(CNN) - The congressional showdown over Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' nomination to President Obama's Cabinet may focus less on her qualifications than on the issue of abortion, analysts said.
Obama on Monday nominated Sebelius to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Cabinet nominations require Senate confirmation, and anti-abortion groups already are making their views known.
Analysts suspected that Obama would face a battle over abortion if and when he makes a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, but religious conservatives could use Sebelius as a warm-up for the seemingly inevitable fight.
Calling Sebelius an "enemy of the unborn," Catholic League President Bill Donohue said the Kansas governor's nomination is particularly disturbing because the health and human services secretary is one of the few members of the administration who can directly affect abortion policy.
"Sebelius' support for abortion is so far off the charts that she has been publicly criticized by the last three archbishops of Kansas City," Donohue said in a statement.
"My Catholic faith teaches me that all life is sacred, and personally I believe abortion is wrong," she said then. "However, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing women and their doctors is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of abortions in our nation."
From CNN Politics
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Marty you are just as most people in this great country. Tyring to compare completely different things to get a shock answer for your own agenda of beliefs. This is simple. A women's body is her body to take care of in a mannor of good health. Doctors are to do no harm to human life under there care. And for the clincher folks.. the preception of life begins differently for different people.
No Law can cover these facts perfectly so please think openly.
Marty, if you want consistency, get out of the political kitchen! Politicians have no point of view of their own, it's all about what will get them re-elected. Death to the career politician!!!
Remember the Rethugs do not have the votes to defeat anything.
They need to just relax and watch the master (Barack) at work. The country will be much the better for it when everything begins to work as he has said it should.
Abortion, guns, gays, just say no, - they are completely out of any new ideas.
Catholic faith? what is that? Who cares? What is about my faith??
What those pro-life yahoos fail to realize is that good healthcare and a good economy would reduce the number of abortions more than overturning Roe v. Wade would (see 2008 Catholics United study). Therefore, having a smart and effective head of HHS is a lot more important than finding some myopic one-issue zealot who would do more harm than good.
I wonder if the pro-life movement understands that they are actively increasing abortion rates by promoting far-right-wing politicians.
WHAT A COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT IS THIS, THE DARK AGES??
What a Country!!!
what is this.....the dark ages??
give me a break
If you hate America, defeat us
Like Obama grinning to greet us
nominate a commie like Sebelius
To suck brains from an unborn fetus
How can Republicans claim to not want big government, when they want government in the most intimate parts of our lives - how I understand and make decisions about my sexual health?
Sounds like hypocrisy to me.... you can't have it both ways.
No one thinks that abortions are super great - but sometimes its a necessary decision for the health (mental, emotional, physical) of the mother and/or the child.
@ Marty: Governor Sebelius believes that education, not criminalization, is the better approach. Education about birth control, NOT abstinence "education" -> fewer unwanted pregnancies -> fewer abortions.
Nice horrible analogies though.
How can Republicans claim to not want big government, when they want government in the most intimate parts of our lives - how I understand and make decisions about my sexual health?
Sounds like hypocrisy to me.... you can't have it both ways.
No one thinks that abortions are super great - but sometimes its a necessary decision for the health (mental, emotional, physical) of the mother and/or the child.
WHO CARES IF RELIGOUS PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH ABORTION?
SEPERATION OF CHURCH & STATE!!!!!
IF WE WANTED RELIGION TO CONTROL US WE WOULD STILL BE BRITISH.
"My Catholic faith teaches me that all life is sacred, and personally I believe abortion is wrong," she said then. "However, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing women and their doctors is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of abortions in our nation."
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Perfectly said, Gov Sebelius!
Remember during the campaign Obama refused to take a stand on this. "above my pay grade" he said.
Anyone else tired of this preppy wise guy approach to politics?
Obama is a Liberal, which makes him mentally ill.
What decision has Obama made that is right? Try none.
When you walk with Satan and think wrong is right? You are in serious trouble. That is what Liberals do.
Wouldn’t it just be best to give every citizen and might as well every illegal 1,000,000 each. I can definately stimulate the economy.
I think that her beliefs about abortion are pertinent to her job. It is health issue (the health of the woman and the health of the murdered baby).
Another Dem-Catholic that knows nothing about their faith. Where do all these Catholics for Killing come from????? Maybe they should start by reading the bible and quit the Catholic Church if they disagree. We have too many cafeteria Catholics!
How about no ideology in politics?
I've had it with religious political wackos. You've had 8 years to implement your ideologies under Bush, and mightily whiffed. It's time to set dogma and idelology in the deep freeze, and get down to business.
so they support the feedes before birth but after birth no health care.............. they build their mega churches on hipocracy, millions are spent on politics, but nothing to feed hungry humans in africa....south america.... even in the united states.....
Why is it that conservatives always confuse the abortion with a women's right to choose? For instance, I do not support abortion, but I do believe a woman should have the right to choose. There is a difference, but yet the repugs will have you believe that I support abortions. Also, they never connect freedom with abortion...why is that especially since they harp on independence and small government. Isn't outlawing abortion a form of big government and anti-independence. What HYPOCRITS!!!
Marty, how about recognizing that individuals don't have the right to legislate their own personal religious beliefs into the laws of the land?
Conservatives...you lost. Intelligence won over ignorance.
This is why I never will support a Republican. Abortion does not belong in our politics but with a woman and her doctor. Just like gay rights does not belong in our politics either. There is a simple solution to these problem: if you do not want an abortion then do not have one but do not tell others not to. If you do not like gay rights then stay away from gay people. Republicans do not want Gov. when it comes to helping people out like health care or education but they insist on the Gov. being involved in abortion/gay rights issues.
I applaud Gov. Sibelius' efforts and success to reduce unwanted pregnancy. It's the only way forward.
Why is this even an issue??? Who cares?