Obama’s pick for health care and life issues….

….is a pro-choice Catholic.

Sen. Tom Daschle’s appointment to head Health and Human Services is causing a flap.

The National Catholic Register, which has a more pure style book than the rest of the media, does not use terminology like ‘pro-choice Catholic.’

In 2003, The Weekly Standard reported that Daschle’s bishop, Bishop Robert Carlson of Sioux Falls, S.D., had written Daschle to request he no longer identify himself as Catholic in his congressional biography and in campaign literature because of Daschle’s dissenting positions on moral issues, particularly abortion.

NCR points out that the abortion lobby is praising this Cabinet pick.

“Sen. Daschle will bring thoughtful progressive leadership to the Department of Health and Human Services,” Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, told the pro-abortion website RH Reality Check. “We appreciate his recent efforts to help defeat two abortion bans in South Dakota. We had a good working relationship with him during his tenure as Senate leader and look forward to continuing that relationship as he assumes this pivotal role in the Obama administration.”

Pro-life citizens are not pleased, looking at Daschle’s record.

As the new Health and Human Services chief, Daschle will be responsible for helping implement Obama’s promised government-run health plan.

What is little-known, though, is the fact that Tom Daschle has radically changed his beliefs on life issues since he first ran for office.

Joseph Bottum, a native South Dakotan who writes for The Weekly Standard, relates that Daschle began his political career portraying himself as a staunch defender of life.

“In 1978, Tom Daschle had the nuns who taught him in grade school write a letter to voters in South Dakota swearing he would always fight against abortion.”

But he changed his mind, as so many formerly pro-life politicians have.

In an interview with the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Bishop Carlson expressed his shock at Daschle’s positions on the life issues. “NARAL claims him as one of their number-one supporters. I don’t understand how he can be in touch with South Dakotans as much as he is, and yet consistently have a pro-abortion record.”

Before he failed to be re-elected to the Senate in 2004, Tom Daschle had a 50 % NARAL rating. His mixed rating is the result of voting for a ban on partial-birth abortions and a vote for penalties for those who harm fetuses while committing a violent crime. On the other hand, Daschle voted to allow human cloning, expand research on human embryos and against banning privately funded abortions on U.S. military installations.

And now he moves up to head HHS. Obama is signaling where he’s heading on life issues.

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