Among the final actions of the Republican-controlled Senate and Congress are two most sad and shameful.
The Congress failed to pass the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act while the Senate voted to confirm the sinister Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach to head the Food and Drug Administration.
In the first case, 162 Congresspersons voted to keep women seeking an abortion from being informed of the facts that their preborn children may well feel the pain of the gruesome procedure. The Act would have required that abortionists also offer anesthesia to the child if the mother still decides for the abortion. Of course, the Act's offer of a soporific is ironic in the extreme and pro-life advocates supported it because they know that any light revealing the humanity of the child in utero presents a much greater chance for the mothers to do the right thing and protect the life they bear. The pro-abortionists know this as well and that is why they voted as a bloc against the measure. They want to appear humane, of course, and so will continue to kiss babies at political rallies and vote for legislation that protects spotted owls and snail darters. But anything that might turn a mother's heart from the grisly wickedness of abortion? No, they'll fight like...well, like demons...to keep that from happening.
And the second action? Well, let's see. Dr. von Eschenbach has served as Director of the National Cancer Institute and yet, in that immeasurably powerful position, helped the abortion industry to keep hidden the scientific studies linking abortion to breast cancer. Indeed, the doctor held a conference ostensibly designed to examine that very link only to have the final view dismiss the connection altogether. That, my friends, is a callous act of political-correctness trumping sound science. Not a nice point in Dr. von Eschenbach’s resume.
Then, as Acting Director of the FDA, von Eschenbach has ignored other grave dangers to women like the abortion drug RU-486. He has also approved the extremely irresponsible sale of the abortifacient "morning after pills" over-the-counter. No, Dr. von Eschenbach is bad news on many fronts and his appointment represents a terrible cop-out by President Bush and the Republican-controlled Senate.
Sure, it will get a lot worse for the cause of truth, the sanctity of life and the freedom of genuine scientific inquiry under the Democrats. But, to be honest, the G.O.P. hasn't been handling these precious items very well under their watch either.
Sigh.
