A Battle We Do Not Need

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26 Nov 2008 10:46 am

I hope Obama's advisers read this excellent and balanced piece by Melinda Henneberger on the need to protect Catholic hospitals from being forced to provide abortion services by the Freedom of Choice Act. It's not clear FOCA has a chance of becoming law, but I share Melinda's worries:

At the very moment when Obama and his party have won the trust of so many Catholics who favor at least some limits on abortion, I hope he does not prove them wrong. I hope he does not make a fool out of that nice Doug Kmiec, who led the pro-life charge on his behalf. I hope he does not spit on the rest of us—though I don't take him for the spitting sort—on his way in the door. I hope that his appointment of Ellen Moran, formerly of EMILY's List, as his communications director is followed by the appointment of some equally good Democrats who hold pro-life views. By supporting and signing the current version of FOCA, Obama would reignite the culture war he so deftly sidestepped throughout this campaign. This is a fight he just doesn't need at a moment when there is no shortage of other crises to manage.

What Obama needs is to find a way to champion an aggressive policy of reducing the number of abortions. Each and every one is a tragedy.

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