Today’s stories

Pennsylvania recorded a 3.9% drop in abortions in 2009. Pro-lifers in the state attribute the decrease to legislative efforts, particularly the Alternatives to Abortion program. Still, there’s a long way to go: 37,284 babies were killed in the state’s 24 abortion centers.

The Susan B. Anthony List is co-hosting the Republican National Committee’s chairman debate today. (Pictured right is current chairman Michael Steele, who is running to keep his position.) Perhaps anticipating more accusations that they have ceased to be non-partisan, the SBA List says that “As pro-life advocates in the political sphere, we must advance the Right to Life at every opportunity – that includes influencing a political party’s position on Life.” It’s hard to argue with that; after all, they were invited, and who passes up that kind of opportunity? However, I’m disappointed that the normally single-issue organization appears to be conflating the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage.

Here were the Life questions asked of candidates in SBA List’s pre-debate interviews:

Life: What is your position on restoring the Right to Life to unborn children, how has this view been shaped, and what specific experience do you have in fighting for the Right to Life?

Life/Marriage Resource Question: As chairman, what specifically would you do differently than current and past administrations when it comes to the issues of Life and Marriage? Will you highlight these two critical issues in political advertising programs?

Life/Marriage Past Support: Have you ever given or served on the board of a pro-abortion group?

The RNC chairman debate will be broadcast on C-SPAN at 1pm Eastern.

Two more companies have been removed from the Life Decisions International boycott list of companies which donate to Planned Parenthood: Kohl’s and Mrs. Fields.