Source Of "Infanticide" Smear Says America Elected "A Barbarian"

Though some conservatives are making conciliatory noises about Barack Obama now that the election is over, Jill Stanek is not among them. The former Illinois nurse, whose claims about a supposed rash of abortions of "born alive" babies at a Chicago hospital snowballed into the election-season charge that Obama supported "infanticide," wrote Thursday:

"Barack Obama was elected president despite the fact he supports abortion into the fourth trimester. [Ed. Note: Stanek uses "fourth trimester" deliberately to indicate abortions of children who are nevertheless "born alive."] Either the 63 million people voting for him didn't know about his radical record, which includes abandoning abortion survivors to die, didn't care, or didn't believe it."

Because several "anti-life" ballot initiatives also passed on Tuesday, Stanek said to her World Net Daily audience that "we are fooling ourselves if we think the United States is still a Christian nation," adding: "Its people just elected a barbarian as president."

The notion, pushed hard by Stanek and others, that Obama favored infanticide because he once voted "present" on a number of Illinois state senate bills was one that the Obama campaign pushed back against during the campaign. Obama's "Fight the Smears" website (apparently now offline) said the president-elect had voted against a bill containing language designed to protect infants who were 'born alive,' because such protections were already part of Illinois state law, and because the Stanek-supported bill was, at the time, opposed by the Illinois Medical Society.

Rick Winkel, the Illinois Republican who introduced the bill in the state Senate, even wrote in September that "none of those who voted against SB-1082 favored infanticide," despite his disagreement with them.

Nevertheless, Stanek is not giving up the ghost, calling on churches across America to take up a more explicit fight in the public policy arena of abortion. "It is your responsibility, pastor and church leaders, to teach your people that abortion is abominable, and before that to teach chaste living," she wrote. "And before that, at the risk of making my Protestant friends flip, to teach that the contraceptive/sterilization mentality, which considers children bad, not blessings, is also a component of the sexual demise of our country."

Comments

[SentientBiped]

Obama said he would approve of the Illinois state bill if it were similar to the federal BAIPA, that is, if it contained a Roe v. Wade protection clause. Even when such a clause was added and the wording made exactly the same as the Federal bill (which was approved UNANIMOUSLY in the senate, and not opposed by even the radical pro-abortion agency NARAL) Obama would not support it.

Check out the wordings of both bills yourself:
http://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/WhitePaperAugust282008.html

For someone with so little political leadership experience, Obama is surprisingly adept as spin doctoring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaeFHYiI6pw&feature=related

[CamJam]

Cached from Google:
3. FACT
The Illinois State Medical Society Opposed The Bill Because It Interfered With The Physician-Patient Relationship And Greatly Expanded Civil Liability For Physicians. “The Illinois State Medical Society, which also fought the legislation and was cited by Mr. Obama on Saturday in his defense of his position, said in a statement that it opposed the package of bills, first introduced in 2001, “because they interfered negatively with the physician-patient relationship, attempted to dictate the practice of medicine for neonatal care and greatly expanded civil liability for physicians­.” [New York Times, 8/19/08] Obama Said He Would Have Supported Federal Born-Alive Legislation. The Chicago Tribune reported, “Obama said that had he been in the US Senate two years ago, he would have voted for the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, even though he voted against a state version of the proposal. The federal version was approved; the state version was not. Both measures required that if a fetus survived an abortion procedure, it must be considered a person. Backers argued it was necessary to protect a fetus if it showed signs of life after being separated from its mother…the difference between the state and federal versions, Obama explained, was that the state measure lacked the federal language clarifying that the act would not be used to undermine Roe vs. Wade.” [Chicago Tribune, 10/4/04]

[SentientBiped]

This is true for the original bill. But Obama chaired the state senate committee in 2003 which had the proposed bill SB 1082 amended (Amendment No 1, 10-0), rendering it virtually identical to the federal BAIPA. The committee voted it down 6-4, with Obama voting No.

[kjwhite]

Being a nurse, this Stanek woman should know better than most the horrors of botched, back-room abortions, or the self-mutilation and the self poisonings that used to occur by the thousands among desperate, frantic, frightened teenagers or even grown women that found themselves with an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy. Once upon a time in America there was not even help available for a victim of rape or incest. Women were forced to carry pregnancies after being violated by a criminal, and people like this Stanek or Sarah Palin would like to see this form of cruelty and punishing the victim return.

