by Art Kelly
 
1.  LifeNews.com reports that the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has objected to an article in Politico.com stating that the bishops would help pass the Senate Obamacare Bill if the provisions in the bill were removed which provide for federal funding of abortion on demand.
 
Richard Doerflinger, associate director of USCCB, says he was seriously misquoted and the USCCB issued a statement clarifying its position:
 
"The Conference has said the Senate-passed health care bill fails our moral criteria and must be changed; if changes do occur, the bishops would study the new bill, then develop a position based on our moral criteria."
 
Many conservatives have said the Obamacare legislation is so seriously flawed, it cannot be fixed.
 
 
2.  The Blog of Rights of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) contains a section proclaiming, “Every Day Should be National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers,” which states in part:
 
“My dad doesn't believe in Father's Day or Mother's Day because he believes that every day should be Father's Day and Mother's Day. The same is true for today: every day should be National Day of Appreciation of Abortion Providers. Because every day, abortion providers around the country perform services that many will not…So in addition to thanking abortion providers today, we should thank them every day.”
 
Among the articles in the blog was one titled, “Thank You for Safeguarding Women's Dreams,” by Talcott Camp, Deputy Director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.
 
 
3.  FoxNews.com reports that President Obama has nominated to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Robert Chatigny, a federal district judge who demonstrated great sympathy for a serial killer and support for a sex offender in previous cases that came before his court.
 
One Republican souce said, "I've never seen conduct like this.  I'm shocked that the White House vetted this guy ... and still put him up for a judgeship."
 
After receiving a letter from a prosecutor blasting Chatigny, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a hearing on the nomination.
 
"Judge Chatigny completely abandoned the role of neutral and detached magistrate and instead became an advocate for the position held by the parties,” wrote Michael O'Hare, an assistant state's attorney in Connecticut.
 
Despite Chatigny’s record, he’s strongly supported by Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman.
 
 
4.  The Los Angeles Times states that U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts told  law students at the University of Alabama that President Obama’s unprecedented rebuke of the court’s ruling on free speech during his State of the Union Address was inappropriate.
 
Democrats rose to their feet, wildly cheering Obama’s comments.
 
"The image of having the members of one branch of government standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme Court, cheering and hollering while the court--according to the requirements of protocol--has to sit there expressionless, I think is very troubling…To the extent the State of the Union has degenerated into a political pep rally, I'm not sure why we are there,” Roberts said.
 
Justices John Paul Stevens, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas did not attend this year's State of the Union. Both Scalia and Thomas have said they believe the speech has become a partisan pep rally that the justices should avoid.