"New rules proposed to protect anti-abortion doctors"

And let me just say to begin with - this Associated Press news story title is very unsettling. Let me get this straight: abortion doctors need protection ... in order to not practice abortions. What a world.

Anyway, I early reported on this story here, and now it's made the mainstream:

The Bush administration proposed stronger job protections Thursday for doctors and other health care workers who refuse to participate in abortions because of religious or moral objections.

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said health care professionals should not face retaliation from employers or from medical societies because they object to abortion.

"Freedom of conscience is not to be surrendered upon issuance of a medical degree," Leavitt said. "This nation was built on a foundation of free speech. The first principle of free speech is protected conscience."

Leavitt, as I said before, seems very capable of handling himself, which is relief because it's rare to find someone in a position of authority who's on the right side of this type of issue.

Meanwhile, if we're talking about protecting doctors - how about not protecting doctors who remove organs from infants before they've met the criteria for brain death.

And let's focus on protecting the vulnerable party.

update: whoo-boy, are the "feministas" angry or what?