Now the Real Work Begins!(election of George W. Bush signals change)(Brief Article)

President Bush's first few weeks in office brought a wonderful breath of fresh air to Washington. From his executive order stopping funding of abortion advocacy overseas to his many outstanding pro-life appointments, change is definitely in the air.

But no one should think this alone guarantees victory in the many struggles that lie ahead. If any of us needed to be reminded of that, let me tell you what happened to Planned Parenthood and NARAL in 1993. Their candidate had just won the presidency, and Bill Clinton lived up to his campaign promise (one of the few times he did that!) by signing pro-abortion executive orders in his first week in office.

Pro-abortion supporters were securely in place in the White House, the Supreme Court, and in the leadership of the House and Senate. Pro-abortion activists and supporters seemingly felt so secure about the so-called "right" to abortion, that they relaxed.

Donations to Planned Parenthood and NARAL fell so much that each group had to lay off staff members. Pro-life citizen lobbyists overwhelmed Congress with letters and phone calls in numbers the pro-abortion movement could only dream of. The Freedom of Choice Act and the Clinton Health Care Rationing Plan were both defeated before they even came up for a vote. In 1994, pro-life congressional candidates won in a landslide.

The lesson, which I hope every pro-lifer understands, is that ours is a movement which has short-term and long-term goals. Resting even for a moment to enjoy our victories is a sure way to jeopardize future victories for life.

I am reminded of an article that appeared in a national news magazine about a year before the 1992 election. The article outlined the strategy of pro-life and pro-abortion forces as the Supreme Court was considering whether to allow further legal protection for unborn children.

Pro-abortion groups were "alarmed" and used the "threat" of a pro-life decision to galvanize their supporters. I remember a quote from an abortion supporter who said she had been giving financially to a couple of her favorite ...