Most pro-life conservatives believe that the President will nominate to the Supreme Court men and women cut out of the same cloth as Scalia and Thomas. That's what they expect because that's what he implied when running for President in 2000. Stay tuned.

Senate to Consider Allowing Taxpayer Funding of ESCR 
Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for H.R. 810 sponsored by Reps. Mike Castle (R-DE) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), which orders taxpayer funding of stem cell research that requires the killing of human embryos. The Bush administration's current policy, although seriously flawed, is that no federal funding of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) is allowed except for experiments on cell lines that were taken from embryos killed prior to August 9, 2001.

The measure is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). A vote is expected soon. Senators who may be undecided on whether the taxpayers should be forced to pay for scientific experiments that kill innocent human embryos are: Alexander (TN), Allen (VA), Bennett (UT), Bond (MO), Cochran (MS), Coleman (MN), Gregg (NH), Lott (MS), Lugar (IN), Murkowski (AK), Ben Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR) and Thomas (WY). The number for the Capitol Switchboard is: 202/224-3121.

Some House Republicans Support Cloning Human Embryos for Research 
Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) recently offered an amendment to the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education Appropriations bill during committee, that would prohibit National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to any entity involved in human cloning. The amendment failed. The following Republican Members of the Committee voted against the Weldon Amendment, thus voting in favor of taxpayer funding of human cloning: Jerry Lewis (CA), Ralph Regula (OH), Jim Kolbe (AZ), James Walsh (NY), David Hobson (OH), Joe Knollenberg (MI), Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ), Kay Granger (TX), and Mark Kirk (IL). Some of these people have heretofore been classified as "pro-life." No more.

Santorum Facing Tough Re-Election Campaign 
Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) has made a lot of pro-lifers in Pennsylvania mad. The Senate champion of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Santorum's actions on behalf of pro-abortion politicians has sometimes been in conflict with his pro-life reputation. When former NJ Governor Christine Todd Whitman, an ardent pro-abortion advocate and prolific fundraiser for Republican pro-abortion candidates, ran for re-election, Senator Santorum actually traveled to New Jersey to campaign for her. When former Rep. Jim Greenwood, arguably the most fervent pro-abortion activist in the U.S. House, had a tough re-election campaign, Santorum not only campaigned for him, but allowed his picture to be used on his campaign literature. The straw that broke the pro-life camel's back however, was Santorum's staunch support for pro-abortion Senator Arlen Specter who, facing a mighty challenge from former Rep. Pat Toomey who wore the pro-life mantle, was in grave danger of losing his seat. Santorum, along with President Bush, traveled around the state campaigning for Specter who ultimately defeated Toomey, infuriating pro-life Republicans across Pennsylvania.

Senator Santorum is up for re-election in 2006 and this time he has a challenger who may be hard to beat. His name is Bob Casey, Jr., son of the late former PA Governor Robert Casey who, because of his pro-life philosophy, was famously denied an opportunity to speak at the Democratic national convention in 1992.

Bob Casey, Jr. campaigned for State Treasurer of Pennsylvania in 2004 and won. During that campaign, he answered a questionnaire compiled by the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. He responded in the following manner:

If Roe v. Wade were overturned, he would:

1. Support providing legal protection for unborn children from the moment of conception.

2. If the issue was returned to the states and the PA General Assembly passed a bill that would contain exceptions for rape, for incest, and for life of the mother, "I would strongly support that bill because it would have the effect of reducing the number of abortions."

3. Oppose public funding of abortion.

4. Support banning the cloning of human beings for any purpose.

5. Support state funding of contraceptive services.

6. Support requiring employers or health insurers to cover contraceptives in their prescription drug plans.

7. Oppose repealing the death penalty.

In order to win re-election, Senator Santorum has some work to do to restore the trust of his pro-life base. We suggest he start by making a solemn pledge to them that he will never again endorse, support or financially contribute to any candidate who is not 100% pro-life.

"The Worst Thing I Ever Did" – Sharon Osbourne 
The matriarch of the infamous Osbourne family, wife of Ozzie and co-star of the outrageous reality TV show "The Osbournes," Sharon Osbourne, was quoted in the London Daily Mail on 12/20/04 regarding the abortion in her past.

"I had an abortion at 17 and it was the worst thing I ever did. It was the first time I'd had sex, and that was rotten. I'd always thought it was going to be all violins, and it was just awful.

"I was two months gone when I realized. I went to my mum and she said, without pausing for breath: ‘You have to get rid of it.'

"She told me where the clinic was, then, virtually pushed me off. She was so angry. She said I'd got myself in this mess, now she had to get me out. But she didn't come. I went alone. I was terrified. It was full of other young girls, and we were all terrified and looking at each other and nobody was saying a bloody word. I howled my way through it, and it was horrible.

"I would never recommend it to anyone because it comes back to haunt you. When I tried to have children, I lost three – I think it was because something had happened to my cervix during the abortion. After three miscarriages, they had to put a stitch in it.

"In life, whatever it is, you pay somewhere down the line. You have to be accountable."

Sonogram Machines Funded by Religious/Conservative Groups 
Most of the crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in the United States (approximately 3,000 in number) are not equipped with sonogram machines. And those machines can make quite a difference. Centers that do have the machines report a 90% or higher rate of mothers who choose life for their babies.

We wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Focus on the Family and the Southern Baptist Convention, organizations that are currently purchasing sonogram machines for CPCs. The machines cost between $20,000 and $30,000, while the new state-of-the-art equipment that shows the unborn baby in three dimensions is even more costly.