<DIV>I received this good news from my friend at South Carolina Citizens for Life. - Dianne<BR><BR><B><I>SCCL <sccl@bellsouth.net></I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">From: "SCCL" <SCCL@BELLSOUTH.NET><BR>To: "SCCL" <SCCL@BELLSOUTH.NET><BR>Subject: GOP approves strongest pro-life platform<BR>Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 15:39:42 -0400<BR><BR>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">To: SCCL e-mail tree</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">From: Holly Gatling, Executive Director</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">Subject: GOP Pro-Life Platform</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">Date: August 27, 2004</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><BR><FONT face="Courier New"></FONT></STRONG></DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=6>Republican platform committee approves "strongest ever" pro-life position</FONT><BR></FONT></STRONG><A href="http://www.lifenews.com/nat756.html"><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">http://www.lifenews.com/nat756.html</FONT></STRONG></A><BR><BR><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">by Steven Ertelt<BR>LifeNews.com Editor<BR>August 26, 2004<BR><BR>New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Republican Party platform members<BR>turned back efforts by abortion advocates to water down the<BR>strong pro-life position the party has taken since 1976. They<BR>voted to retain language in the party platform advocating a Human<BR>Life Amendment to the Constitution that would afford legal<BR>protection to unborn children throughout pregnancy.<BR><BR>Members of the Republicans for Choice group were rebuffed in<BR>their efforts to add a so-called unity amendment, pointing out<BR>that some Republicans
differ with the majority of the party on<BR>the issue.<BR><BR>Instead, platform writers adopted vague language noting that some<BR>Republicans differ on political issues but the party would<BR>"respect and accept that members of our party can have deeply<BR>held and sometimes differing views."<BR><BR>Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a pro-life former national party<BR>chairman, objected to singling out abortion in the unity<BR>amendment. The less specific language was adopted on a 74-18<BR>vote.<BR><BR>Attorney Jim Bopp, who has done legal work for numerous pro-life<BR>organizations, told LifeNews.com, the platform was "the strongest<BR>pro-life platform the Republican Party has ever adopted."<BR><BR>"The Republican Party is unified around its pro-life position.<BR>There was much less dissent on the pro-life issue than ever,"<BR>Bopp explained.<BR><BR>But, Ann Stone, founder of Republicans for Choice, objected to<BR>the language and said the platform would alienate
moderate<BR>voters.<BR><BR>"We are the margin of victory," Stone told the Houston Chronicle.<BR>"Our people have been civil and silent before. And they expect<BR>more of the same. But if we want to continue being the governing<BR>party, we are going to have to be more open-minded."<BR><BR>However, a study published by the Gallup Poll Special Report<BR>entitled "Public Opinion About Abortion -- An In-Depth Review"<BR>said "the abortion issue has been an advantage for Republican<BR>candidates" for all six presidential elections from 1984 to 2000<BR>because of the nominee's pro-life position.<BR><BR>According to the Gallup, of the 14% of voters who said abortion<BR>was one of the most important issues in deciding whom to vote for<BR>in the 2000 presidential election, 58% supported Bush, while only<BR>41% voted for pro-abortion candidate Al Gore.<BR><BR>The GOP platform also includes language backing President Bush's<BR>August 2001 policy prohibiting the federal funding of any
new<BR>embryonic stem cell research.<BR><BR>"We strongly support the president's policy that prevents<BR>taxpayer dollars from being used to encourage the future<BR>destruction of human embryos," the proposed language reads.<BR><BR>Despite objections to the policy as a so-called "ban," the Bush<BR>administration has spent $190 million funding the use of adult<BR>stem cells, which are considered a more ethical and effective<BR>alternative.<BR><BR>The proposed platform goes to the full convention for<BR>ratification on Monday, without further debate.<BR><BR><BR>-------<BR>Would you like to reproduce articles or newsbriefs from<BR>LifeNews.com in your organization's newsletter? If so, email<BR></FONT></STRONG><A href="mailto:news@LifeNews.com"><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New">news@LifeNews.com</FONT></STRONG></A><STRONG><FONT face="Courier New"> for more information on news licensing.</FONT></STRONG> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR><DIV>
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<DIV><EM><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000bf>Like a deer that longs for running waters so my soul longs for you, O God.</FONT></EM></DIV></FONT></EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000bf><EM><FONT face="comic sans ms">Ps 42:1</FONT></EM></FONT></DIV>
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