Kansas City, Mo., May 29, 2008 / 15:29 pm
In the wake of the Archbishop of Kansas City’s reaffirmation of his public admonishment of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for her pro-abortion politics, a pro-life group has published damaging photographs showing Sebelius hosting a reception at the governor’s residence for a late-term abortionist and the staff of his abortion clinic.
The governor’s spokeswoman has admitted that a reception was held for notorious late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller last year at the governor’s residence. Nicole Corcoran, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Governor Sebelius had donated the reception as an item for a fundraising auction for the Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus, the Associated Press says. Tiller purchased the item and the event was held on April 9, 2007.
The pro-life group Operation Rescue, which has campaigned against Tiller’s abortion clinic, published photographs of the event on its web site on Wednesday night. The photos depict Tiller, his wife, and the staff of his Women’s Health Care Clinic at the governor’s residence.
In one picture Governor Sebelius cheerfully greets Tiller. According to Operation Rescue, Tiller presented her with a paperweight and pin bearing his favorite slogan, “Attitude is Everything.” Tiller’s wife and employees are shown with the governor both in one-on-one pictures and in a group photo.
In one photo, Governor Sebelius is seen holding a t-shirt with the words “Trifecta: Sebelius, Parkinson, Morrison.” All are pro-abortion Democrats supported by Tiller.
Operation Rescue said a “confidential source” described the event as a party held “exclusively in Tiller’s honor.” The group also alleges that Tiller has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to pro-abortion Democrats through a “complicated series of political action committees and non-profit organizations.”
According to the Associated Press, the governor’s spokeswoman denied that the April 2007 event should be characterized as one honoring Tiller.
Operation Rescue asserted on Thursday that, "There is not one shred of evidence to support Gov. Sebelius's claims” that the event was not held to honor Tiller.
Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue said that, “If Gov. Sebelius' story were to be true, the dinner prize that Tiller supposedly bid on would have been auctioned by the Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus at the Torch Dinner in 2006, because their 2007 auction event was held in November, 2007, well after the Tiller party.”
Newman says that he looked into Sebelius’ claims that the meeting was auctioned off.
“According to the Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus Political Action Committee expenditure reports on file with the Kansas Governmental Ethic Commission, auction receipts benefited the PAC, yet there is no evidence of any contribution from George Tiller, his wife, Jeanne, or his abortion clinic Women's Health Care Services in 2006 or 2007,” said Newman.
"Sebelius' office arrogantly believes that they can keep her strong ties to Tiller a secret, but their efforts to keep the truth from the public have only exposed their corruption,” Newman claimed.
"Sebelius would not be governor today if not for Tiller's financial support. She owes him her career. Every agency in Kansas that could hold Tiller accountable for illegal late-term abortions, from the Board of Healing Arts to the Kansas Supreme Court to the Attorney General, are all laced with Sebelius appointees. It is little wonder that they all have done nothing but stall and obstruct efforts to prosecute him.”
Operation Rescue also says it has obtained a receipt that shows that the State of Kansas paid for the April 9, 2007, dinner with George Tiller. Responding to queries about the state footing the bill on Wednesday, Gov. Sebelius said that the reception was reimbursed by the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus. Upon examining the caucus’ financial records Operation Rescue says no such reimbursement exists.
Archbishop of Kansas City Joseph F. Naumann has called Dr. George Tiller “perhaps the most notorious late-term abortionist in the nation.” In a May 9 column in his archdiocese’s newspaper The Leaven, the archbishop asked Governor Sebelius to refrain from receiving Holy Communion until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion. In the same column he specifically lamented reports that Sebelius’ campaign has accepted donations from Tiller and his political action committees.
Archbishop Naumann has reaffirmed his actions concerning the governor in a more recent issue of The Leaven.
Governor Sebelius is considered a possible vice-presidential candidate for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. As a white woman, it is believed she would appeal to voters that would vote for Obama rival Sen. Hillary Clinton.