Obama setting sights on Supreme Court

President Obama will have the chance to pick a new Supreme Court Justice later this summer as Justice Stevens departs the bench. While many people will say this or that person should be appointed, it is ultimately up to Obama to name a successor. He has already hinted at things that will help shape his decision.



The big thing Obama has already hinted at is pro-women's rights. While he said that is not necessarily "pro-choice" it might as well be. Part of the reasoning for that is "the notion that individuals are protected in their privacy and their bodily integrity, and women are not exempt from that." Well, that is a pretty broad statement. I can not see too many people disagreeing with that. It's a middle path statement. Unfortunately, it is so broad, it almost sounds Libertarian. If "bodily privacy" should be given, then lots of other things should be legal as well. If I want to ingest three pounds of crack everyday, who should stop me? It is my body after all. And let's legalize prostitution. It's a female's body and she should be able to do with it as she pleases.

I'm not endorsing any of those views at all. And I know the Supreme Court nominee is going to go through the gauntlet as far as Senate confirmation is concerned. But if the President is going to outline views that he wants associated with his nominee, then he just needs to come out and say it. Don't beat around the bush. If he wants a pro-choice nominee, then he should say that, and not use such general terms that it can mean anything. If he is truly concerned about private rights, then he should also keep in mind that we should not take away rights from those that have no choice.

Abortion Supporters Win Again

The Senate voted against a proposed amendment on Friday that would have blocked funding for family planning organizations if it was found to be participating in forced abortions.

Senator Roger Wicker (R – Mississippi) had proposed the legislation allowing the President to block funding if groups were participating in forced or coerced abortions. Senator Wicker had these words to say on the floor of the Senate before the vote:

"Let's keep the provision that allows the President of the United States to make this determination. And if there is evidence to prove that American tax dollars would be used by the United Nations to fund these coercive practices, then let's not allow the United States taxpayers to be a party to these abhorrent and coercive practices."

The amendment failed by a 39-55 vote, with only 94 Senators voting.

The measure would have blocked funding to UN groups that were participating in forced abortions. An investigation by the Population Research Institute found that the UN Family Planning Agency was heling to enforce China's one-child policy.

“‘It's very clear that the U.N. Population Fund is a cheerleader for the Chinese family planning program, is funding the program, and turns a blind eye to forced abortion and forced sterilization,’ he tells the Times.

Mosher's team's 2001 investigation found that family planning was nonexistent and that forced
abortions and sterilizations were commonplace. And the local UNFPA officials conducted their operations out of the China Office of Family Planning, where these abhorrent practices were taking place.”

Even the United States’ own investigation revealed that the UNFPA did not deserve taxpayer funding.

“The State Department sent officials to China to conduct a follow-up investigation in 2002 and found enough evidence for then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to tell Congress that the UNFPA doesn't deserve taxpayer funding.

Powell said the Chinese population control staff members used equipment and supplies provided to them by the UNFPA to carry out their work.

Rep. Christopher Smith, a New Jersey Republican, also toured China and spoke with local residents and activists who informed him of the situation there. He said Chinese officials only showed the State Department what they wanted Powell's staff to see and that the abuses and the UNFPA link was more pronounced than even Powell's team knew.

"The United States should not help UNFPA cover up China's crimes against women and children," Smith told the Times.”

The President’s stance on abortion is starting to become very questionable. During the campaign season, he said that the decision about where life began was beyond his pay grade. Well, it starting to look like that is in serious doubt as President Obama has signed legislation funding forced abortion.