by Bill Levinson

Steve Rabin, Chief Spokesman for the National Jewish Democratic Council wrote:

As NJDC Blog readers are undoubtedly aware, the Supreme Court launched an assault on choice yesterday, upholding legislation which bans third trimester abortions without offering protections for the life and health of the mother. Both of Bush’s new right wing justices voted for the ban (in a 5-4 decision).

From Cornell U:

(a) Any physician who, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly performs a partial-birth abortion and thereby kills a human fetus shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both. This subsection does not apply to a partial-birth abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. This subsection takes effect 1 day after the enactment.

Res Ipsa Loquitur, “the thing speaks for itself.”

UPDATE 23 APRIL 2007
Honor and fairness require us to report this update from NJDC’s blog:
http://njdc.typepad.com/njdcs_blog/2007/04/correction_to_b.html

While I was correct in asserting that the ban does NOT offer “health of the mother” protections — and a strong case can be made that this put’s a woman’s life in danger — the Washington Post reports the following: “It [the ban] does, however, provide an exception to save the woman’s life.”