President-elect Barack Obama has reportedly selected former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle to serve as his Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The abortion lobby praised the move.

“Sen. Daschle will bring thoughtful progressive leadership to the Department of Health and Human Services,” Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, told the pro-abortion website RH Reality Check. “We appreciate his recent efforts to help defeat two abortion bans in South Dakota. We had a good working relationship with him during his tenure as Senate leader and look forward to continuing that relationship as he assumes this pivotal role in the Obama administration.”

In 2003, The Weekly Standard reported that Daschle’s bishop, Bishop Robert Carlson of Sioux Falls, S.D., had written Daschle to request he no longer identify himself as Catholic in his congressional biography and in campaign literature because of Daschle’s dissenting positions on moral issues, particularly abortion.

Pro-lifers warn that Daschle’s appointment as HHS secretary is ominous not only in terms of protection human life, but also in terms of defending the conscience rights of medical personnel.

“Daschle would also be in a key position to rescind the projections the Bush administration is expected to put in place any day now for pro-life doctors and medical centers,” a Nov. 19 Lifenews.com commentary said about his Daschle’s appointment. “The Bush protections make sure medical facilities and medical personnel are not forced to be involved in abortions that violate their moral or religious views.”

— Tom McFeely