There is no doubt that the victim is the most-well known practitioner and was selected by his murderer for the 'celebrity' of the physician. I'd also go so far as to agree that a handful of cranks are somewhere cheering.

My guess, however, is that 98-99.99% of the folks who vote pro-choice will condemn this murder.

I have been awaiting a president again who will stand up and enforce the law.

From the AP:

The Rev. Flip Benham, director of Operation Save America, which calls itself the national successor to Operation Rescue, said he had been confronting Tiller over abortion since meeting him in 1991 during their "Summer of Mercy" protests outside Tiller's clinic.

"He has shed the blood of countless thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands. . ," Benham, a Concord, N.C., preacher, said. "Now this thing has come home to him."

At the federal level, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), makes it an offense to use intimidation or physical force - such as forming a blockade - in order to prevent a person from entering a facility which provides reproductive healthcare or a place of worship. The law also creates specific penalties for destroying, or causing damage to, either of these types of building.

Obama has a moral and legal obligation to do a LOT MORE than verbally condemn the murder of health care providers like the extraordinarily brave Dr. Teller - who had previously been shot in both arms (by another so-called pro-lifer) outside of a Wichita clinic in 1993.

It's an insulting and patronizing--and yes, passive aggressive--narrative. "Oh yes, little lady, I fully support your right to choose, but of course I know you will experience horrible PAIN AND GUILT because you've been such a bad slut and now you are KILLING A BABY....."

Everytime some politician mouths the catchphrase "Safe, frequent and rare" (or the line about "freedom to choose in consultation with her family, doctor and clergy") I hear an echo of this narrative, which is really just another means of controlling an manipulating women, and denying them the real freedom to choose.

You say that "I don't know a single woman whose had an abortion who isn't racked with misery and pain over the decision; or one who looked back upon the procedure as anything but traumatic."

  The reality is that the "solutions" to the abortion questions must be reached politically. Unfortunately, in part because of that, we see far too many people who can only view the issues politically.

  You make the excellent point that abortion, and in particular late term abortion, decisions should be informed by concern for those unborn found to have catastrophic health problems. At least implicitly, you are recognizing the humanity of the unborn and advocating the availability what you believe to be humane options for preventing suffering and misery.

   Others, though, neither necessarily evil nor insincere, are opposed to one person or a group of people deciding to end  even a profoundly  damaged life. Whether you agree or not, all should accept that this view is just as valid and as deserving of being accorded respect. Some people truly believe that it is not the place of humans  to make life and death decisions about the existence of other humans (obviously they believe the unborn is a human-- also a valid belief deserving respect)

  Still others fear the broader ramifications of third parties consigning certain classes to the category of lives not worth living  and thus not merely not entitled to protection but subject to affirmative acts to kill them. Not only is one person's mercy killing is another's selfish act which ends a life without a voice. The same logic which justifies  killing an unborn with severe health problems can justify killing the born with severe problems.

  These are just a couple of the multitude of very real and very difficult questions which a debate dominated by extremes of "ban abortion now" and "abortion on demand" stifle.

Right you are about the wedge issue, though.  The coals are only banked so long as the 'complex-issue' people are keeping their lectures to themselves and one another.  When they start lecuring women about choice or no choice, we draw the line.

We really do not care what you think or feel about OUR choice regarding reproduction.  Hands off our bodies and mind your own damn business is our motto.

Dr. Tiller understood that.  His murderer and the enablers of his murderer...no.  They. Do. Not. Get. It.

"Under current United States law, set forth in the USA PATRIOT Act, acts of domestic terrorism are those which: "(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended-- (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States."[3]

To be clear, I'm no lawyer but I'll say yes to what you just said:

"We need anti-terrorism forces to provide protection to the remaining 2 doctors who perform this necessary service."