Obama Administration's New Pregnancy Assistance Fund

The grants, part of healthcare reform, aim to help pregnant women and teen parents with schooling, child care or other assistance. Supporting pregnant women and teens is one of the ways the White House wants to find common ground with abortion foes. Abortion foes usually see things as black and white, though. They don't believe in the pragmatic goal of working toward reducing abortions.

The Obama administration announced its first round of grants from a new fund aimed at helping pregnant women and parenting teens on Wednesday, a move the White House framed as part of its "common ground" approach to abortion.

The Health and Human Services Department distributed $27 million for the federal government's Pregnancy Assistance Fund on Wednesday, the department said in a press release, awarding grants to 17 states and 13 American Indian tribes

The grants support programs helping pregnant women and teen parents who are trying to complete high school or who need assistance with health care, child care and housing, HHS said. The grants can also be used to combat violence against pregnant women. CNN

Read the HHS release.

Republicans Accuse Obama of Pushing Abortion in Kenya

Republicans are stirring up controversy in Kenya, where in August, they're voting on a Constitution.

Republicans are essentially saying that Obama is trying to legalize abortion in Kenya. As if Obama doesn't have anything else better to do but promote abortion in Kenya.

Obama sure is mighty, isn't he? Republicans and democrats alike think he has super powers. Why is that?

This must be more right wing nuttery because I'm certain that Obama's views on abortion aren't such that he'd encourage it in another country. Obama isn't "pro abortion." Like other matters, he has a pragmatic view, uphold the laws we have and work toward reducing abortion:

Allegations by Kenyan churches that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is funding the government-backed "yes" campaign for a constitutional referendum in the East African country are being raised by American lawmakers.
In a letter to inspectors general of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office, legislators Chris Smith of New Jersey, Darrell Issa of California and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida have outlined their concerns.

The three U.S. legislators are calling for a probe into the issue, Kenya's Star daily newspaper reported on 16 May. The report follows two week of allegations by Kenya's churches, which are advocating a "no" vote in the referendum scheduled for 4 August.

Kenya's churches say the draft law opens the door to the legalisation of abortion and also back the provision of special Islamic courts. More at the Eurasia Review

Apparently, republicans don't have much to do other than to support the church in Kenya, which is against abortion even if it endangers the life of a woman:

The Church objects to the section of Article 26 which empowers doctors to end a pregnancy only if it endangers the woman's life or she needs emergency treatment.

The section reads: "Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger , or if permitted by any other law."

Christian leaders are also opposed to the retention of kadhis' courts in the proposed Constitution under Article 169 and 170, which limit their authority to disputes over personal status, marriage, divorce or inheritance, where all the parties are Muslims and agree to take the case to a Kadhi. More at the Daily Nation

That's legalizing abortion? Am I missing something here? I think conservatives are closeted End of Times people. They're trying their best to prep for rapture.

What's really happening in Kenya is Joe Biden, who is there with his wife Jill Biden.
Biden's speech in Kenya (transcript) mentions support for the proposed constitution but certainly not in the absurd context mentioned above:

Today, Kenya is having a great national debate about a new constitution. That debate will culminate in a referendum this August. The cooperation of [the] President and Prime Minister in support of the constitutional review process is extremely encouraging. But the ultimate responsibility, the real power, does not rest with them -- it rests with you. It rests with the people of Kenya. By your participation, by your vote -- as cynical as you may have become about the process -- by your participation, by your vote, you have before you a singular opportunity to strengthen Kenya’s democratic institutions, none like since the evening at midnight that that flag was unfurled, an opportunity to open up to opportunity to give a new generation new power to help Kenya realize its immense potential.

The United States strongly supports the process of constitutional reform, including providing assistance for voter registration and civic education, so that Kenyans are able to familiarize themselves with the draft constitution your parliament passed and allow you to make informed decisions. But, let me repeat, this is your decision, your decision alone. And the people of Kenya must make this choice -- a choice for Kenya by Kenyans.

Obama Says Judge Will Be Keen on Women's Rights

Obama is expected to make his pick by May 26. See the possible nominees here. Obama's first and only question he answers is on abortion. Here is the full video following Obama's meeting with the judiciary commitee:

Two Obama Opposers Team Together

Randall Terry is a lunatic, first off. Terry's behavior is very un-Christian.
He is leading the opposition to Obama's appearance at Notre Dame, where Obama will give the commencement address Sunday, May 17.
I didn't realize, until this video, that Terry hangs out with Alan Keyes, who leads the Birthers, the group that says Obama is ineligible to be president. They say he wasn't born in the U.S. So there you go, kooky extremists getting their voices heard.
Can't wait to watch the speech.

The Great Obama Debate at Notre Dame

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Students on what they think.

