Nine years ago, Chicago nurse Jill Stanek discovered babies who survived botched abortions at Christ Hospital were left to die in a soiled-utility room.
Since then, she has worked to protect those babies and educate the public about the horrific practice.
This week, the mainstream media are taking notice of her efforts. Why? Because at the center of the controversy stands Sen. Barack Obama.
Consider recent headlines:
The New York Times: "Obama’s 2003 Stand on Abortion Draws New Criticism in 2008."
The Washington Post: "Candidates' Abortion Views Not So Simple."
Chicago Tribune: "Obama's record on abortion hit."
The Associated Press: "Obama faces new criticism on abortion."
As chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee in the Illinois Legislature in 2003, Obama blocked the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. The bill, which followed Stanek's gruesome discovery, would have protected babies who survive an abortion.
"Senator Obama … did not oppose the killing of babies who were aborted, but then somehow came into the world alive," Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action, said on a recent radio broadcast. "That, to him, was a moral position. To me, it’s anathema."
For years, Obama has maintained he blocked the legislation because it did not mirror the federal law. But the National Right to Life Committee has recently presented documentation showing the two bills were virtually identical.
“I don’t know whether he is lying or whether he forgot, but with his words, he is condemning himself," Stanek told The New York Times. “He voted one way and then covered it up, and he has to explain that, not just to me, but to the American people.”
The Obama campaign has said the senator appeared to misstate his position.
Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, said, "It wasn't until we got these official documents that they finally had to fess up and are now trying to change the subject.
"He knows that millions of Americans would find this position extreme and repugnant."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read more about Sen. Obama's efforts to block the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois.
Listen to Dr. James Dobson's thoughts on the presidential race.
Stay informed by visiting Jill Stanek's blog.
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
