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Annotations & Elucidations

The Turkeys Amongst Us

We’ve beaten everyone to the punch with some political leftovers. If you didn’t hear already, Governor Tim Kaine is talking the same way on the way out as he did on the way in — tax increase! That a way to leave a legacy, Excellency! Playing politics to the very end. Oh, well. It is, thankfully, the end.

In National News, the Catholic Bishop of Rhode Island, Thomas Tobin, has reluctantly become the foil to the most famous member of his flock: pro-abortion-on-demand Democrat Congressman Patrick Kennedy, son of the late senator. The congressman has made public private letters written to him by the Bishop explaining why abortion is evil and that his support for it endangers his soul. Leave it to a Kennedy to politicize private religious counseling. Speaking of Catholic Bishops, Real Catholic Blog reports on Richard Viguerie’s concern that the U.S. Bishops, despite directly cutting off ACORN, indirectly may still be funding it. Also, Mitt Romney’s presidential ambitions are sinking as “health care reform” rises in the public consciousness, the AFA calls a temporary cease fire with the Gap, and Republicans in Congress want an investigation into leaked e-mails from the organization the U.N. takes its “climate change” info from. You see, the e-mails admit “the science” is junk.

In Commentary, Chuck Norris chimes in on loss of freedoms, Matt Friedeman writes about a man in a coma for 23 years, who was able to hear but not communicate (so much for the euthanasia argument), and Friedemen discusses one brave clergyman not afraid to take on fellow evangelicals for modern day indulgences (”Prosperity Gospel”). But, today, as the News Stand wishes everyone a fantastic four day break from the serious, it’s all about Michelle Malkin’s “Turkeys of the Year” — a great figurative appetizer to the real deal meal Thursday. Enjoy. 

News:

Kaine doesn’t say no to possibility of a tax increase (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Kaine hints of Virginia tax hikes (Washington Times)

Kaine: New taxes possible (Roanoke Times)

Elections board certifies Virginians’ votes (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Villanueva certified as 21st District winner (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

National News:

Kennedy abortion debate puts politics, religion back in spotlight (CNN.com)

CCHD Still Funding ACORN? (Real Catholic Blog)

Mass. healthcare undermines Romney’s GOP support  (OneNewsNow.com)

Gap boycott on hold (OneNewsNow.com)

GOP opens probe into climate science e-mails (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

Commentary:

Turkeys of the year (Michelle Malkin/OneNewsNow.com)

Loving Life That Doesn’t Seem Very Alive (Matt Friedeman/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Fighting The Prosperity Gospel (Matt Friedeman/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Thankful for fading freedoms (Chuck Norris/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Obama Approval Index Hits New Low (Elijah Friedeman/The Millenial Perspective, Rightly Concerned Blog)

Thanks to our friends at The Virginia Catholic Conference — who do fantastic work keeping up with federal issues, especially regulatory matters that don’t require Congressional action and therefore aren’t in a big a media spotlight — we have an urgent reminder that the Obama Administration is losing no time in trying to force medical workers of faith into providing services they find objectionable.

On February 27, it announced its intention to remove current regulations, put in place by the Bush Administration late last year, that protect conscience rights in health care. On March 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a formal proposal to rescind these regulations, thereby activating a 30-day period for the public to submit comments. 

The National Committee for a Human Life Amendment has devised an Action Alert explaining why the regulations should be retained and providing directions on how to submit comments to HHS (click here). E-mail messages can be sent directly through the NCHLA Action Center. A preset message is provided, to which the sender can add personal comments. 

Please submit your comments before the April 9 deadline! 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has set up a special Web site with that provides a wealth of information and resources on conscience protection (click here), including a link to the NCHLA Action Center message. We encourage you to visit that site and others to fully arm yourself on the issue.  

Churches are encouraged to display the NCHLA and USCCB links on their Web pages. Highlighting the critical importance of the current conscience regulations, Cardinal Francis George, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said:

They are “one part of the range of legal protections for health care workers — for doctors, nurses and others — who have objections in conscience to being involved in abortion and other killing procedures that are against how they live their faith in God.” 

Removing these conscience regulations “would be the first step in moving our country from democracy to despotism.”

The Obama HHS promises to be as destructive as ever toward the unborn. Its secretary-designate, Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic, was the most pro-abortion-on- demand governor in the country before her nomination. He extremist policy positions prompted Archbishop Raymond L. Burk to call her an “embarrassment” (Catholic News Agency). It will take every possible effort to counter the new adminstration’s pro-abortion initiatives. Pro-life Virginia activists responded in numbers to impress upon the Bush Administration how important these medical professional conscience protections are (see previous commentary). A redoubled effort is required to convince the Obama Administration to retain them.