<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">--- On <B>Mon, 12/22/08, Notable News <I><NNN@freecongress.org></I></B> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From: Notable News <NNN@freecongress.org><BR>Subject: Notable News Free Congress Foundation Commentary By Paul M. Weyrich: Abortion as a Test of Conscience and of Campaign Commitment<BR>To: <BR>Date: Monday, December 22, 2008, 3:55 PM<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=5><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">Free Congress Foundation Commentary</SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=5><SPAN lang=EN-CA style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">Abortion as a Test of Conscience and of Campaign Commitment</SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=5><SPAN lang=EN-CA style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">B</SPAN></FONT></I></B><FONT size=5><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">y Paul M. Weyrich </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=5><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">December 22, 2008</SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-STYLE: normal">The President-elect appears to have stepped back from some of his campaign promises. That merely is speculation. We shall see. The President-elect did make a dogmatic statement regarding the so-called “Freedom of Choice” Act (FOCA). He said he will propose FOCA, which would eliminate all State and Federal restrictions upon abortion. It would purport to force Christian hospitals to perform abortions or close. It would demand that physicians perform abortions or give up their practice.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-STYLE: normal">Whatever happened to freedom of conscience? A hallmark of professionalism in the United States has been that we never force anyone to violate his or her conscience in the performance of a duty. That is the first line of defense of the pro-life movement. Even more than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited funding by the Federal Government of many abortions, the idea of freedom of conscience unites all parties in the pro-life movement, which has made progress since the passage of the Hyde Amendment. There hardly has been a Congress which made no progress on the right-to-life issue. And when progress was stymied at the Federal level, many restrictions were enacted at the State level. Most were tested in the Federal courts and were held to be constitutional.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-STYLE: normal">It is inconceivable to me that a majority in Congress can’t agree upon freedom of conscience. Counting the votes, I doubt that there are enough pro-lifers in Congress to maintain the restrictions previously passed by Congress. However, even honest liberals would favor allowing a physician to practice medicine consistent with his or her life-saving principles of conscience. Most Republicans, as well as many Democrats, ran as pro-lifers in the 2008 election. This fundamental issue may become the first test of their commitment to life. If we force hospitals and physicians to perform abortions against their beliefs, in other words in violation of their conscience, then we will be on a downward spiral from which there may be no return. </SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-STYLE: normal">This will be a test, America . God help all of us. </SPAN></FONT></I></B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The late Paul M. Weyrich was Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">For media inquiries, letters and general comments, or to subscribe or unsubscribe, contact Project Manager at <A href="mailto:nnn@freecongress.org" target=_blank rel=nofollow>nnn@freecongress.org</A></SPAN></FONT></I></B><FONT size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><I><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Visit us on the web at <A href="http://www.freecongress.org/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>www.freecongress.org</A> </SPAN></FONT></I></B></DIV>
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