The President vs. the Archbishop

In a recent interview with BlogTalkRadio, President Obama characterized as "not true" the charge that federal health care "reform" would "mean government funding of abortion." He even accused those who have made such a charge as "bearing false witness."

So does he include Archbishop Justin Rigali as part of the crew "bearing false witness" against his health plans?

In an August 11 letter to Congressmen, the Archbishop points out that (1) the legislation delegates to the HHS Secretary the power to make unlimited abortion coverage mandatory as part of the "public" (i.e. government) option -- and that will, of course, be taxpayer subsidized; and (2) that the supposed separation of abortion coverage from federally subsidized private and government plans is nothing but a paper fiction. That's because money is fungible, and the tax dollars that go to these plans will -- indirectly but nonetheless clearly -- subsidize provider networks that expand access to abortion.

Even Obama's fellow Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren understands "reform" to include some taxpayer funding for abortion. The President's assertion simply isn't true.