The Republican War on Women Redux
The Akins spectacle serves to remind women everywhere about the GOP War on Women — the one they claim isn’t happening — and further opens the curtain on the undercurrent of lies and misinformation designed to create the fear and loathing that only serves this far right wing’s destructive tendencies. Most of the GOP — including Rmoney — is backing away from Akins in the most public way possible. The NRSC is pulling it’s promised support as is Karl Rove’s secretive PAC. They’ve got Artur Davis out warning the GOP that if Akins stays in, President Obama will win Missouri. Akins is staying in the limelight with his I’m Not Quitting campaign and his I’m Sorry campaign. Most folks are spending today trying to guess whether or not Akins will leave the race, but take a look at the groups supporting this guy. The Family Research Council, Missouri (so-called) Right-to-Life and the Susan B. Anthony group, along with even more reminders that Akins and Paul Ryan were at the frontline to try to redefine rape.
Right now, it looks like Akins is staying. A decision worthy of Christine O’Donnell, I’m thinking. But the New Yorker wants Republicans who are abandoning this guy to answer some questions first:
1. You’ve said that Congressman Akin’s remarks offended you. Can you explain, in your own words, what about them offended you? Was it just that he was wrong about how conception works, or do you see more problems in his statement? Please be specific; vague references to “empathy” don’t count.2. Congressman Akin used the phrase “legitimate rape.” If you haven’t addressed that in question No. 1, can you do so now? Is it a phrase that you would use, or countenance, or one that you would object to? Also, Akin co-sponsored legislation changing a statutory reference to “rape” to “forcible rape.” Is that a bill you voted for, or would?
There are more questions at the New Yorker link and the problem with these questions is that they are intended to elicit some thoughtfulness on the issue of rape and abortion from candidates that — Akins is your model here — GOP candidates just aren’t comfortable with.
And in the middle of all of this, the GOP announces that their draft platform calls for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
President Obama observes that this incident should remind people why politicians — mostly men — should not be making healthcare decisions on behalf of women.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Yx5gK1m3k[/youtube]
Tags: Republican War On Women
Worth pointing out that the draft GOP amendment banning abortion does not have a rape exception. And Mitt just took great care to point out he supports a rape exception.
So MIttens supports something he doesn’t support, but he totally supports the entirety of the position, but not all of it. par for the course
Mitt Romney stands by whatever it was he said previously, and is totally offended by things everyone finds offensive. And any suggestion that these two don’t match up is just a distraction from the real issues. So stop the negativity of pointing out the statements which Mitt still stands behind, because we should be focusing on the things Romney claims Obama is doing… But not on the fact checking proving that those claims are false, because hey, negativity, it’s not about Mitt or anyone else running for president other than Obama. And Paul Ryan doesn’t support those things he supported so stop saying he did! War is peace, austerity is prosperity, corporations and eggs are people.
Republicans in disarray:
When did this become the platform of the GOP? Wasn’t the entire Bush Family pro-choice? I recall HW being called “rubbers” for his support of contraception and safe, legal abortions.
“When did this become the platform of the GOP? ”
In the late 1970s, when Republicans realized their natural base was wealthy people, who are an electoral minority, so therefore they needed to form a coalition with working-class social conservatives in order to continue and expand their looting of the economy. This coalition is otherwise known as the “conservative movement.”
Abortion was the perfect wedge issue for this purpose because it costs absolutely nothing to fake compassion for fetuses.
Reagan campaigned on a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with the only exception being life of the mother. The 1980 RNC platform finessed the issue by supporting an amendment, but not getting into the issue of exceptions.
Interestingly, since 1980 there have been a handful of anti-abortion amendments before Congress, but all of them simply returned abortion to the states, and didn’t attempt to legislate abortion itself.
Akin says he is in this race for Senate. Somewhere Claire McCaskill is doing a Happy Dance.