By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Writer Wiith one of the most pro-abortion politicians in history about to ascend to the presidency at a time when liberal Democrats control of both houses of Congress, the pro-life community in the U.S. is reacting with defiant confidence.  Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, released a statement regarding the Presidential election in which he asserts that the pro-life movement will continue to grow in strength and that the President-elect has already "failed miserably" in a key test for public office. "Americans have made a grave mistake in electing Barack Obama to the presidency," Fr. Pavone wrote.  "He said during the campaign that he does not know when a human being starts to have human rights.  How can one govern from that starting point of ignorance?  Governing is about protecting human rights; to do it successfully, you have to know where they come from, and when they begin.  The President-elect has already failed that test miserably." Fr. Pavone remains defiant and confident, saying the pro-life movement is winning in the culture and that "a new chapter of the pro-life movement has just begun. ...We will keep marching toward that pro-life America we seek, and won't stop until we get there." Marjorie Dannensfelser, Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund President and co-founder of Team Sarah, a coalition of conservative women in support of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, agrees that although we face an uphill battle, defeat is not an option.  "With the entire federal government under the control of one political party that is hostile to our values, clearly the women of Team Sarah face an intense battle on many fronts,” Dannensfelser said in a statement. “If Governor Sarah Palin's historic candidacy proved anything, it is that women can meet these challenges without sacrificing their femininity. And thanks to Gov, Palin's leadership, there are more women in this battle than ever before. The very women whom the women's movement had convinced were invisible now know their power.” The pro-life movement suffered another setback in the election when voters in the state of Washington opted to make their state the second in the nation to allow assisted suicide. With 42 percent of precincts reporting as of this writing, 58 percent of voters approve the measure with 42 percent opposing it. Experts say with the new law now in place, attention will turn to the kind of abuses that have been seen in Oregon. “ . . . (I)nitiative 1000 will transform the legal landscape of the State of Washington. The change would parallel Oregon's decade-long acceptance of assisted suicide, a practice that has given rise to a myriad of problems,” pro-life attorney Ken Conner wrote before the vote. On a more positive note, the public voted to protect marriage in three key ballot initiatives. The Florida Division of Elections reported that the Florida Marriage Amendment received more than the 60 percent vote required to pass constitutional amendments. Known as Amendment 2, it defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman and will prohibit polygamy, group marriage, and same-sex marriage from being recognized in Florida. Arizonans also voted to protect marriage and as of this writing, Californians are about to overturn a Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage in the state. The hotly contested Proposition 8, which will amend the state Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, is passing 52 to 48 percent with 95 percent of the precincts counted. In order to rally the pro-life troops and help set the agenda for coming years, Fr. Frank Pavone will host a teleseminar tonight from 9 to 10 p.m. ET for pro-life activists and leaders to discuss how to move forward in light of the election results. “Our movement . . . does not look to elected officials to do our work for us,” he said in a statement today. “The work of advancing the pro-life agenda remains our work. Elected officials either make that work easier or harder. But either way, this is a movement. Regardless of the outcome of any local, state, or national election, together we must be proactive – not reactive – and make aggressive plans to ensure that the pro-life cause is moving forward, continually growing in size and effectiveness.” To participate in the teleseminar, visit http://www.priestsforlife.org/conferencecall/index.aspx © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly/Women of Grace. http://www.womenofgrace.com