Here is the text of the GOP Platform promoting life; see my comments below

Full Text of Strongly Pro-Life GOP Abortion Platform Released

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com

The full text of the draft of the Republican Party platform on abortion has been released and the plank shows the Republican Party has retained its strongly pro-woman, pro-life position.
CNN obtained the full text from its sources:

THE SANCTITY AND DIGNITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Faithful to the “self-evident” truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. We oppose the non-consensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from people with disabilities, including newborns, as well as the elderly and infirm, just as we oppose active and passive euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Republican leadership has led the effort to prohibit the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion, permitted States to extend health care coverage to children before birth. We urge Congress to strengthen the Born Alive Infant Protection Act by exacting appropriate civil and criminal penalties to health care providers who fail to provide treatment and care to an infant who survives and abortion, including early induction delivery where the death of the infant is intended. We call for legislation to ban sex-selective abortions – gender discrimination in its most lethal form – and to protect from abortion unborn children who are capable of feeling pain; and we applaud U.S. House Republicans for leading the effort to protect the lives of pain-capable unborn children in the District of Columbia. We call for a revision of federal law 42 U.S.C. 289.92 to bar the use of body parts from aborted fetuses for research. We support and applaud adult stem cell research to develop lifesaving therapies, and we oppose the killing of embryos for their stem cells. We oppose federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
We also salute the many states that have passed laws for informed consent, mandatory waiting periods prior to an abortion, and health protective clinic regulation. We seek to protect young girls from exploitation through a parental consent requirement; and we affirm our moral obligation to assist, rather than penalize, women challenged by an unplanned pregnancy. We salute those who provide them with counseling and adoption alternatives and empower them to choose live, and we take comfort in the tremendous increase in adoptions that has followed Republican legislative initiatives.

Republicans adopted the platform this week in a platform committee and it must be accepted by delegates to the convention next week to be finalized. Not one member of the platform committee submitted any weakening amendments, according to Politico.
The Republican National Committee appears to be headed towards another pro-life platform, which has been pro-life since 1980, when the Republican Party adopted a position supporting the Human Life Amendment. The platform stood in stark contrast to the pro-abortion plank Democrats approved.


James Bopp, Co-chairman of the Subcommittee on Restoring Constitutional Government for the Republican National Committee, emailed LifeNews the background of the pro-life position:

Since 1980, the Republican Party Platform has endorsed the adoption of “a Human Life Amendment” to protect unborn life and to reverse Roe v. Wade. Carl Anderson, now head of the Knights of Columbus of the U.S., and I drafted this plank, and it has remained the same and in the platform since then. In addition, I was Co-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Restoring Constitutional Government of the Platform Committee which readopted this platform plank this year.

In 1980, there were dozens of different versions of a Human Life Amendment then pending in Congress. The approaches included a state’s rights version, one reversing the right to abortion, one endorsing restoring personhood, one permitting abortion only to save the life of the mother and some allowing abortion in instances of rape and incest.

The Republican Party plank endorsing a Human Life Amendment does not take a position on which version of a Human Life Amendment should eventually be adopted. We leave that decision to Congress and the people of the United States at that time. Thus, we do not take a position on which exceptions should be included in a Human Life Amendment.

On the other hand, the Democratic National Committee has officially rejected an effort by pro-life Democrats to get the party to include them in its platform that calls for keeping unlimited abortions legal and paid for at taxpayer expense.
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats For Life of America, says the platform panel refuses to acknowledge any difference of opinion on abortion within the Democratic Party.
“For the good of the Democratic Party, we will continue to advocate that the platform language should reflect the true diversity of views within the Democratic Party,” said Kristen Day, Executive Director of Democrats For Life of America. “Our message is simple: If you are pro-life and a Democrat, you can make a difference, thus the case for recognition. Inclusion can make a critical difference in this fall’s election.”
“If we are going to increase our members and win the majority, we must recognize the contributions of pro-life Democrats within our party and the diverse position of Democrats on the issue of abortion,” said Day.
According to Day, almost one-third of all Democrats self-identify as pro-life. In the 2008 Election, about one-quarter of Obama’s supporters self-identified as pro-life.
The proposed Republican platform language is very similar to the 2008 GOP platform, which contained strong pro-life statements of position on abortion.
“Faithful to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” the final 2008 GOP platform said. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children,” it added.


>>>>Clearly this year the two sides, on the life issues, could not be more opposite.  The Democrats, who at a very high national level seem to detest anything short of abortion all day everyday, rejected a pro-life groups comments, have adopted a very pro-death platform hiding under the evil disguise of women's health choices and have placed Planned Parenthood and NARAL leaders on the podium.  The Republicans meanwhile have been really moving to a more robust Pro-Life position despite lingering doubts about Romney's real personal comittment to being fully Pro-Life.  Then again there is the real battle that the Republicans will probably lose in the court of public opinion, because of an evil and biased media, on the issue of exceptions, rape, incest, etc.  Couple that with the ridiculous words of Rep. Akin and you know this will be a struggle for the GOP.

Here is my always lingering question: The Dem's do not hide what they are.  They are proud to proclaim that they are the party of death and they strongly encourage abortion. The GOP on the other hand are always Pro-Life, especially in campaign season but don't always deliver.  There has been more than one opportunity in the past 30 years that the Repubs had the numbers and could have more boldly attempted real Pro-Life initiatives.  I have seen no such action, although the former President to enact some Pro-Life executive orders.  All I'm saying is if the Rebulicans want to be Pro-Life then win some battles!

In a Catholic's conscience to vote in this and other elections he must utilize informed consent and fully understand the teachings of the Church in the 5 non-negotiables: abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning and marriage as one man-one woman.  Yes, a Catholic must also confront other remarkably important issues; the federal budget, the deficit, health care, the death penalty, the governments proper role in support of the poor, elderly and young, but to name a few.

And yes, the Catholic Church, and that includes Deacons, Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, Pope, you name it, should never endorse a Candidate especially appearing to be speaking for the Church.  And here is the tough statement: Jesus really ain't a democrat or a republican!