DEACON FOR LIFE

Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Supreme Implications: Dawn Johnsen Warrants Filibuster

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WASHINGTON, April 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today the president of the Susan B. Anthony List urged pro-life Senators to do all they can -- including support a filibuster -- in order to stop abortion activist Dawn Johnsen's nomination for Office of Legal Counsel.

"The nomination of radical pro-abortion nominee Dawn Johnsen to the Office of Legal Counsel holds significant implications for our next Supreme Court battle," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. "Few recognize the legacy of the Office of Legal Counsel as a stepping stone for future Supreme Court justices. This key personnel decision will determine whether pro-life senators are serious about acting to protect women and the unborn. Our nation cannot afford to have Dawn Johnsen continuing her track record of describing mothers as 'losers in the contraceptive lottery' in future Supreme Court Decisions. Pro-life senators have a duty to stop Johnsen before she reaches the courts, and that battle starts with halting her nomination to the Office of Legal Counsel, through a filibuster, if necessary."

Dawn Johnsen, a former NARAL Legal Director, has been nominated to serve as the head of the Office of Legal Counsel. This position was previously held by both Justice Antonin Scalia and Chief Justice William Rehnquist before they were each appointed to the Supreme Court.

"The legal opinions Dawn Johnsen has expressed throughout her long history of supporting the abortion agenda paint a disturbing view of pregnancy, motherhood, and even the Constitution," Dannenfelser said. "Our nation cannot afford to have such radical ideas in the Supreme Court. Johnsen's opposition to commonsense federal restrictions like the ban on partial-birth abortion indicates her radical embrace of the abortion cause -- an embrace that is far, far away from any 'common ground' on abortion policy."

While Johnsen served as Legal Director for NARAL, she authored numerous legal opinions rejecting any and all restrictions on abortion. Some notable quotes from Johnsen's amicus curiae brief in the case Webster v. Reproductive Health Services include:

"Abortion restrictions 'reduce pregnant women to no more than fetal containers.'"

"The argument that women who become pregnant have in some sense consented to the pregnancy belies reality...and others who are the inevitable losers in the contraceptive lottery no more 'consent' to pregnancy than pedestrians 'consent' to being struck by drunk drivers."

"The experience [of abortion] is no longer traumatic; the response of most women to the experience is relief."

Johnsen awaits a floor vote by the full U.S. Senate to gain confirmation to head the Office of Legal Counsel. Reports of a possible GOP-lead filibuster of her nomination have recently surfaced.

The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 156,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.

www.sba-list.org