Sadly, many of these anti-abortion people are not old enough to remember the days when women and young girls routinely died or nearly died, usually left sterile after one of these back-room abortions. Abortion has always been with us, whether they want to see it or not. Women have ended unwanted pregnancies for ages. Overturning Roe v. Wade would not stop the practice, it would only make it far more dangerous. It would return women who have a right to privacy regarding their own bodies, to resorting to dangerous, desperate measures.

All I can say to them is if you do not believe in abortion, then don't have any. Stay out of a woman's right to choose what is best for her and her family.

[CamJam]

Thank you for your excellent post.

When I was a child, around 12 years old (back in the 70's) I found a box of my mother's old books. Being curious, I looked through a few and one horrified me. As I thumbed through it, I saw black and white pictures in the book showing women that had died giving themselves abortions. I don't remember the name of this book, but I will NEVER forget what I saw in that old book for as long as I shall live. I was not only sad and upset but frightened.

I don't know anyone that is happy about abortion, but I do know many that are pro-choice like my mother, myself, and my daughter. I hope we will NEVER see those days again, like what I saw in my mother's old book.

[SentientBiped]

I had a very similar experience when I saw former founding member of NARAL Dr. Bernard Nathason's "silent scream" documentary. Seeing what actually happens in the various types of abortion procedures along with those horrible images of mutilated bodies - this etched itself on my brain forever. I remember thinking to myself - this cannot possibly be happening in a civilized society.

[SentientBiped]

Your directive to "stay out of a woman's right to choose" - is there a statue of limitation on such a right? For example, should the mother have the same right to choose a day before the child is due? During the delivery? 10 minutes after birth? After the baby's first birthday? Graduation?

[bohite]

you forgot the other age: when they reach 18 and is OK then to send them to a stupid war by neocons who are pro life up to age 18

[lapfog 1]

It would seem that most "pro life" people are really "pro fetus". After the kid is born they care absolutely nothing about the "life" that it lives. Hence their opposition to all programs that actually support children and single moms (unless it's their fundie church program). If Obama voted down this law or even simply voted "present".­.. so what. You say that there is an identical ban (exact same language) at the federal level... so why the need for a state law which is a duplicate? Anyway, abortion rights have been chipped away enough in this land, we don't need to chip away any more of them.

[Roxanna]

Thank you for your excellent post ! So many of these extremists do not understand the history of what went before Roe v Wade.They do not bother to educate themselves.

Studies have shown that those countries that have the most liberal abortion laws have the fewest abortions of all ! The exact opposite is true for those countries that have the strictest laws against abortion have the highest number of abortions, only they are in the back streets.

Countries open about abortion educate their young in how to take responsibility when and if one becomes sexually active. "Abstinence only Programs" do not work as studies again show 95 percent of the population are not virgins at the time of marriage.

[Petey131]

Jill Stanek get a life. No pun intended.

[berryessence]

it bothers me to see people talk about this and they have never experience it.

i lost child and my girlfriend had to have an abortion to save HER life.

[ladydriver]

I thought one had to be literate and intelligent to become a nurse. How did this one slip through?

[Star2000dancer]

I'm an accident myself, but my mom wanted a baby. But I have watched carefully as children had babies, & as their children had babies and so on. None of them had happy lives, most stayed on welfare or in jail, on drugs & alcohol with an emptiness you can not describe.

How may babies do you think are killed everyday you seldom hear about unless they're found in a dumpster or buried somewhere. Let women make their own decisions. Men have No IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE CARRYING A BABY YOU DO'NT WANT. WHAT? Do you think abortion is fun? It's hell, & you never forget it. But it's better for a soul to go directly to heaven than have to live in hell on earth not being wanted or loved, abused, maybe even killed.

Mind your own business. If you tryi tto blow up an abortion clinic, or shootidoctors, you'll wish you were aborted yourself. you'll be jailed for the rest of your life or if they can get you to Texas, they love capital punishment. there. Hell on earth is knowing you were an accident & were never wanted. from the place you begin in society until you get mocked & beat up everyday in school, living on welfare with hand me downs, little or no Holidays unless someone feels sorry for you, low self esteem, rarely finishing school or even going to school.