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Randall Terry Protests Obama's Notre Dame Appearance

Randall Terry thinks his foolishness, which is only defeating his own cause, is going to stop Obama from speaking at Notre Dame May 17. Terry calls Obama an agent of death. That's just so extreme that it's nonsensical to normal people. How can anyone other than an extremist take him seriously? 
You'd think as a good Catholic, he would focus on the people who are alive and dying because they don't have food or can't get treatment for cancer. Also, if he'd try a more grown up approach to the problem, he might actually be able to reduce abortion. No one is going to wave a magic wand and end abortions, even if it was outlawed. It would be like trying to outlaw alcohol. The first step is to reduce teen pregnancy. He'd be more useful to his cause if he dedicated himself to helping pregnant teens. But as an extremist, he would prefer to be self-righteous, which is what makes extremism dangerous. 

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Obama Lifts Global Funding Ban On Family Planning Providers

There are two views on this: The republicans say this move bails out the abortion industry and the democrats say that many women in poor nations have been deprived of contraception and health services, which has resulted in deaths and HIV/AIDS. Ronald Reagan started the so-called "global gag rule," which banned U.S. funds from being spent on any organization that offered abortions. Baby and the bath water comes to mind.

Salon: Today the president will lift the so-called global gag rule or Mexico City Policy that forbids NGOs that receive federal funding from providing abortion services or counseling abroad. The rule was first announced in 1984, in Mexico City at the United Nations International Conference on Population, at the height of Reagan-era social conservative fever. It meant that many international family planning and reproductive health organizations (including the International Planned Parenthood Federation) lost a heap of money from the feds, and that others that wanted or needed to keep their funding had to conform to strict policies in which advocacy, counseling or provision of abortion services was verboten. The rule was rescinded by Bill Clinton in 1993, immediately after he took office, and promptly reinstated by George Bush in 2001, days after he took office. So Obama's decision here is not surprising, but it is certainly good news for women and men around the world.

Update - Obama's statement:

It is clear that the provisions of the Mexico City Policy are unnecessarily broad and unwarranted under current law, and for the past eight years, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning in developing countries. For these reasons, it is right for us to rescind this policy and restore critical efforts to protect and empower women and promote global economic development.

For too long, international family planning assistance has been used as a political wedge issue, the subject of a back and forth debate that has served only to divide us. I have no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate.

It is time that we end the politicization of this issue. In the coming weeks, my Administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world.

I have directed my staff to reach out to those on all sides of this issue to achieve the goal of reducing unintended pregnancies. They will also work to promote safe motherhood, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and increase educational and economic opportunities for women and girls.

In addition, I look forward to working with Congress to restore U.S. financial support for the U.N. Population Fund. By resuming funding to UNFPA, the U.S. will be joining 180 other donor nations working collaboratively to reduce poverty, improve the health of women and children, prevent HIV/AIDS and provide family planning assistance to women in 154 countries.

Will Obama Work With Pro-Lifers?

I, too, hope that Obama offers some leadership on reducing abortion. The question is: will pro-lifers work with an Obama administration? It seems they're not interested in solving the problem, only being morally superior.

WaPo: As he goes about keeping his central domestic pledges, Obama should not forget that one of the most inspiring aspects of his campaign was his call to "turn the page" on spiteful conflicts that have pitted believers against nonbelievers, cultural conservatives against cultural liberals, red states against blue states.

One of the best places for Obama to start the healing process would seem the most unlikely: our decades-long conflict over abortion.

In theory, common ground is hard to find on abortion. Neither those who see it as a fundamental right nor those who see it as a form of murder are prepared to compromise on their core principles.

Yet a very large number of Americans are simultaneously uneasy with a government ban on abortion and with abortion itself. Substantial majorities would not make abortion illegal but would still like fewer of them.

One candidate spoke directly to this unease. "There surely is some common ground," Obama declared toward the end of the third presidential debate.

He argued that "those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, 'We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.' " Obama added: "Nobody's pro-abortion."

Rick Warren's Motive

At the civil forum last night, Obama has talked about abortion and gay marriage. So has McCain. I didn't hear anything new from either candidate. 

But Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, shone the light on these issues for his flock. Genius move by Warren. Evangelicals, no doubt, will vote on those issues.

Here's why Obama needs to start pandering:

Salon: And when asked about whether there was evil in the world, McCain brought up radical Islamic terrorists, repeating his line about chasing Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell. Obama, meanwhile, brought up the genocide in Darfur, and child abuse; it was clearly a missed chance, and not just to reach the Christian conservatives watching.

People see McCain's response as a good one and Obama's as a missed opportunity. Obama isn't going to win this election by being brilliant. It doesn't seem like America is ready for that but I'd argue it's badly needed.

Obama's going to have to step up his sound bites.

Obama Clarifies Late Term Abortion Position

Sometimes you have to wait these things out. The media is rabidly seeking "flip flops" and they seem to be getting confused.

Here's Obama's stance.

I'd be interested to know how many of these late-term abortions are performed a year. With a little awareness, it seems these kinds of abortions could be the first to end. Really, why would anyone wait until late term unless they had no clue they were pregnant. But the extremists are so dogged on abortion that they make it difficult for a middle ground to be reached and progress to be made. Who is "for" abortion? I don't know of anyone.

Ultimately, if they backed off on their self-righteousness, this problem could get smaller and smaller. But it seems like they'd rather assert their moral authority than solve the problem.