Say what you mean and mean what you say

President Obama stated that his health care plan will not include abortion, which is actually not true as legislation currently exists.

Then the body of U.S. Catholic bishops put out a statement welcoming Obama’s declaration that health care will not cover abortion and giving their support to the plan.

Which confused a lot of Catholics who wondered why the bishops would so quickly approve of health care legislation that still provides taxpayer funding for abortion.

Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director of Pro-Life Activities, is also quoted, “We especially welcome the President’s commitment to exclude federal funding of abortion, and to maintain existing federal laws protecting conscience rights in health care.”

Doerflinger’s statement is perplexing because it avoids the fact that Obama denied abortion coverage was contained in the present legislation. Obama was clearly wrong about that statement, but Doerflinger lauds “the President’s commitment to exclude federal funding of abortion.” (Doerflinger, by the way, is a widely respected figure in the pro-life community, regard which is very deserving.)

But how can Doerflinger trust a man who denies what is apparent to all pro-lifers, including the bishops in their several statements?

What I wondered when this bishops’ statement came out was…..are they doing a reverse psychology thing, and using this as an opportunity to highlight Obama’s specific statement that abortion will not be funded in his plan? Because what Doerflinger refers to as Obama’s commitment to exclude federal funding of abortion is easy enough to achieve, if that commitment is true. However, the president’s party leadership continues to shut down opportunities to explicitly exclude abortion from the legislation.

[Americans United for Life CEO Charmaine Yoest] added that an amendment by Reps. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and Joe Pitts, R-Pa., could address the matter. That amendment calls to ban funding for any federal money to be used on abortion, even if it’s paid to a private health insurance plan that covers abortions. The amendment failed in the House Energy and Commerce Committee vote, but Stupak said he will oppose the entire health care reform if it’s not addressed on the floor.

Besides some congressman working in bi-partisan legislation to assure the dignity of all human life will be upheld in health care reform, plenty of individual bishops are speaking out about it. They’re not waiting to see if the results of Obama’s health care push hold up to what he wants them to believe are his promises.