Operation Rescue dancing on Dr. Tiller's grave

From Think Progress

After the brutal assassination of Dr. George Tiller, his family discussed closing down his controversial abortion clinic. Surprisingly, anti-choice group Operation Rescue — which had made closing down Tiller’s clinic one if its main goals — opposed the move. “Good God, do not close this abortion clinic for this reason,” said president Troy Newman. “Every kook in the world will get some notion.” However, yesterday, the Tiller family announced that the clinic will be “permanently closed.” Kate Klonick observes that “it seems like Newman isn’t quite as upset by the means of closing the clinic — at least not upset enough not to see his movement profit from it.” From the Kansas City Star:

Operation Rescue president Troy Newman said that his group has discussed the idea of buying the tan, windowless clinic in east Wichita. He made the comment after the Tiller family announced that the clinic would be closed permanently.

“I would love to make an offer on that abortion clinic, and that’s some of the discussion that we’re having,” Newman said in a telephone interview Tuesday from his group’s headquarters in Wichita.

The New York Times has more details on the idea behind the purchase.

The leader, Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, said on Wednesday that his group, which had long fought to close the clinic, was considering trying to buy the squat, beige building to perhaps turn it into a memorial museum, “a tribute to the babies.”

...

“That is hallowed ground,” Mr. Newman, whose group’s national headquarters is in another former abortion clinic he owns in Wichita, said of Dr. Tiller’s clinic. “It’s iconic of the abortion movement, of abortion itself. It holds memories, sorrowful memories for countless women and for the babies that have died there. You can’t turn it into a coffee shop. You wouldn’t pave over Auschwitz or Dachau.”

Stay classy, Operation Rescue.