LifeVoice - March / April 2008

Presidential Contest a Stark Contrast on
Saving the Lives of the Unborn

McCain Solid on Supreme Court Justices – the Most Important Campaign Issue

In November, you can vote for either Republican Senator John McCain, or the rabidly pro-abortion Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator Barack Obama for president.

Let’s look at some facts and contrasts. In January of 2009, six of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices will be 70 or older. It is reliably certain that the next president will select one or even two Supreme Court justices.

Senator McCain has a solid voting record on judicial candidates who will interpret rather than make law. He intends to nominate Supreme Court. Justices like John Roberts and Samuel Alito.

Either Clinton or Obama are certain to select only hard-core supporters of Roe v. Wade, relegating unborn children to continued treatment as non-humans potentially for decades. Justices like David Souter or Stephen Breyer.

"Should Roe v. Wade be repealed, Wisconsin would be one of four states to immediately outlaw abortion…. This repeal {of s.940.04} is especially important now as forces work to outlaw certain abortion procedures with the goal of outlawing all abortions..."

McCain has a solid 25-year voting record against abortion. He supports the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

There is not a single unborn child that Clinton or Obama would protect. Both voted to maintain the gruesome partialbirth abortion procedure as a woman’s "right to choose."

Both support Roe v. Wade – continued abortion for any reason for the full nine months of pregnancy. Both have cosponsored the Freedom of Choice Act which would not only codify abortion on demand, but would overturn many of the abortion restrictions put in place by federal and state legislatures over the past 35 years.

It is now time to stop picking at presidential candidates and their lack of perfection. It has been agonizing to witness the constant trashing of good candidates who do not meet someone’s standards when the real and dangerous enemy of the unborn is either Clinton or Obama.

Some will argue that President George W. Bush has not been the perfect pro-life president – that he supports abortion exceptions. Yet, his record as president has advanced the right-to-life cause immeasurably. Imagine the difference had our country elected Gore or Kerry.

Authorized and paid for by the Wisconsin Right to Life PAC, Richard Fox, Treas. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

The Presidential Record on Life President George W. Bush
2001-Present Excerpted from National Right to Life News, January 2008

"The promises of our Declaration of Independence are not just for the strong, the independent, or the healthy. They are for everyone – including unborn children. We are a society with enough compassion and wealth and love to care for both mothers and their children, to see the promise and potential in every human life." - - President George W. Bush

• During his first week in office, President Bush reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which prevents tax funds from being given to organizations that perform and promote abortion overseas. He threatened to veto an appropriations bill unless a provision overturning the policy was removed.

• President Bush declared that federal funds will not be used for stem cell research that would require the destruction of human embryos. His threat of a veto stopped an attempt in the U.S. Senate to provide funding for such research.

• President has stopped many anti-life initiatives by threatening vetoes – including proposals to allow abortion to be covered in federal employees’ health insurance plans, and allow abortions to be performed in U.S. military medical facilities and within the federal prison system.

• The Bush Administration ruled that federally controlled substances cannot be used to assist suicides. When the decision was overturned in federal district court, the Administration appealed the case.

• President Bush has strongly backed a U.S. ban on human cloning and helped defeat a “clone and kill” proposal in 2001.

• President Bush has helped win U.S. House approval of pro-life measures including the Child Custody Protection Act and the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act.

• President Bush promoted and signed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which protects all infants born alive, including those who survive abortion.

• The Bush Administration’s representatives to the United Nations and to UN meetings and conferences have fought repeated efforts to establish an international “right” to abortion.

• President Bush promoted and signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which bans the use of the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure.

• President Bush supported and signed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which recognizes unborn children as victims of violent federal crimes.

Judge Gableman for Supreme Court

Judge Michael Gableman Endorsed in Race for State Supreme Court

On Tuesday, April 1, Wisconsin residents will be casting their votes in one of the most important races in our state - the race for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Judge Michael Gableman has been endorsed by the Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee in this race. Judge Gableman will face Justice Louis Butler who was appointed to the State Supreme Court by pro-abortion Governor Jim Doyle in 2004. State Supreme Court justices serve ten-year terms.

To learn more about Judge Michael Gableman, go to www.GablemanForSupremeCourt.com

Please vote for Judge Michael Gableman on April 1.

Legislative Session Re-Cap

The two-year regular legislative session of the Wisconsin state legislature ended March 13. Legislation that was not passed by both houses of the legislature is now dead. The process of introducing new legislation will begin when the legislature reconvenes for its 2009-10 legislative session in January 2009.

• SB 398 – Legislation that would repeal Wisconsin’s abortion ban (s. 940.04). It is vital to keep s. 940.04, Wisconsin’s abortion ban, on the law books. Once Roe v. Wade is overturned, Wisconsin’s abortion clinics will be shut down – as long as the ban remains in place. A public hearing on SB 398 was held on February 27. Hundreds of pro-life people attended the hearing to strongly oppose this bill. At press time, a vote was expected on the Senate floor sometime before the March 13 adjournment of the legislature. No action is expected in the Assembly before March 13, meaning that the legislation will die for this session. Many thanks to everyone who called or emailed their senator to oppose this horrendous measure. You have helped to save thousands of babies’ lives!

