ABORTION/LIFE ISSUES:

THREE OF THE ANNOUNCED OR PROSPECTIVE Democratic candidates – Biden, Dodd and Kerry – have been named to “The Deadly Dozen” by the American Life League. The League, at a 1/22/03 news conference, criticized 12 Catholic senators who have pro-abortion records for “claiming to be faithful Catholics” and demanded, “these public officials either recant their openly pro-abortion stance or cease claiming to be Catholic.” Among others on the list: Harkin, Ted Kennedy and Daschle.

CAUCUS WATCH: One of the most intriguing aspects of the 2004 Iowa caucuses will be to see how these candidates fare in the Catholic, Democratic strongholds such as Dubuque, Carroll, etc. It was interested to note that Kerry included Dubuque on his first extended campaign visit to Iowa in early 2003.

IOWA ANGLE: The Iowa Right to Life Committee (IRLC) – www.irlc.org -- claims to be the largest grassroots pro-life organization in the state and is the Iowa affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee – www.nrlc.org The IRLC “identifies, educates and mobilizes the pro-life population of Iowa, building an informed community and an effective organization to restore respect and protection for all human life.” On the pro-choice side of the debate, the most prominent spokesperson has been Jill June, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Iowa – www.ppgi.org

RECENT DISPUTE: In mid-summer of 2002, Planned Parenthood leader June faced six months in jail and a $500 fine for refusing to comply with a Buena Vista County (Storm Lake) judge’s order to release the names of nearly 1,000 women who took pregnancy tests during a nine-month period ending in May 2002. The names were subpoenaed as part of an investigation to locate the mother of a newborn baby found May 30 in a shredder at the county recycling center. Planned Parenthood lawyers and representatives argued that such records were protected by federal laws.

THREE OF THE SENATORS ATTENDING NARAL Pro-Choice America’s celebration of the anniversary of Roe V. Wade received stern warnings about their pro-choice votes, according to The Washington Times. NARAL  President Kate Michelman told Lieberman, Kerry and Edwards, “I fully expect pro-choice senators to filibuster any (judicial) nominee who does not affirm a women’s constitutional right to choose.” (Inside Politics, The Washington Times, 1/23/03)  Just a week later, she sent a letter to senators opposing the confirmation of Miguel Estrada to the United States Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia. Michelman wrote: “I urge this based on lingering uncertainties about whether he would allow the right to choose to be eviscerated by narrow judicial interpretations of the governing standard.” (Michelman letter, www.naral.org, 1/29/03)

FOLLOWING THE MARCH FOR LIFE in Washington, the conservative weekly Human Events carried an account that identified six key pro-life issues on the agenda for 2003. The House passed the first five last year and is expected to do so again during the current session: 1) Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, 2) Human Cloning Ban, 3) Unborn Victims of Violence Act, making it a separate offense for injuring an unborn child during an attack on the mother, 4) Child Custody Protection Act, making it illegal to transport a minor across state lines for an abortion without her parents’ permission, and 5) Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, protecting hospitals and health care providers that forbid doctors to perform abortions in their facilities. The sixth initiative would focus on restricting funds for abortions. (Source: Human Events, 1/27/03)