MOLOCH IS HIS GOD, NOT AMERICA'S:

Two cheers and a jeer: Most Americans like having a leader whom foreigners adore. But some wish he was feared a bit more
(The Economist, 4/08/09)

One or two aspects of Mr Obama’s foreign policy are unpopular at home. The attempts of his secretary of homeland security to replace the word “terrorism” with “man-caused disasters” attracted much ridicule. More seriously, Americans disapprove of Mr Obama’s plan to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay by 50% to 44%. But since it is unclear what he will do with the inmates—he has left open the possibility of detaining the most dangerous ones indefinitely—that could change. Even less popular is Mr Obama’s lifting of the ban on federal aid for groups, such as Planned Parenthood, which provide abortions or advise about them in foreign countries. Only 35% of Americans approve of this, with 58% opposed.

Poll: Americans Want Obama to Keep Abortion Conscience Clause in Place (Steven Ertelt, 4/08/09, LifeNews.com)

The Polling Accompany conducted a poll from March 23-25 with 800 Americans adults and found 87 percent believe it is important to “make sure that healthcare professionals in America are not forced to participate in procedures and practices to which they have moral objections.”

Support for this protection garnered considerable intensity as well, with 65% of respondents considering it very essential.

"Majorities of men, women, and adults of all ages, races, regions, and political affiliations considered it critical to defend the rights of healthcare providers to refuse to perform certain procedures on moral grounds," the survey firm said in its report on the poll.

The support for conscience protections for medical staff and centers exists whether respondents are pro-life or consider themselves pro-choice. The poll found 95 percent of pro-life advocates back the conscience protections while 78 percent who support legal abortions do as well.

The Polling Company survey also found 80 percent of people who backed Obama in the 2008 presidential elections support the conscience protections.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 8, 2009 12:25 PM