Related: Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards pushes universal abortion care at Summit

The only remotely pro-life position Obama has taken was to encourage democrats to take out of the Stimulus bill funding for family planning groups but then it was reentered in a big way into the budget proposal. So I can't think of one even close to the middle ground action Obama has taken on the issue of abortion. Or any other issue for that matter so far...



Pro-Life Medical Groups Virtually Absent from White House Healthcare Summit List

The White House is holding their big Health Care Summit in an attempt to begin the conversation about how to reform the healthcare system with the goal of bringing America some sort of universal health care system. There’s just one problem. Where are the pro-life leaning medical groups who may have a thing or two to say about reforming healthcare in this country? The Catholic Health Association is on the list and is considered pro-life, but how about the Catholic Medical Association or the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists or the Christian Medical and Dental Association? None of the major pro-life medical groups are really on the list.

On the hand, I do see Planned Parenthood on the list. The Human Rights Campaign is on the list. National Council of La Raza is there. The Children’s Defense Fund is there. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is there. The National Partnership for Women and Families is on the list. Shall I go on? You get the idea.

The Obama administration wants this public debate over healthcare to be an honest dialogue in an attempt to come up with real solutions. Great idea....

When asked about the absence of these groups, Assistant White House Press Secretary Reid Cherlin tells The Brody File, "This forum brought together participants from across the health care spectrum– and we’ll continue to work closely with groups on all sides. Today’s forum was just the first step in what will be an ongoing discussion about tackling health reform.”

Still, when you talk healthcare “reproductive care” is an integral part of the conversation. That means topics like abortion and contraception are part of the discussion. You don’t think there will be a big controversy if President Obama’s healthcare plan covers abortions? It may be smart to get these Christian groups in on the process early. While those passionate subjects will no doubt be discussed at some point in length in the future, you would think that if you bring Planned Parenthood and other liberal minded groups to the discussion you would also have an opposite viewpoint at the same table. It’s a perception problem for an administration who is trying to reach out to the other side and be inclusive like never before.

President Obama said today that in the health care discussion, he wanted every voice heard, every idea considered, and every option on the table. But are we really getting every voice, idea, and option from participants at the forum?..."