CNSNews.com editor in chief Terry Jeffrey devoted his Feb. 6 column to rehashing a old attack on Barack Obama: ascribing sinister motive to bills he opposed as an Illinois state senator that would require care of a fetus that was still alive after an abortion. “At that time, Illinois state law did not protect the rights of these abortion-surviving babies,” Jeffrey writes, adding that the state senator who introduced the bills “just wanted to protect the constitutional rights of all born babies. Not Obama.”
In fact, as we documented when the attack first surfaced during the 2008 presidential campaign, Illinois already had a law requiring medical care for a viable fetus that survived an abortion — contradicting the source Jeffrey used for his column, anti-abortion activist Jill Stanek that only “comfort care” is permitted.
While Jeffrey cited one single defense Obama made of his opposition to the bill — that it would give legal status to a previable fetus — Obama also pointed out that the legislation was really intended to restrict abortion rights and it would likely be struck down by the courts since federal law did not permit it under Roe v. Wade, since it did not include a “neutrality clause” stating that the law would not change anyone’s legal status.
The fact that Obama has been out of office for more than two years isn’t stopping Jeffrey from falsely attacking him — though perhaps it should be a sign he should give it up.