Forbes Distances Himself from Bush on the Right to Life  
Presidential candidate Steve Forbes moved away from his former position requiring rape and incest exceptions to legislation prohibiting abortion in his response to a question by RNC/Life director Colleen Parro during an appearance via interactive satellite at the 28th Annual Eagle Forum Leadership Conference in St. Louis, held September 24-26. Mrs. Parro noted that, while Mr. Forbes says he supports the pro-life plank in the Republican National Platform which says the fundamental right to life of the unborn child cannot be infringed, his exceptions for babies conceived through rape or incest would allow continued infringement of their right to life. She asked him to explain the contradiction. He responded that he now would support a human life amendment to the Constitution without those exceptions “if we could get one” and also that he would sign legislation to that effect.

Mr. Forbes website, forbes2000.com, features a policy statement that also reflects this change. It says, “Steve believes that eventually the Paramount Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution will pass,” and that, “prior to passage of the amendment, Steve will do everything in his power to protect the unborn.”

Mr. Forbes also promises to “choose a Vice Presidential running mate who shares his views on abortion,” and, “As President, will appoint judges and Supreme Court Justices who share his views.”

The contest for pro-life voters is now between long-time pro-life champion Gary Bauer and Steve Forbes. George W. Bush is on record as supporting taxpayer-funded abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy for babies conceived through rape or incest, refusing to require judicial nominees to be pro-life, and saying that he would not rule out a pro-abortion running mate such as Governor Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey.

It is important for pro-life Americans to remember that it is not what candidates say in private that counts. They can only be held accountable for what they say publicly. Mr. Forbes has been on a very public philosophical journey with respect to the inherent right to life of all the babies. We welcome him as a new laborer in the vineyard.

Chicago-Area Hospital Aborting Babies Alive 
Oak Lawn, Illinois is home to Christ Hospital, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Both denominations support a mother’s right to choose to kill her unborn baby. But hospital medical personnel, volunteers, area churches and Oak Lawn citizens in general have risen up in outraged protest of a practice recently revealed by a labor and delivery room nurse at Christ. It seems that doctors have been inducing premature labor and delivering late-term “defective” babies alive, leaving them to die, often alone and unattended. According to nurse Jill Stanek, she once held a baby boy slightly larger than her hand who survived for about 45 minutes. In most states, aborting a viable fetus is against the law. The Chicago Tribune, reporting on this story, quoted George Annas, a professor of health law at the Boston University School of Public Health: “Once a fetus is born, it’s no longer a fetus, it’s a child. And you have to treat it that way.” Citizen protests and prayer vigils are underway outside Christ hospital. One of the protesters has been state Senator Patrick O’Malley (R-Palos Park) who sits on the hospital’s local governing board. O’Malley told The Tribune, “I just don’t think we’re in a position to play God.”