Is Notre Dame Proud of Its 2009 Commencement Speaker?

Steve Ertelt at LifeNews.com has posted a complete list of President Obama’s record on abortion since taking office. 
Given the one year anniversary, it’s time to ask whether, since visiting Notre Dame, there has been any subtle or significant change in direction in Obama’s view of innocent human life.
After all, President Jenkins, as you may recall, expressed the hope prior to the event that Obama at Notre Dame would bring about some sort of change in the president on the question of protecting life.  
And recently, Jenkins looked back upon the Obama visit:

“We’re very clear about our convictions, we’re very clear about why we honored the president, and I think from that event came some discussion that was beneficial on these divisive issues. I think the president heard things that he wouldn’t otherwise have heard and maybe subsequently made statements that he wouldn’t otherwise have made, and that’s for the good,” said Jenkins. 

Well, if any “good” has come out of it, it’s not to be found on Ertelt’s exhaustive list.
Obama’s expressed convictions, and his actions, have become even more focused on expanding, and funding, the abortion mandate. 
Here is Ertelt’s list starting from after the commencement speech — it’s a long list and full of sad, even tragic, news for the not-yet-born (I have bolded a few of the items):
July 7- The Obama administration admits it ignored the majority of Americans who opposed the proposed guidelines that would implement Obama’s decision to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research.
July 14 – Obama science czar nominee John Holdren is revealed to have written before that he favors forced abortions.
July 30 – Awards several pro-abortion activists with the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
July 31 – Tells the National Institutes of Health to adopt rules that allow embryonic stem cell research.
August 4 – Information becomes public that Ezekiel Emanuel, an Obama advisor at the Office of Management and Budget and a member of Federal Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research, supports rationing health care for disabled Americans that could lead to euthanasia.
August 6 – Obama criticized for asking for people to “snitch” on groups and people who oppose the pro-abortion health care bills in Congress.
August 13 – Obama wrongly said a senator backed the pro-euthanasia components of the health care bill.
August 23 – Said pro-life advocates were making “phony claims” about the health care bills. Also said the claims were false.
August 24 – Releases veterans guide promoting euthanasia.
September 13 – Misleads on the federal conscience clause in a health care speech and misleads on abortion funding.
September 13 – Obama waits two days to comment on shooting of pro-life advocate whereas he commented immediately on shooting of abortion practitioner.
September 15 – Senate confirms Obama’s new regulatory czar Cass Sunstein, who is pro-abortion.
October 5 – Selected pro-abortion lawyer and Georgetown University law professor Chai Feldblum for the EEOC.
October 5 – Anounces he will give the keynote speech for pro-abortion group Human Rights Campaign.
October 19 – Obama’s serve.gov web site promotes the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
October 21 – Obama administration web site promotes pro-abortion health care bills.
November 6 – Endorsed the House version of the health care bill that, at the time, contained massive abortion funding, rationing and assisted suicide promotion.
November 26 – Copies Thanksgiving proclamation of President Bush but leaves out pro-life message.
December 2 – Authorized taxpayer funding for embryonic stem cell research that kills days-old unborn children.
December 3 – A pro-abortion Obama judicial pick, Louis Butler, is approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
December 7 – Announces his endorsement of the pro-abortion Senate health care bill.
December 16 – Obama administration forces Americans a second time to spend millions more on embryonic stem cell research that destroys human life.
December 17 – Signed a bill that overturned the 13-year-long ban on funding abortions with tax dollars in the nation’s capital.
Pro-Abortion Presidential Record – 2010
January 18, 2010 – Gives speech supporting pro-abortion Senate candidate Martha Coakley.
January 26, 2010 – Renominations radical pro-abortion activist Dawn Johnsen to a top Justice Department position.
January 28, 2010 – Promotes the pro-abortion health care bill in the State of the Union address.
February 2, 2010 – Submits new budget calling for taxpayer funding of abortions and more money for Planned Parenthood.
February 5, 2010 – The Obama administration issued a new order for the U.S. military requiring all military hospitals and health centers to stock the morning after pill.
February 8, 2010 – The Obama administration admitted it improperly conducted a threat assessment on pro-life groups in Wisconson who were preparing to rally against a new abortion center at a University of Wisconsin health clinic.
February 16, 2010 – White House visitor logs reveal Obama has gien Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards frequent access to top staffers.
February 22, 2010 – Unveils changes to the pro-abortion health care bill that keep abortion funding, expands abortion funding, and require a monthly abortion fee on Americans.
February 24, 2010 – Obama administration proposes expanding embryonic stem cell research further. February 26, 2010 – Obama has selected pro-abortion magistrate judge Timothy Black for the District Court Bench for the Southern District of Ohio. Black gets the endorsement of NARAL.
March 3, 2010 – Officially decides to use the controversial reconciliation procedure to pass the pro-abortion health care bill over the filibuster rights of those opposed.
March 22, 2010 – Signs the pro-abortion health care bill into law that contains massive abortion funding, no conscience protections and rationing.
March 24, 2010 – Signs executive order purporting to ban abortion funding that leaves taxpayer funding of abortions in place.
March 26, 2010 – White House visitor logs show pro-abortion NARAL activist Nancy Keenan meeting with key Obama staffers frequently and invited to social functions.
March 29, 2010 – Uses recess appointment to name pro-abortion activist Chai Feldblum to the EEOC.
March 30, 2010 – Signs the reconciliation health care bill that does not contain and fixes for the massive abortion funding. April 6, 2010 – Battle begins over pro-abortion Obama appeals court nominee Goodwin Liu.
April 7, 2010 – Obama administration pressures Kenya to adopt a new constitution that would legalize unlimited abortions.
April 15, 2010 – WHO applauds Obama administration for promoting abortion worldwide.
May 10, 2010 – Names pro-abortion activist Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, she is strongly opposed by pro-life groups.
May 26, 2010 – Congressman Chris Smith reports the Obama administration has spent $10 million potentially illegally promoting a pro-abortion constitution in Kenya.
May 27, 2010 – Obama selected Donald Berwick to become the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the office that oversees government health care programs. Berwick supports the rationing components of the British medical system.
Buzz up!
 

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  • Deal W. Hudson

    Deal W. Hudson is ​publisher and editor of The Christian Review and the host of “Church and Culture,” a weekly two-hour radio show on the Ave Maria Radio Network.​ He is the former publisher and editor of Crisis Magazine.

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