Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Defending Life 

Today marks the 41st annual March for Life, which coincides with the tragic anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. That ruling has resulted in, by one count, more than 56 million abortions in America. That's 56 million innocent babies destroyed in the womb; 56 million lives never lived, their contributions to society lost forever.

As they do every year, tens of thousands of Americans braved the brutal Washington winter weather. Not even below zero wind chills could dampen the spirits of those who marched for the sanctity of life.

Among the speakers at this year's March for Life were House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), my good friend Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, and his son, Ryan Dobson. Jim and Shirley Dobson adopted Ryan, and they know firsthand how wonderful the choice of life really is. 

This morning I went downtown to encourage the marchers and to meet with conservative members of the Republican National Committee, who are in Washington this week for the RNC's winter meeting. 

The sanctity of life is a paramount issue for millions of Americans. While the media portray it as controversial, several pro-life positions, according to Gallup's polling, have broad public support. For example:
 

  • 87% of Americans support laws informing women about the possible risks associated with abortions. 
  • 80% of the public supports banning abortions performed in the 3rd trimester.
  • 71% support parental consent laws.
  • 69% support a 24-hour waiting period.
  • 64% of Americans support banning abortions performed in the 2nd trimester.

Obama Applauds Roe v. Wade 

As he has done in years past, Barack Obama issued a statement today from the White House praising Roe v. Wade. Here's an excerpt: 
 

  • "Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision's guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health.  We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman's access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom.  …Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams."

Sorry, Mr. Obama, but abortion is not health care. Destroying an innocent life is a nightmare, not the fulfillment of dreams. 

Speaking The Language Of Main Street 

Beyond fighting for values issues, conservative movement must also reconnect with middle and working class voters on Main Street. Today I joined Frank Cannon, Jeff Bell and Maggie Gallagher of the American Principles Project in urging the Republican Party to speak to the dreams, worries and challenges of Main Street and the great American middle class. 

Polling clearly shows that broad swaths of the public have bought into the idea that conservatives don't care about the average guy. During the depth of the recession, polling found that when voters were asked what they wanted most, 65% said they would rather fire their boss than get a raise. 

Conservatives must support entrepreneurship and job creators, but do so with rhetoric that Main Street can relate to. That is done by focusing on jobs, income stagnation and inflation, which is eating away at paychecks. 

In The News And Getting Noticed 

While most Americans many not have a favorite yet for the next presidential election, still years away, the left-wing media is already cheerleading for Hillary Clinton. Much to Hillary's surprise, she learned the hard way in 2008 that in the politically correct pecking order, race trumps sex. Now, having helped elect the first black president, the media will fall in love with the narrative of Hillary becoming America's first female president. You can read more in my latest column at FoxNews.com. 

I also have an opinion piece up at USA Today taking New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to task for his intolerant remarks against those who may be pro-life and who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.

By the way, the "Bauer & Rose Show" got a great shout out from Mark Levin this week. I've known Mark for years, going back to our days together in the Reagan Administration when he served as the chief of staff to then-Attorney General Ed Meese, another great American. 

Mark said he loves the "Bauer & Rose Show," and I think you will too. Tune in Sunday mornings at 11 to Sirius/XM's Patriot channel 125. The show re-airs Sunday night at 10.