Bristol Palin: "Ambassador for Abstinence" or for Safer Sex?
Not only did Bristol Palin recently appear on the Today Show, she was also on Good Morning America -- where her enthusiasm about safer sex was more muted. On the Huffington Post, Rachel Weiner even calls her an "ambassador for abstinence." Weiner adds:
Palin was less forthcoming on this issue than her ex. "Regardless of what I did personally, I just think that abstinence is the only way you can effectively, 100% foolproof way you can prevent pregnancy," she responded. Asked how she squared her own experiences with her new campaign, she added, "I'm not quite sure, I just want to go out there and promote abstinence and say, this is the safest choice. This is the choice that's going to prevent teen pregnancy and prevent a lot of heartache."
Obama, Clinton Sound Different Themes on Abortion and Reproductive Health
At the FundamentaList, Sarah Posner picks up on some differences within Obama's administration:
Since becoming the Democratic nominee, Obama has declined to deploy the rhetoric used by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in framing abortion as an issue of women's moral agency or even as one of reproductive health. In response to a question on the topic at his press conference last week, Obama uncomfortably labeled it a "moral issue." When faced with discontent from his evangelical center-right allies over his repeal of the global gag rule, Obama failed to explain why its repeal promotes not abortion but reproductive health worldwide.
Choose Life License Plates Pass Texas House
"Choose Life" license plates come one step closer to becoming available in Texas, the Statesman.com reports. "Money from the “choose life” plates would go to centers that offer counseling and other services to pregnant women who are considering giving their children up for abortion [sic]. Supporters of abortion rights say those centers are unregulated, spend too much money on administration and sometimes give inaccurate information."
What Conscience Clauses Really Do
The San Francisco Chronicle offers a comprehensive examination the likely effects of the Obama administration's rescinding of the HHS provider conscience expansion and on the nature of conscience-based exemptions from professional obligation:
Advocates of the Bush regulation say it created clearer systems to report moral discrimination...
But opponents of the Bush regulation say it might have threatened the rights of those who have different views on medical issues than religious conservatives. They say the Bush regulation potentially infringed on their right to provide abortions, vasectomies and contraceptives - as well as information about them.
It is unclear, for example, whether abortion services providers would be viewed as discriminatory if they refused to hire people who didn't believe in abortion, said Lilly Spitz, chief legal counsel for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. She said the regulation also potentially threatened the organization's ability to vet volunteers...
Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, said his organization wholeheartedly supports long-held protections for individual health care providers to recuse themselves based on conscience.
But, he said, giving entire hospitals or health care systems the blanket protection called for under the Bush plan threatens the freedom of nurses or doctors to give services they believe patients need.
Other News to Note
May 5: BeliefNet: "You were right"
May 5: NJ.com: Pro-life doesn't mean conservative: Rep. Chris Smith and the future of the Republican Party
May 5: SMC Collegian: License plate messages censored
May 5: Women and Hollywood: Presentation from Panel on Abortion in Popular Culture
May 4: Globe and Mail: My teenage daughter's pregnancy
May 5: Daily 49er: Anti-abortion group should attempt ‘Plan B’ before offending women
May 5: Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Contraception is rational solution
May 5: New Zealand Herald: Appeal court can't fix fundamentally flawed abortion law
May 5: LifeNews: Children's Author Judy Blume Seeks Donations to Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz
May 4: Pew Survey: Guys, Guns and Abortion
May 5: MedScape Today: Simultaneous Administration of Mifepristone and Misoprostol for Early Medical Abortion Increases Risk for Surgical Intervention
May 5: Delaware Online: Two UD Philosophy Professors Debate Abortion
May 5: CNN Political Ticker: Obama proposes $63 billion to battle disease abroad
May 5: NYTimes: New Births, Old Wounds
