Head of pro-life group gets job at HHS

[Freddie Stubbs]

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has picked the former head of a pro-life Catholic organization to run faith-based and community outreach programs at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Alexia Kelley, co-founder of the liberal group Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, was appointed Thursday to run HHS's Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives. (The administration wouldn't immediately confirm that, but the Catholic Reporter published a press release from Catholics in Alliance trumpeting the announcement.) Catholics in Alliance's main goal since Kelley helped found it in 2005 has been to emphasize the Catholic Church's social justice teachings in the political sphere; like other progressive religious groups, it lines up with Democratic positions on health care, poverty, labor and other issues.

On abortion, the group has mostly worked to find ways to reduce demand, rather than to push laws aimed at curtailing the availability of the procedure. But its Web site makes clear that it isn't pro-choice. "Catholics in Alliance believes in the sanctity of all human life -- from conception until natural death," says a frequently asked questions page.

Pro-choice activists weren't happy: HHS oversees health care, including abortion policy, for much of the federal government. Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, called it "a defeat for reason and logic." "The administration has talked a lot about reducing the need for abortion, and progressive groups like my own are totally with the administration in doing that," he told Salon. But "to have someone working in HHS who oversaw an organization that is anti-abortion... really beggars belief." The timing of the appointment -- just days after abortion provider George Tiller was murdered in his Wichita, Kan., church -- is likely to aggravate pro-choice groups even more. (Anti-choice organizations, though, have criticized Catholics in Alliance for giving cover to pro-choice Democrats, by attempting to shift the debate from banning abortion to simply reducing it.)

more: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/06/04/abortion_and_hhs/

[Occam Bandage]

1. What responsibilities does the job have?

"Faith-based and Community Initiatives" sounds like the kind of job where you just give speeches to churches. Why is that even a job?

But regardless. I don't like the catch-all phrase "pro-life," because that covers both "I think abortion can stay legal but we need to work on lowering demand for it," and "we need to kill all abortionists."

[noamnety]

2. I suspect what it means

Is that we will see even more tax payer money used as grants to support "charities" that are geared toward anti-choice religious institutions, helping them gain more power in their communities. Charities which help fund a full range of medical options for women need not apply.

[Political Tiger]

5. About Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) welcomes the participation of faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) as essential partners in assisting our country's neediest citizens. CFBCI empowers FBCOs to compete more effectively for Federal funds so that they may provide better human services to more people.

Through regional conferences, training workshops, e-mail updates, and general technical assistance, CFBCI is committed to providing FBCOs with the necessary tools, contact information, and potential funding opportunities to enhance the work they are doing throughout their communities.

While CFBCI exists to supply information and resources, it is important to note that there is no “faith-based money.” Rather, CFBCI works to create a “level-playing field” to enable faith-based organizations to compete equally for Federal funding which will assist them in serving the needs of their communities.

About Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

-------------------

MORE INFO:

The Center for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives

Understanding the Regulations Related to the Faith-Based and Community Initiative

Faith-Based & Community Organizations FAQs

[Aristus]

3. I think this is a component of good policy. The rate of abortion always goes down during

Democratic administrations. Not because abortion suddenly becomes illegal, but because efforts to achieve social justice increase. Abortion rates plunged during the Clinton administration; the reason then was because the economy was strong. I expect that if abortion goes down during the Obama administration, it will be because of comprehensive efforts to increase social services.

I see it as yet another pragmatic solution by President Obama to a difficult and complex issue. The repukes oversimplify, and they fail. Here endeth the lesson.

[grantcart]

4. They can call themselves pro-life but it really is pro-choice-reduce-demand.

On abortion, the group has mostly worked to find ways to reduce demand, rather than to push laws aimed at curtailing the availability of the procedure.

Your framing of it was much more intellectually honest than the one yesterday that was so over the top that it was locked. i agree 100% with the the statement quoted, although I also want abortion available without cost or impediment to any woman that decides that it is the best option for her.

[Cha]

6. Yes, it was locked..

Because the poster said "Fuck you Obama".

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. No need to frame it. I just posted the article with the actual headline as the subject

[grantcart]

8. Another poster posted the same article but edited in a way to try and make

it look like it was a complete reversal of Obama's strong pro choice stance.