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NRL News
Pro-Life
Senator John McCain
“John
McCain boasts one of the most consistent pro-life voting records in
the Senate, but he doesn’t do much boasting about it.”
“If I am
fortunate enough to be elected as the next President of the United
States, I pledge to you to be a loyal and unswerving friend of the
right to life movement.”
“Throughout these years I have always believed that the most
important duty of our national leaders is to protect human life. ...
We protect the lives of the most vulnerable, whether they are the
unborn, the elderly, or the disabled. It is a privilege to defend
Americans in war and in peace. I’m proud to stand with you in
defending the sanctity of human life, and in supporting mothers and
children, under the most challenging of circumstances. ... In
November, the American people will choose a new president to lead
our country during very challenging times. I will proudly defend my
record of protecting human life during key debates on domestic and
international policy.”
“To the
families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a
message. For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming
place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are
elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.” Sometimes I think we might get so busy we may miss that unborn babies have had a friend and an advocate in the White House. The contributions of President George W. Bush over the last eight years are immense. Thank you, Mr. President, for being a great champion for the littlest Americans. Remember what it was like under his predecessor, pro-abortion President Bill Clinton? I do. I remember the hyper-radical “Freedom of Choice Act,” the abortion-enhancing health “reforms” offered by Hillary Clinton, how the Administration expedited the arrival of the abortifacient RU486, and how those determined to create a worldwide “right” to abortion had friends in Bill and Hillary Clinton. If they had had their way, they would have strangled the Pro-Life Movement. Yes, I remember well. This editorial starts with a quote from Newsweek for two reasons. First, as a reminder that pro-life Senator John McCain has compiled an outstanding record on abortion. That is important to know. Second, to appreciate that Sen. McCain is a doer, not a talker. The contrast with pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama is complete. The comparison on page x illuminates the deep differences. The other editorial that begins on this page talks about Sen. Obama. It details where he has been (a solder in the pro-abortion army) and where he would like to go (commander in chief of the forces of death, a.k.a. PPFA and NARAL). Here I would like to highlight the record of Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain voted for and celebrated the eventual Supreme Court decision upholding the ban on partial-birth abortions (Gonzales v. Carhart). Sen. Obama saw the decision as a threat. (Everything is a threat, even caring for babies who survive abortions.) McCain voted for legislation that attempts to keep minors from being whisked across state lines from a jurisdiction that requires parental involvement to one that doesn’t to have secret abortions. And he further voted against funding organizations that perform or promote abortion. In that vein it is absolutely critical to remember that the Hyde Amendment has saved at least a million babies. The Hyde Amendment may not survive the tender mercies of a President Obama. McCain has used interviews and public settings to reiterate his opposition to abortion. To cite just a few: • Talking about his pro-life voting record that goes back 25 years, McCain said in an interview last year with National Review, “I have many, many votes and it’s been consistent. And I’ve got a consistent zero from NARAL throughout all of those years. I may have had some other policy differences with some people in the pro-life community, but my record is clear. ... I’ve opposed [Roe v. Wade] ... because I thought it was a bad decision, and I think that the decision should be made in the states.” • At the last March for Life rally, pro-life Senator Sam Brownback read a statement from McCain: “If I am fortunate enough to be elected as the next President of the United States, I pledge to you to be a loyal and unswerving friend of the right to life movement.” • In mid-April McCain told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, “the rights of the unborn is one of my most important values.” * At the August 17 Saddleback Presidential Forum, Rick Warren asked Sens. Obama and McCain, “At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?” Obama offered his now famous it’s “above my pay grade” response. McCain said, “At the moment of conception.” He added emphatically, “I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress, in the Senate. And as president of the United States, I will be a pro-life president. And this presidency will have pro-life policies. That’s my commitment. That’s my commitment to you.” McCain used a May 6 speech at Wake Forest University to flesh out the touchstones of his judicial philosophy. Beyond celebrating Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito as models for the kind of nominees he would send up, he made two compelling points. He eloquently warned, first, of the danger judicial activism poses to the democratic process. Second, he drew a sharp contrast between judicial activism, which is top-down, from genuine activism, which is bottom-up. Real activism in our country, he said, “is democratic. Real activists seek to make their case democratically—to win hearts, minds, and majorities to their cause. Such people throughout our history have often shown great idealism and done great good. By contrast, activist lawyers and activist judges follow a different method. They want to be spared the inconvenience of campaigns, elections, legislative votes, and all of that. “They don’t seek to win debates on the merits of their argument; they seek to shut down debates by order of the court. And even in courtrooms, they apply a double standard. Some federal judges operate by fiat, shrugging off generations of legal wisdom and precedent while expecting their own opinions to go unquestioned. Only their favorite precedents are to be considered ‘settled law,’ and everything else is fair game.” Sen. McCain is a fascinating man. He is a pro-lifer, an adoptive parent, and a man of almost limitless courage. He is the kind of man who when he tells you, “I pledge to you to be a loyal and unswerving friend of the right to life movement,” you can count on his word. |