Lincoln's First Principle

As it happens, many people will be coming to Washington to affirm the Lincolnian natural rights premise that all men are created equal. Just two days after millions attend the inauguration of the nation's first black president, hundreds of thousands will participate in the March for Life, commemorating the Supreme Court decision that ended most of the existing legal protections for the unborn.

Obama has called abortion a "fundamental right" and has signaled that he will appoint judges who share his view. This would probably undo the very modest legal gains made in defense of nascent human life in recent years. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has themed Obama's inauguration "A New Birth of Freedom." But it looks like we'll have to wait at a little longer before we inaugurate a president truly committed to Lincoln's natural rights philosophy.