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The pro-abortion forces in Virginia are nothing if not masters at hyperbole. That, or downright Orwellian. Today, they held a news conference at the General Assembly Building to reinforce their message of choice since their stunning defeat on the abortion center regulation bill: That limiting abortions, and thus saving the most innocent among us, is “an attack on women’s health.” Among attendees were a who’s who of the General Assembly pro-abortion crowd: Senators Donald McEachin and Mary Margaret Whipple; and Delegates Patrick Hope, David Englin, Jennier McClellan, Scott Surovell, Adam Ebbin, Onzlee Ware, Vivian Watts and Charniele Herring — the so-called “Reproductive Health Caucus.”

They were joined not only by Planned Parenthood and NARAL, but by the ACLU and the League of Women’s Voters, whose representative enthusiastically gave herself a shout-out when Delegate Herring failed to recognize her. What abortion “rights” has to do with registering women to vote is anyone’s guess, but that moment was the most exciting thing at what had to be the most uneventful news conference in General Assembly history — nothing more than introductions, a statement by Delegate Herring, and a story by a woman whose situation was not relevant to the exchanges. Not even a question by one of the two or three members of the press who attended. Even the distributed prepared press statements were boring. Sorry, but no video, excerpted quotes, nor links worth citing. Even Planned Parenthood’s e-mail alert left a lot to be desired. An indication that the tide is turning? We’ll find out tomorrow when our electeds vote to sustain or reject two pro-life amendments passed down by Governor Bob McDonnell: One, to HB 2434, to prohibit taxpayer funding of abortion in the new state health insurance exchanges mandated by the federal healthcare law; and another, a budget amendment, restoring abstinence education funding that former Governor Tim Kaine eliminated.

These votes promise to be very close in the Senate tomorrow during the “Veto Session.” Please contact your senator Wednesday morning and ask him or her to vote for each.

Click here if you know your senator and need his or her phone number.

Click here if you don’t know who your senator is.

Meanwhile, here’s more coverage on the health insurance exchange amendment, from the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot (here) and below, from WTVR-TV/CBS6 in Richmond. Both feature comments from Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb.

Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb appeared the other day on WTVR/CBS6 to speak about the new Gardasil vaccine controversy.

Victoria Cobb speaks to the WTVR-TV about the latest on Gardasil.

We reported on Wednesday that a same-sex couple was denied the family discount rate to join a Richmond gym, American Family Fitness. Quite a commotion ensued among homosexual activists when the blog gayrva.com first reported it. Then WTVR-TV/CBS6 picked up the story and even asked us for comment, which it did not use (see viewer comments which appear overwhelmingly pro-family). However, it interviewed Delegate John O’Bannon (R-73, Henrico), who pretty much nailed it.

American Family Fitness has every right to establish its membership rules and pricing policy. It is, after all, a private business. Although Virginia law pertains only to the commonwealth and its political subdivisions, American Family chose to model its policy on Virginia law, which recognizes marriage as one man and one woman. That is commendable. 

Mind you, American Family didn’t bar the individuals from joining the gym (and they did join). But it did not offer them a discount reserved for traditional families. There are options for those who disagree with that policy. It is ironic, though, that those who scream for “choice” and affect a libertarian pose in their rhetoric, in practice want a politically correct, secular progressive uniformity that, in effect, limits options. 

A Richmond business embeds traditional values in its membership policy, while Delegate John O’Bannon speaks beyond the hype on the issue.

Annotations & Elucidations

100 Day Review

Much of the state news today is about the “first 100 days” and how the new Gov did during them. He even grades himself in a Richmond Times-Dispatch op-ed yesterday. Also in News, if you didn’t see it in a previous post, is an interview with Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb on Richmond’s WTVR-TV/CBS6 about the General Assembly’s approval of the landmark budget amendment restricting taxpayer funded elective abortions.

In National News, President Obama pays a visit to Pastor Billy Graham even as his Pentagon revokes an invitation to his son Franklin Graham to speak at a National Day of Prayer event there. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin raises money behind enemy lines, but the wind may have already dissipated from the GOP’s sails in Massachusetts. In Analysis and Commentary, Michael Barone examines the VAT, Paul A. Ibbetson looks at Barack Obama as King George III, and Debra Saunders details the extreme left-wing views of judicial nominee Goodwin Liu who, during his confirmation hearing, attempted to pull an Obama — What me? An extremist? Oh, my past, that little thing. He’s young and a minority and the parallels are remarkable.

