Following are the top 10 stories of greatest impact to the pro-life movement in 2009, in both my opinion and the opinion of my blog readers. I'm listing them in chronological order, not necessarily in order of significance.

1. Jan. 20: Inauguration of President Barack Obama, who was quick to please those hoping pro-lifers were right to assert he was the most anti-life politician ever elected to our highest office, when ...

2. Jan. 23: President Obama signs an executive order overturning the Mexico City Policy, thereby reauthorizing taxpayer funding of international groups promoting and/or committing abortion. Obama defenders rationalize that at least he waited until after the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade, demonstrating a non-provocative tone ... toward born people, anyway.

3. May 15: Gallup releases a poll showing that for the first time since it began asking the question in 1995, a 51 percent majority of Americans consider themselves "pro-life" as opposed to 42 percent "pro-choice." Gallup credits Obama for the shift, in part: "It is possible that, through his abortion policies, Obama has pushed the public's understanding of what it means to be 'pro-choice' slightly to the left, politically. While Democrats may support that... it may be driving others in the opposite direction."

4. May 17...