Abortion Foes Organize Against Obama's Healthcare Plan

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

In the last few days, Christian conservatives have quickly organized themselves into a coalition opposing the inclusion of abortion coverage in President Obama's proposed public healthcare plan. Asked this weekend if the public health insurance plan would fund abortion, White House budget director Peter Orszag said, "I think that that will wind up being part of the debate. . . . I'm not prepared to rule it out."

Such heavyweights as Mike Huckabee, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, and Southern Baptist Convention public policy chief Richard Land will join in a live webcast Thursday called "Stop the Abortion Mandate."

The full lineup of participants:

James Dobson, founder and chairman emeritus of Focus on the Family
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America
David Bereit, founder and national director of 40 Days for Life
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List
Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life
Mike Huckabee, former governor and presidential candidate; host of the Fox News's Huckabee
Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee
Tom Minnery, senior vice president for government and public policy for Focus on the Family
Carmen Pate, host of the radio show Point of View
Frank Pavone, founder and national director of Priests for Life
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council
Rep. Joe Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican
Rep. Chris Smith, New Jersey Republican
Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America
Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life

From the sound of the welcome letter on the group's website, the coalition isn't distinguishing between Obama's public healthcare option and the possibility that it will fund abortion. It appears that the group is opposed to the entire plan.

Here's a sample:

Sound the alarm!
Powerful abortion industry lobbyists and Washington, D.C., politicians have just launched a massive effort to mandate taxpayer-funded abortions as part of their proposed trillion-dollar healthcare takeover.
This political power-grab is an effort to implement one of the cornerstones of the "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA), and could lead to a massive abortion industry bailout—something the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose, and certainly cannot afford in these tough economic times. . . .
Under the proposed takeover, virtually every American will eventually be in a health plan that mandates abortion coverage. These heinous measures could also force honorable medical providers to violate their consciences and perform abortions—or risk losing their jobs.
Simply stated, this abortion mandate must be STOPPED!

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