Glenn Harlan Reynolds
Opinion
USA Today
4/15/2013
I write a lot of columns, both here at USA TODAYand elsewhere. Like pretty much everyone who writes opinion columns, I hope that people will read what I write and look at things differently as a result. It happens, sometimes. But very few have the impact of Kirsten Powers’ column on the murder trial of Pennsylvania abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell that ran in these pages last week.
Before Powers’ column, the case wasn’t on the national radar. Oh, it was getting attention from pro-life writers, conservative media critics, and law bloggers, but in terms of national media, the story didn’t exist. It wasn’t on the national radar until Powers’ column opened with this: “Infant beheadings. Severed baby feet in jars. A child screaming after it was delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Haven’t heard about these sickening accusations? It’s not your fault. Since Gosnell’s trial began March 18, there has been precious little coverage of the case that should be on every news show and front page.”
Once that column ran, more people started talking. Writing in the Atlantic a couple of days later, Conor Friedersdorf wrote “Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s Trial Should Be a Front-Page Story.” He commented: “The dead babies. The exploited women. The racism. The numerous governmental failures. It is thoroughly newsworthy. ”
Yes. So why wasn’t it news?…
The article continues at USA Today.
Related: Thoughts on the Gosnell Trial from Today
Today, I attended the Gosnell trial. It was exciting to see Kimberly Guilfoyle of Fox News’ The Five in the courtroom. It is a sign that, at last, national attention is being brought to this case.
For whatever reason, the trial had a late start. It began well after 11am. Gosnell walked in smiling, seemed to be unbothered by anything…
In October 2012 Jill Stanek reported in LifeSiteNews Eric Holder’s wife co-owns abortion clinic building run by indicted abortionist.
On her own site Stanek posted this today: Planned Parenthood’s one degree of separation from Gosnell’s 1972 “Mother’s Day Massacre”
…On Mother’s Day weekend in 1972, Karman, other activists, and 15 women in their second trimester of pregnancy boarded a bus in Chicago and headed for Philadelphia, where Gosnell had agreed to give them super-coil abortions at his clinic, then at 133 S. 36th St. The women, who were poor, had been unable to get abortions in Chicago or New York.
Gosnell’s super-coil abortions – filmed and later shown on a New York City educational-TV program, thanks to Karman – turned out badly…
Update: Unreal: Carney says Obama ‘does not and cannot’ take position on Gosnell
President Obama always seems to have something to say. But when it comes to the ongoing trial of alleged baby murderer Kermit Gosnell, he’s suddenly gone silent…
Krauthammer’s Take: No Coverage of Gosnell Trial Because it Puts Abortion Issue in “Stark Relief”
_
_
The Virginian: Audio: Obama argues against Born Alive legislation in IL state senate via Jill Stanek’s YouTube account:
In 2001, then IL state Sen. Barack Obama for the 2nd year in a row was the sole senator opposing Born Alive Infant bills state senate floor.
Audio of senate floor debates is destroyed when transcripts are written. Until now only the Chicago Tribune was known to have audio of this debate but has not released it.
But we now have it. In the audio Obama is arguing against calling for a 2nd physician if the 1st physician – the abortionist – has decided the baby s/he has just aborted alive is nonviable.
Most would recognize the potential for subjective opinion in this case. The abortionist is being paid to kill the baby predelivery, and a live birth would indicate s/he botched, for one thing.
For another, often these babies are being aborted because the abortionist has stated they are handicapped. A living baby could also be evidence the abortionist made a wrong diagnosis.
Barack Obama, a self-professed champion of the little guy and opponent of bullies, in this case argued in favor of trusting the abortionist. And the reasons are obvious. The abortion lobby in 2008 promised to spend $30 MILLION for their candidates as well as get out the vote.
In this audio Obama utters these infamous words among many:
“… if that fetus or child – however way you want to describe it – is now outside the mother’s womb….”
and
“… but there’s, let’s say, movement or some indication that, in fact, they’re not just coming out limp and dead….”
