Change is coming

Right before the ACLU gets the President they have always dreamed of, they needed to take a parting shot at Bush and Catholics:

President Bush's days in office are numbered, but his administration's weeks in court may have just begun. Hoping to get in a parting shot at the pro-life president, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit in federal court over grants made by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). As part of its national program to help victims of sex trafficking, the USCCB has tried to protect these women from even greater exploitation at the hands of the abortion business. To keep groups like Planned Parenthood from preying on vulnerable women, the USCCB bars subcontractors from using taxpayers' money to pay or refer for abortions and "emergency contraception." Under the twisted logic of the ACLU, the Bishops' pro-life policy constitutes a "misuse" of federal funds. An attorney for the pro-abortion ACLU says that women deserve "the full range of services," including, it appears, the right to kill their unborn children at taxpayers' expense.

The ACLU, which has long advocated for abortion-on-demand, is trying to persuade the court that when it comes to federal funds, religious organizations need not apply. In reality, the USCCB was operating under President Bush's own directive, which he outlined in March 2002, saying, "I said we're not going to use taxpayers' money to fund abortion, and I'm going to make sure we're not using taxpayers' money to fund abortion." While grants to Planned Parenthood ($286 million a year from federal taxpayers) far outweigh the roughly $6 million that HHS awarded to the USCCB, the ACLU is sending a clear message to the incoming administration that it won't tolerate the participation of all faith-based organizations in federal programs. Because the Bishops serve thousands through the trafficking program alone, it would be a true shame--not to mention a legal travesty--to sideline a church which plays such a vital role in U.S. health care.

via The Family Research Council