At what point does a baby get human rights?

Rick Warren asked this question of both John McCain and Barak Obama during the Saddleback Civil Forum. It is quite telling the way the two candidates answered.

First, notice that Rick Warren did not say, "When does life begin?" Instead, he asked when a baby get human rights, or perhaps in other words, when does a baby receive constitutional protection as a human being in the United States of America?

John McCain readily answered, "At the moment of conception." He followed-up by citing his pro-life voting record.

What is extremely disturbing, however, is that Barak Obama NEVER ANSWERED the question. The question was not a scientific or medical question (when does life begin?), but when does the baby receive human rights? In other words, it is a LEGAL question, one that any lawyer should be able to answer. To say that the question is "above his paygrade" is a cop-out.

So does the baby receive any legal protection while residing in the mother's womb? For example, if a criminal attacks a pregnant woman and kills the baby, has the criminal murdered anyone? Can he be arrested, jailed, and punished for killing a baby? Has a crime been committed? Or maybe we should ask the question, "Barak, if the mother wanted to prosecute the person who killed the baby she was carrying, could you be a prosecuting lawyer for the mother, or would it be an issue 'above your paygrade'?"

Let's take this one step further. Barak, does the baby get human rights at birth? For example, if someone were to kill a baby who was in the nursery, would a crime have been committed? Or is such a question "above your paygrade"?

Then again, what about a baby whom the mother intended to abort, but was born alive. Does this baby have any human rights? Should doctors and nurses try to save such a baby? If so, why have you voted to protect the these babies?

Perhaps we should pose these other questions regarding human rights Mr. Obama as well. Senator Obama, being as you claim not to know WHEN a baby receives human rights and the protection offered to human beings by our constitution, is there a time when a handicapped person no longer has human rights, or a time when a person can forfeit his or her human rights?

We know that Barak believes that terrorists, though intent on depriving others of their human rights, still maintain their human rights. Why can he not answer a SIMPLE QUESTION as to WHEN babies get human rights?

The fact of the matter is, he can, but he won't. Why? Because by obfuscating the question and trying to sound pseudo-intellectual and tolerant, he hopes not to not have to answer the question and have himself be shown for the hypocrite that he is.

Let's make this simple:

Mr. Obama, you are now under oath. Yes or no: does a baby have human rights?
If yes, WHEN does the baby get human rights and constitutional protection?

You are a lawyer: ANSWER THE QUESTION!