False Reporting By Steve Ertelt’s ‘LifeNews.com’ - Repeated By ‘World’ Magazine - Misled Christians To Think Bush Would Name Pro-Life Judges

by John Lofton

So, how did it come about that so many sincere Christian conservatives supported President Bush because they thought he had a good record in picking “pro-life judges?” Well, sad to say, one reason is because some supposedly Christian, pro-life news organizations have reported as fact information that is fiction.

JOEL BELZ, publisher of ‘World’ magazine, says: No clarification, no correction, stop calling us.

For example, in “World” magazine early this year (1/15/05), in a story headlined “Climate Change,” Lynn Vincent wrote the following: “What may be the biggest abortion-related political battle of 2005 began on Dec. 23, 2004, when President Bush announced that he would renominate 20 pro-life judges, including formerly filibustered nominees Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor and Texas Supreme Court Judge Priscilla Owen.”

Interesting, I thought, as I read this. But, how is it known that these nominees were “pro-life?” The Vincent article provided no evidence that these 20 judicial nominees were “pro-life.” And Mr. Bush repeatedly said he would have no litmus test for his judicial nominees.

So, again: How was it known that these 20 nominees were “pro-life?”

When I called Lynn Vincent and put this question to her, she said she got this “pro-life” characterization from Steve Ertelt’s “LifeNews.com” Web site. OK, so I go to Ertelt’s Web site and sure enough there’s a story, by him, dated December 23, 2004, with the headline “President Bush Will Renominate 20 Pro-Life Judges, Democrat Fight Looms.” The lead paragraph repeats the “20 pro-life judges” phraseology. But, there’s nothing in the story showing specifically how any of the 20 are “pro-life.”

And this is not the only time Ertelt — again, with no evidence provided to back up what he alleged — has alluded to Mr. Bush’s “pro-life” judicial nominees. In a December 27, 2004, article he wrote: “Last week, President Bush announced that he would renominate twenty pro-life judges for key federal court positions.” Mr. Bush, of course, did not use the words “pro-life.” And this year, in a February 15, 2005, article, Ertelt wrote:

“On Monday, President Bush nominated about twenty pro-life judges he wants on federal appeals and district courts.” And in an October 14, 2004, piece, Ertelt listed former Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor as one of the “pro-life” people Mr. Bush was naming to be a judge. He wrote: “Pryor drew praise from pro-life groups and criticism from abortion advocates after his stalwart defense of his pro-life position during hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

Steve Ertelt of LifeNews.com

Well, yes, Pryor did defend his own pro-life views. But, Ertelt left out the fact that in this same hearing Pryor said: “Even though I strongly disagree with Roe v. Wade, I have acted in accordance with it as attorney general and would continue to do so as a court of appeals judge”!!! Pryor was also the chief persecutor of former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, the leader of the lynch-mob that ousted Moore from office.

When I emailed Ertelt asking for his evidence re: Bush’s supposedly “20 pro-life judges,” he emailed back saying: “See our past stories as we’ve covered virtually all of them and their actions/statements. Use our search on our web site to find a specific person.”

I did this. The result was that many of the 20 judges referred to by Ertelt were not mentioned at all on his Web site; the ones that were mentioned had no information about them showing they were “pro-life.” Over a period of several days, I sent numerous emails to Ertelt telling him his Web site revealed no information showing that any of these 20 judges were “pro-life.” He did not reply to any of these emails.

Sad to say, Ertelt’s fraudulent Bush propaganda was widely disseminated. A Google search showed about 135 references to his unsubstantiated assertion that the President has renominated “20 pro-life judges.” Some of the Web sites that picked up and repeated Ertelt’s bogus “20 pro-life judges” fantasy include the following:

— The “American Family Association Online,” which says it is “2,442,049 members strong and growing.”

— The “Christian Examiner.”

— One emailer on the “talk.abortion” newsgroup.

— The “American Policy Roundtable.”

— “TBM News.”

— The “Illinois Right-To-Life” page which called Ertelt’s report “a Christmas miracle.”

— “Townhall.com.”

— “Mel’s Blog.”

— The Web page “Patriot Pastor Alert” by Pastor Rick Scarborough.

— “United Families International.”

— “Catholic Alumni.”

— “Kanawha County Right-To-Life” in West Virginia.

—“Catholic Action Network.”

A footnote: When I called Ertelt’s bogus reporting to the attention of “World” magazine publisher Joel Belz, he, at first, reacted in way I found hopeful. He sounded like he was concerned and would check out what I told him. Days turned into weeks, however. No reply. Then this curt email: “We have no responsibility to respond to your comments and queries. Please do not address further questions to any of our staff.” To which I replied:

“You have a responsibility to God and your readers to report things truthfully. You did not do so when Vincent reported Bush had named 20 “pro-life” judges. I am shocked at your indifference to truth re: this matter, which also involves sloppy journalism, Vincent reporting something from another source but not attributing her information to that source (Ertelt’s newsletter) which itself provided no backup data. I shall continue to address questions to you or any of your staff when the occasion warrants it.”

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