News

*Abortion amendment passes (Video 2:36) (CBS6/WTVR.com)

Mixed reviews for McDonnell’s first 100 days (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

McDonnell’s first 100 days: Trip-ups, but more triumphs (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

McDonnell reflects on early days in office (Roanoke Times)

Secretary chases goals of governor (Roanoke Times)

Summing up the state budget: what amendments mean (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

McDonnell urges respect for civil liberties in enforcement of immigration laws (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Family Research Council and Republican Liberty Caucus endorse in the 5th (BearingDrift.com)

National News

Climate bill placed on hold over Senate dispute (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Shelby: No deal on financial overhaul before vote (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Health care law’s unfinished business: cost curbs (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama visits Pastor Billy Graham (AP/GOPUSA.com) 

Palin raises money for GOP in liberal Oregon town (AP/GOPUSA.com) 

Despite Kennedy loss, Coakley has no GOP opponent (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Analysis

Hold the VAT (Michael Barone/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary

Significant Accomplishments in 100 Days (Bob McDonnell/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Defining the Political Divide (Star Parker/GOPUSA.com)

Barack Obama: Another Grasp at the Crown? (Paul A. Ibbetson/GOPUSA.com)

My Last Goodwin Liu Column — I Really Hope (Debra Saunders/GOPUSA.com)

Philip Dru Obama (Henry Lamb/GOPUSA.com)

Since Wednesday night’s historic victory for life, opponents have embarked on their typical rant and have relentlessly fashioned, as my colleague Chris commented upon, their own “Designer Information” to sow hysteria into the body politic. What else can they do? Polling data for decades demonstrates Americans do not want their tax dollars to pay for other people’s abortions. (Don’t liberals always say “abortion is the most private and personal decision a woman can make”? If so, why should public dollars — money of people who disapprove of the act — be used?) Beside the point of logic, according to the left on message boards and blogs, the sky is falling.

So, from Jeff Caruso, the Executive Director of the Virginia Catholic Conference, here’s a bit of truth to set the record straight from an e-mailed statement:

Its effect is to eliminate the vast majority of Virginia’s publicly subsidized abortions (that is, those done under a general health rationale which has never received General Assembly approval). Over the last four years, these state-funded, health-related abortions have been performed at an alarming rate of one every three days. With the Governor’s amendment now securely fastened to the budget, many unborn lives can be saved, and state taxpayers who oppose financing life-ending practices have a greater measure of conscience protection.

Helping also, was our own Victoria Cobb, in this report from WTVR-TV/CBS6 in Richmond:

Designer Information can’t overcome the truth and neither did it overcome the will of the General Assembly Wednesday.

Yesterday, Mark Holmberg, perhaps the best chronicler of urban life in Virginia — first, for several years as an astute and award-winning columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and now for WTVR-TV/CBS6 — dialed up The Family Foundation’s very own Victoria Cobb, for a feature piece on last night’s CBS6 News at 11:00.

Holmberg takes extended and often unexplored looks at issues, people, attitudes and changes, and their affect on cities and society at large. Last night he looked into why people seem to care more about what happens to dogs than to the too-often-fatal fate of human life at the hands of other humans.

People should animals, but not to the point of desensitizing themselves to human life.

Annotations & Elucidations

The Answer Is . . . Abortion!

If Virginia’s gubernatorial campaign was modeled after the game show Jeopardy!, where the answers are the clues and the questions are the answers, Democrat candidate Creigh Deeds’ response to the word “abortion” would be, “What is the winning campaign issue?” It may be, but not the way he’s going after it. First, he’s the one way out of touch. As a well -publicized poll showed earlier this year, a majority of Americans now consider themselves pro-life. But a super majority of Americans always have been against partial-birth abortion and for parental consent. So, who’s the extremist here?

But what makes this a particularly odd move by Deeds is that he has simply proclaimed it! That is, out of nowhere, he has flat out declared this is the issue of the campaign. As if he declares the ground rules. Okay, maybe he does. So at the first and only debate, thus far, with Republican Bob McDonnell, Deeds said the “social” issues wouldn’t be a big part of his campaign. Talk about decisive leadership!

Still, it remains funny that Deeds thinks he can make up the rules of the campaign (being far down in the polls does not dictate a position of strength); that he blurts it out of nowhere; that he contradicts himself; and, after all that, picks a losing issue.

Enjoy your briefing today from the News Stand. We are pleased to start off with video from WTVR/CBS6 in Richmond, which interviewed our very own Chris Freund about the Deeds gambit.

Video:

*Deeds goes after McDonnell on abortion (2:34) (WTVR-TV/WTVR.com)

The Family Foundation’s Vice President-Policy and Communications Chris Freund is interviewed by Richmond CBS affiliate WTVR-TV/6.

News:

Economy, abortion rights focus of gubernatorial race (Richmond Times-Dispatch) 

Deeds picks off political scab: abortion rights (Roanoke Times) 

Deeds targets abortion issue (Washington Times)

Deeds Throws Abortion Gauntlet (Washington Post)

Commentary:

Desperate Deeds (Ramesh Ponnuru/Right Matters Washington Post Blog)