Roe v. Wade 36th anniversary marked by Obama ad

Thousands of antiabortion advocates rally on the National Mall and march to the Supreme Court to mark the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Two days after inauguration of a president who supports abortion rights, the gathering has a new feel. For example, as the Washington Post reported:

Nicole Balmos, a chef from San Antonio, said she was making her first trip to the annual rally and was drawn there because of the election of Barack Obama as the country's 44th president. "I do believe that God has put him in this position because people need change," said Balmos, 28. "I just pray that God softens his heart so we can stop killing babies."

For the occasion, President Obama's life story has been incorporated into an anti-abortion ad:

In the 41-second ad, sponsored by catholicvote.org, a camera slowly zooms in on a fetus in a womb as these words appear on the screen: "This child's future is a broken home. He will be abandoned by his father. His single mother will struggle to raise him. Despite the hardships he will endure this child will become the 1st African-American President." The ad ends with a photograph of President Obama and this message: "Life: Imagine the Potential."

Dallas Morning News Religion Blog's Bruce Tomasco says:

The ad suggests that Barack Obama's struggling, single mother might have chosen to abort her pregnancy -- and that the country would be poorer as a result.

There is no evidence, to my knowledge, that Obama's mother ever contemplated such a course.

And, really, couldn't you make the same argument about anyone? If Tim McVeigh's mom had had an abortion, might those 168 people in Oklahoma City still be alive?

Here is the ad:

The ad is emblematic of the renewed intensity of the struggle after the conclusion of eight years of George Bush's decidedly pro-life presidency.