Fred Martinez's Monitor

Associated Press Continues Covering Up Barack Obama's Pro-Abortion Views

http://www.lifenews.com/nat4437.html

Associated Press Continues Covering Up Barack Obama's Pro-Abortion Views

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor

October 13, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A recent study showed the mainstream media were taking a pass on any discussion of Barack Obama's abortion pro-abortion views. The Associated Press was part of the problem with a brief description of where Obama stands and now the news service has omitted his position entirely.

For months, AP has maintained a two-page summary of Obama's and John McCain's stands on various top political issues. Most of the brief position descriptions contain a paragraph or two for each candidate on the given issue.

When it comes to abortion, however, the Associated Press included just three short words for Obama: "Supports abortion rights."

Never mind that Obama supports abortion throughout pregnancy for any reason, has voted repeatedly for taxpayer-funding of abortion, and opposes a ban on partial-birth abortions.
AP also failed to mention anything about Obama's position saying he will sign a bill that would make unlimited abortions the national law and overturn every pro-life law nationwide.

Nor did it include any mention of the controversy surrounding his votes in the Illinois legislature against bills to make sure hospital staff provide adequate medical care for newborns who survive failed abortions.

On Monday, AP re-released the dossier on the candidates and excluded Obama's position entirely. There is no position listed at all for Obama, while McCain's is mentioned, though not in its entirety.

LifeNews.com emailed Associated Press writer Calvin Woodward, who is credited with compiling the summary of the candidates' positions about why Obama's pro-abortion position was excluded.

"Obama's abortion position is still there..unless it was somehow dropped from wherever you are seeing it," he said in response. "The story moved from here with the abortion positions intact but I'll look into what became of that."

Yet, LifeNews.com checked over a dozen web sites of the hundreds across the web that feature the summary today and none of them have the Obama abortion position.

Asked why Obama's position was not fleshed out, Woodward said "there are relevant nuances to McCain's position on that issue, not so much with Obama, to my knowledge."

Told about Obama's various pro-abortion positions and the controvery surrounding his votes against the anti-infanticide bills, Woodward replied, "That's right, his position in favor of abortion rights does not have exceptions, unlike McCain's."

Woodward eventually became frustrated with requests to adequately inform the news services millions of readers about Obama's pro-abortion views.

"I''ve explained it as best I can and cannot go back and forth with you," he concluded.
In the sumary, AP says McCain "opposes abortion rights" and "has voted for abortion restrictions permissible under Roe v. Wade, and now says he would seek to overturn that guarantee of abortion rights."

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posted by Fred Martinez @ 6:57 AM