Tag: Supreme Court

Jodi Jacobson of RH Reality Check disagrees with some of Saletan's points, namely that it is women's "cavalier attitudes" about sex and not restrictive access to birth control that is to blame for many unintended pregnancies.

A Spanish parliamentary committee approved a reform on the country's restrictive abortion laws, recommending that abortion be legalized for the first trimester to bring Spanish laws more in line with other European countries: (via The Telegraph).

A recently released Guttmacher Institute study estimates that currently 1.94 million unintended pregnancies are prevented each year through the use of publicly funded family planning services, noting that if these resources are cut unplanned pregnancy and abortion rates among low income women would nearly double: (via AP/Google).

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has signed legislation banning a certain procedure used in late-term abortions that includes an exception to save a woman's life, but does not include a health exception: (via Associated Press).

Obstetrician and medical geneticist Mark Evans writes in Newsweek on his professional opinion that selective reduction for women pregnant with multiples is often the best choice to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies.

A spray-on contraceptive for women that requires smaller doses of hormones which are absorbed through the skin on the arm is being tested by an Australian pharmaceutical company: (via WA Today.com).

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has returned to the bench only two and a half weeks after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer: (via Reuters).

The Washington Post asks why Sarah Palin has granted so few interviews since her selection as John McCain's running mate, saying that while McCain is entitled to his choice, he is not entitled to keep the public from being able to make an informed assessment of his judgment.

The Washington Post examines South Dakota's proposed abortion ban, which would ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest and a narrow interpretation of the health and life of the woman, and if passed could be used to bring a challenge to Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court.

Obama's campaign responds to McCain's abortion attack ads with television spots highlighting McCain's extremist views (via Politico).

Legal experts question the constitutionality of a Texas judge's ruling ordering a woman to stop having children as a condition of her probation (via the Austin-American Statesman).

A new poll conducted by the New York Times and CBS News, shows continued support for abortion rights in the mainstream of American life, yet also indicates that very few voters are making their decisions based on social issues - highlighting the need to educate voters that reproductive rights are as vulnerable as the economy (via RH Reality Check).

An op-ed published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says that McCain's determination to move the Supreme Court even further to the right should be of concern to all Americans, particularly his campaign pledge to appoint more federal court judges like those appointed by George W. Bush.

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington has issued a press release criticizing the clear anti-choice politics of John McCain and his recently selected running mate, Sarah Palin: (via ProChoiceWashington.org).

Barack Obama gave a historical speech last night at Invesco stadium in Denver, Colorado accepting the Democratic nomination for President, briefly touching on reproductive issues by stating that while all Americans may not agree on abortion, we can all support reducing unwanted pregnancy: (via TPM Election Central).

Mexico City's law allowing abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is upheld by the Supreme Court of Mexico. In a statement for the majority, Justice Genaro Gongora Pimentel said, "Human rights systems cannot require states to defend a right to life from conception. It would mean imposing ideologies and subjective values that could sacrifice other rights that are fully identifiable.": (via LA Times).

The New York Times Editorial Board sees Lily Ledbetter as a crucial campaign tool for Obama, being that McCain voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and equal pay for equal work may be a big drive for women voters this November.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist has appointed anti-choice justice Charles T. Canady to the Florida Supreme Court, one of four justices the governor will be able to appoint: (via the New York Times).

In a related story, the Austin-American Statesman reports on the increasing opposition to birth control within previously liberal Christian denominations.  

During a two-hour forum on faith hosted by megachurch minister Rick Warren, Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to reproductive rights, stressing the importance of reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and supporting low-income families, while John McCain reiterated his anti-choice position (via The Columbian).
When asked which of the sitting Supreme Court justices he would not have appointed, McCain named all the liberal judges and noted that there might be several vacancies soon (via The News Tribune)  

Responding to John McCain's comments that he hasn't ruled out choosing a pro-choice running mate, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge said he thinks whoever is selected should defer to McCain on abortion rights issues, meaning their opinions would be nothing more than pointless window-dressing (via The News Tribune).

Bush has used his Oval Office years to limit reproductive freedom and stack critical posts with right-wingers bent on rolling back the clock.

And now it appears yet another reactionary Bush appointee is on track to get a lifetime position as a federal judge...

As I completed her abortion, I asked her what she was now going to do about her affiliation with that anti-choice club. Startled, she gasped, sat abruptly up on the operating table, and, with eyes booming horror, blurted out in a tremulous, frightened voice, . . .