obama than to alert the public about how extreme his votes and policies are--not to mention the similar votes and policies of the Catholic politicians supporting him."

If nothing changes, this may be an example of the triumph of hope over experience. As Obama ground to the inevitably triumph over his pro-abortion rival Sen. Hillary Clinton I honestly thought that the media's love affair with Obama probably could not get any more passionate. I was wrong.

Again, we can complain about that, but that is like lamenting that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It just is.

What can be changed is how hard you and I work to get the truth out. That is a battle that will be fought close to home--we all have friends and family who do not know Obama's position on abortion--and in our communities.

As long as all they hear are Obama's glib assurances and a supplicant media that serves as an uncritical megaphone, that ignorance could well last. That's where we come in. It's up to you and me to just lay out the facts--chapter and verse--about the most pro-abortion presidential nominee in the post-Roe era.

That starts with making sure our friends, family, and colleagues are signed up to receive Today's News & Views. (Send them to http://nrlc.org/join_our_mailing_list.htm). We often report about the positions taken (and voting record of the) junior senator from Illinois.

And that truth-telling also requires that they are reading National Right to Life News. Go to www.nrlc.org/news/subscribe.html. There you can download a form that will allow you to give a gift subscription--or many gift subscriptions--for only $10 each.

As always, it all depends on you. Thank you in advance for your help.

Please send your comments to daveandrusko@hotmail.com.