• SB 151 - Legislation to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Wisconsin. Authored by Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison) and Rep. Frank Boyle (D-Superior). This is the eighth legislative session that this bill has been introduced. Wisconsin Right to Life was the lead organization in opposition to this proposal. After bringing in an array of expert witnesses to testify at a public hearing against SB 151, Wisconsin Right to Life was successful in making sure this legislation was stopped dead in its tracks! Thank you for your efforts against SB 151!

• AB 427 - The Coercive Abortion Prevention Act. On October 30, 2007, the State Assembly overwhelmingly passed AB 427 by a vote of 65 to 32. The purpose of the legislation was to protect women who are being coerced into having an abortion. Unfortunately, the pro-abortion Democratic State Senate leadership refused to even hold a public hearing on this important legislation and the legislation died at the end of the legislative session. This legislation would have passed in the State Senate had the Senate Democratic leadership allowed the bill to be voted on. However, whether pro-abortion Governor Jim Doyle would have signed it into law is unknown.

• AB 710 - Wisconsin Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Authored in the Assembly by Rep. Jim Ott (R-Mequon) and Rep. Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis). At the time of writing this article, the Assembly is expected to pass AB 710 by a wide margin in late February. It is unlikely that the pro-abortion State Senate Democratic leadership will permit a vote on the bill and it is expected that AB 710 will die at the end of the 2007-08 legislative session which concludes March 13.

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker Endorsed in His Re-Election Bid

Election on April 1st

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is one of the state’s most respected public officials. Scott Walker served in the State Assembly from 1993 until he was elected to his current position in 2002. While serving in the Assembly, he held a number of key leadership positions and was a leader for the right-to-life cause throughout his legislative career. Scott Walker’s opponent on April 1 is radically proabortion State Sen. Lena Taylor. Since her election to the state legislature, Taylor’s voting record on rightto- life issues has been an abysmal 12%. Milwaukee County residents, please vote to re-elect Scott Walker on April 1st!

Authorized and paid for by the Wisconsin Right to Life PAC, Richard Fox, Treas. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

National Abortions Fall to Lowest Level Since 1974

Wisconsin Abortions Drop Even Lower

The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, has released statistics for 2005 showing that national abortion numbers fell to 1.2 million. Hardly a reason for bragging, but the number is a welcome decline from the 1990 high of 1.6 million abortions. The decline from 1990 to 2005 is 25%.

Wisconsin abortion numbers have fallen far more dramatically with a 43% decline during that same time period.

The 2005 national abortion rate, the number of abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age, is 19.4. In contrast, the Wisconsin abortion rate stands at 8.

With your help, Wisconsin Right to Life has been an exceptional leader in reducing Wisconsin abortions and saving countless unborn babies from the horror of abortion.

How to be an Email Grass-Roots Lobbyist in Five Minutes or Less

Visit our website. At the home page, click “Sign Up for E-Voice.” Fill in the required fields and you’re all set to be a “Five-Minute Grass-Roots Lobbyist.” How? From time to time you will find an E-Voice email in your inbox urging you to take immediate action on a particular right-to-life issue. Right in the body of the email you will find your legislator’s name, email address and phone number.

All you need to do to take action is email or call your legislator. Saving lives through legislative action has never been easier or faster!

Get started today at: www.WisconsinRightToLife.org

40 Years of Saving Lives & Counting!

Wisconsin Right To Life Reaches Four-Decade Milestone

In 1968, the founders of Wisconsin Right to Life envisioned a statewide grass-roots organization which would combat the evil of abortion legislatively and educationally. Forty years later, they are sad that the organization is still needed, and yet are extraordinarily proud of Wisconsin Right to Life’s outstanding work to protect and save human lives from the greatest human rights atrocity of our times.

Strategies and methods have changed over the forty-year period. Technology has advanced the right-to-life cause both medically and in communications.The Wisconsin Right to Life mission was expanded on two occasions to include opposition to euthanasia and infanticide, and protection of human embryos. 

One thing remains constant – the selfless and inspirational dedication of thousands who commit years of their lives and countless resources in the noble quest to advocate for the weakest among us. 

Wisconsin Right to Life is the only pro-life organization in the state to achieve enormous legislative and election victories, to reach millions each year with educational messages, to initiate and assist pregnancy help centers, to train youth as future leaders and to continue the grassroots legacy handed down by our founders.  These efforts have saved thousands of human lives – and still counting!

Become an Online Parter and Receive a Precious Feet Pin FREE!

Through April 2008, sign-up to receive a FREE “Precious Feet” lapel pin! This beautiful pin is the actual size of a baby’s feet at 10 weeks after conception.

Each 1/4” pin is displayed on a descriptive card explaining the stages of fetal development.

Visit WisconsinRightToLife.org to learn more.

Where do the candidates for president stand on life?

Find out! When you download the comparison, you'll find "Where Do the Republicans Stand on Life?" (in red) and "Where Do the Democrats Stand on Life?" (in blue).

Available here:
Download the Presidential Comparison (PDF)

Memorials and Honorariums:
Honor a loved one’s anniversary or special occasion with an Honorarium gift, or celebrate the life of a loved one with a Memorial gift. Special cards in honor of your gift are sent to your loved one’s family and their names will be published at our website: www.WisconsinRightToLife.org/memorials.htm

United Way:
You may be able to designate your United Way gift to us. Contact Mary Phillips in our development office, toll free at (877) 855-5007 or (414) 778-5780.

Learn more about Wheels for Life and print donation forms online.