Burying the "Born Alive" Controversy

If you're like me, you've recently been asked about Barack Obama and the "Born Alive" bill. Fortunately, Eric Zorn of your Chicago Tribune has the low down.

For those with OCD, there is the 4,000-word original: What you need to know about the 'Born Alive' controversy and Barack Obama

For those with ADD -- or other things to do -- there is the lower calorie, Executive summary: What you need to know about the 'Born Alive' issue

And here's a SCAM tip for understanding the phrase "virtually identical bill":

• "Virtually identical" does not mean "identical".
  
• "Virtually identical" actually means "not identical".
  

If the bills were truly identical, the modifier "virtually" would be unnecessary.

When Obama's opponents talk about "virtually identical bills" they are grudgingly -- and perhaps unwittingly -- admitting that the bills were not identical.