Is George Bush "pro-life"?

The following is an email forwarded to me, originally written by someone I've never heard of named Joe Giganti [he is commenting on the Inaugural address given last Thursday]:

Those who thought Bush would mention...even tokenisticly...the pro-life movement, rightly should be disappointed. Those who believed he would once again shortchange the pro-life movement appear to be correct. Of course, some will probably argue that one of the two following entries were intended to be pro-life, but I think that is a generous pass being given to Bush.

Bush: "Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism..."

Bush: "From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security, and the calling of our time."

If these statements are read in their full context, their anemic nature becomes even more clear. At best -- and I'm stretching far past a mile to offer this--these statements started off wandering down the road of pro-life, but, much like everything else done by this Administration in the past week, it quickly takes a Left turn, never to be heard from again. More accurately, the second comment is actually part of the speech's overall theme and intention, which appeared to be the justification to invade other countries.

The fact is, President Bush never once used the phrase, "sanctity of human life;" the word "abortion" is never used, in any context; and he does not even mention our unalienable "right to life," even when speaking of and quoting from our Declaration. This on the heels of the "covert" Sanctity of Life Sunday and the new pro-abort RNC Co-chair, Joann Davidson of Ohio.

If the pro-life movement is willing to accept this kind of treatment, then we should all dig in and expect to be "fighting" for an end to abortion sometime AFTER the next 35 years. It is not by mistake or oversight that the very constituency that is responsible for his second term is now being swindled by Bush. Unfortunately though, pro-lifers appear willing to cling to the belief that these snubs are actually part of some grand plan to sneak a pro-life effort into his agenda.

Unfortunately, too many Republican sheep are falling prey to the Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity spin machines. Sadly, many keep waiting for Bush to "turn right" after his first term of moderate-left governance. Conservatives were willing to go along with the leftist Bush policies of the first term so that he could be reelected and then begin implementing an agenda which more closely matches that of the Republican base.

No such turn to the "right" is happening, nor does one look anymore imminent than was the threat of WMD proliferation by Saddam Hussein in March 2003.