Terry Mattingly at Get Religion discusses Democratic efforts to woo Catholics and Evangelicals by making some seemingly pro-life gestures in the new party platform. From Wooing the liberal pro-life vote, again:

The 2004 platform stated:

Because we believe in the privacy and equality of women, we stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay. We stand firmly against Republican efforts to undermine that right. At the same time, we strongly support family planning and adoption incentives. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.

As Democrats For Life leaders have noted, this language says that to be pro-life is to back a Republican policy stance — period. There is no room for conscience on this issue among Democrats.

Now, the proposed 2008 platform language states:

The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family planning services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions. The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman’s decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre and post natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs.

Even this small of a concession has enraged feminists and other pro-deathers. But does this new platform language make you feel better about the Democrats? Is this enough to make you pro-life Obama supporters feel less conflicted?

So the USA has put restrictions on importing donated sperm from Europe, due to concerns about Mad Cow disease. This has many American women in an uproar because of their desire for Scandinavian sperm donors. This sympathetic report comments that “the Nordic donors were popular because of their blue eyes and blond hair, and their tendency to be tall and have advanced degrees.” Says one forelorn woman, separated from the father of her child with whom she wanted another,

“I’m Swedish-Norwegian and really wanted to have a gene pool that was similar to my own,” Peterson said. “I wanted a baby that looked like me and wanted to share my heritage with my baby. Now I have a beautiful Viking baby, which is what I wanted. I was hoping to give her a full sibling.”

Why don’t these women just go to Minnesota? Is this some fossilized remnant of monogamy? Anyway, can we count the ways this is wrong?

So, controversy builds over whether those little Chinese girls who have been sweeping up the gymnastic medals are at least 16 years old, as the rules require. The American coach pointed out that one of them has a tooth missing, looking as if she is still shedding her baby teeth.

While the Chinese team celebrated, Martha Karolyi, the U.S. national team coordinator, continued to question the ages of some of China’s gymnasts. Concerns over eligibility on the six-member team surfaced before the Olympics and have continued all week.

“One of the girls has a missing tooth,” Karolyi said, suggesting that the gymnast was so young that she lost a baby tooth and had yet to have a permanent one emerge.

The grin of Deng Linlin, a Chinese gymnast who is listed as 16, indeed revealed a wide gap. To be eligible for the Olympics, gymnasts must turn 16 this year. “I have no proof, so I can’t make an affirmation,” Karolyi said.

China’s coach, Lu Shanzhen, bristled when the age issue arose again on the day his gymnasts had upset the Americans, the reigning world champions. He would not explain Deng’s missing tooth. . . .

Half of the team - He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan - is under age if online sports registration lists in China are correct. The international gymnastics federation, however, said those gymnasts were eligible and that the ages on their passports were correct.

So there is documentary evidence that they are older? I do admit that the Chinese girls are amazing gymnasts. But judge for yourself from this picture:

Well, despite its announcement, Russia is still in Georgia, with reports of looting, rape, and other atrocities (apparently by Chechen and Ossetian militias that accompanied the army). The Russians have occupied the Georgian (not Ossentian) city of Gori, cutting the country in two. Charles Krauthammer has some excellent analysis:

His objectives are clear. They go beyond detaching South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia and absorbing them into Russia. They go beyond destroying the Georgian army, leaving the country at Russia’s mercy.

The real objective is the Finlandization of Georgia through the removal of President Mikheil Saakashvili and his replacement by a Russian puppet.

Which explains Putin stopping the Russian army (for now) short of Tbilisi [the Georgian capital]. What everyone overlooks in the cease-fire terms is that all future steps — troop withdrawals, territorial arrangements, peacekeeping forces — will have to be negotiated between Russia and Georgia. But Russia says it will not talk to Saakashvili. Thus regime change becomes the first requirement for any movement on any front. This will be Putin’s refrain in the coming days. He is counting on Europe to pressure Saakashvili to resign and/or flee to “give peace a chance.”