If you want to really know what unwanted babies go through, I'll

[SentientBiped]

Sorry, but are you saying that these people you believe are unhappy - they should be put out of their misery, or at the very least, you're saying they would've been better off dead?

Is the right to life now dependant on one's potential success in life? Is it based on someone else’s expectations, or is it something fundamental, afforded to each of us by nature of our personhood as human beings? (the right answer is the latter)

The right to life is the most basic human right - the one on which our entire civilization hinges. Chipping away at is an extremely bad idea.

[Bodie1]

Unfortunately, the lunatic fringe is alive and well.

[whateverlolawants]

What a freaking joke. I don't want her to get any more attention. The last part is the worst. Demonizing contraception and sterilization? I know those people want sex to only be for married couples, and for all married couples to be totally down with whatever children nature bestows, which is pretty effed up in itself, but what about women whose health would be threatened by having kids? There are legitimate medical reasons that women- even married women who might like to have their own kids- have to prevent themselves from getting pregnant. Some nurse!

[grata2ude]

If churches want more of a say in political matters then they should lose their tax exempt status.

[takingbkourcountry]

Precisely! Any religion cannot look at this objectively.

[TheNoBullExpress]

She's likely a plant....T­he first Gulf War the iraquis were supposedly taking babies from incubators.
They had a Kuwaiti doctor to verify this was true. It never happened.

God bless America? No, it s GD America! GD that entire Bush Family !!!
- Rev. No Bull

[PacificOcean]

Jill The Nurse,

Joe the Plumber called. He wants his last 30 seconds of the 15 minutes back.

[Judyisacutie]

I guess it's time for liberals, progressives, moderates and conservatives for change to repeat an old slogan. America: love it or leave it.

[Irish55]

How sad this woman is.

[ArthurTwoShedsJackson]

Pssst! Nurse Ratched! There were far fewer abortions during the Clinton era than GWB's.

[Ajita]

I did not know that. Why the hell is this not out there?

[RationalDubSteppa]

Because the snake-handlers(ie. Evangelical fundies) don't want you to know that because it completely defeats their weak argument.

[old lady]

When will they grow up and reach sexual maturity? If they would allow the mornng after pill there would be little need for abortion. Or perhaps they can put there money where theire mouths are and volunteer to have the embryos of a woman who seeks an abortion transplanted to their womb. and thereby demonstrate their belief by carrying said to term and then accept parenthood of the child.

If they can't bring themselves to do either, they should just shut up and mind their own business

[MarkBoston]

When will we as believers in the separation of church and state say ENOUGH and fight back ? These people actually believe they are Superior somehow to all people how do not view the world from their very narrow vision . We need to form equally powerful groups to Fight back the fanatics from trying to step on everyones rights .. I am pissed as hell here and I HAVE HAD ENOUGH

[Rrrracer]

Mark, great point. Amazing how this country was founded on the principle of separation of church and state, and yet the church has been blatantly invasive on government as we know it for the last... how many years?? Narrow vision describes it perfectly.­..

I think there's lots of good things to be learned from it, but religion is the cause of more bloodshed in the world than any other reason.

Spirituality? Yes. "My way or the highway"? No (good riddance W). Barack belongs to a religion, but he understands not everyone thinks that way, just one reason of many that he earned my vote.

Oh yeah, a shout out to everyone in Indiana... BLUE baby, BLUE!

[littlebuddylouie]

The Republican party platform not only included the goals of criminalizing abortion and banning gay marriage, but also advocated returning prayer and the ten commandments to public schools. As long as the Republican party is heavily influenced by the extreme religious right, it will remain incapable of any serious objectivity on issues concerning the separation of church and state.
The very high probability of Supreme Court retirements in the next few years is, for me, one of the biggest reasons to be very grateful for President-elect Obama's victory.

[Moxo]

Ask most Republicans what is the difference between abortion and "collateral damage" and they get upset with you.

[old lady]

Perfect, I salute you

[Gusto2]

Ask the republicans what is the difference between anything and they will get upset, because they are usually repeating the talking points from the party and the lunatics like Rush, hannity and Bill O'Reilly.