Vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin took Barack Obama to task for the Illinois senator’s “unconditional support for unlimited abortions,” according to the Weekly Standard.

On a campaign stop Oct. 11 in Johnstown, Pa., the same town where Obama said he didn’t want to “punish” his daughters for unplanned pregnancy by having them carry their babies to term, Palin discussed the importance of defending “every innocent life,” using a term coined by Pope John Paul II.

“In this same spirit, as defenders of the culture of life, John McCain and I believe in the goodness and potential of every innocent life,” she said. “I believe the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are least able to defend and speak for themselves. And who is more vulnerable, or more innocent, than a child?”

Sen. John McCain has a 0% rating from NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League), but pro-lifers cite his support for embryonic research and his actions regarding judges as blights on his pro-life record.

In enumerating Obama’s record on abortion, Palin said, “When our opponent, Senator Obama, speaks about questions of life, I listen very carefully.

“I listened when he defended his unconditional support for unlimited abortions. He said that a woman shouldn’t have to be — quote — ‘punished with a baby.’ He said that right here in Johnstown — ‘punished with a baby’ — and it’s about time we called him on it. … Americans need to see his record for what it is. It’s not negative or mean-spirited to talk about his record. Whatever party you belong to, there are facts you need to know.”

Concerning his stance on partial-birth abortion, the Alaska governor said, “Senator Obama has voted against bills to end partial-birth abortion. In the Illinois Senate, a bipartisan majority passed legislation against that practice. Senator Obama opposed that bill.

“Most troubling, as a state senator, Barack Obama wouldn’t even stand up for the rights of infants born alive during an abortion. These infants — often babies with special needs — are simply left to die.”

This issue is particularly sensitive to Palin, whose youngest son Trig, born earlier this year, has Down syndrome.

“When I learned that my son Trig would have special needs, I had to prepare my heart for the challenges to come,” she said. “At first I was scared, and Todd and I had to ask for strength and understanding. But I can tell you a few things I’ve learned already: Yes, every innocent life matters. Everyone belongs in the circle of protection. Every child has something to contribute to the world, if we give them that chance. There are the world’s standards of perfection … and then there are God’s, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautiful before God and dear to him for their own sake.

“As for our beautiful baby boy, for Todd and me, he is only more precious because he is vulnerable,” Palin said. “In some ways, I think we stand to learn more from him than he does from us. When we hold Trig and care for him, we don’t feel scared anymore. We feel blessed.

“In times like these, with wars and a financial crisis, it’s easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life. And it seems our opponent hopes that you will forget.”