From thinkprogress.org:
Yesterday, ThinkProgress reported that Rep. Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin (R-MO) and GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan both cosponsored the bill that introduced America to the despicable term “forcible rape.” As it turns out, this may only be the second most sweeping attack on reproductive freedom that both men partnered on. Ryan and Akin also cosponsored a federal personhood bill, the Sanctity of Human Life Act of 2009, which declares that a fertilized egg is entitled to the exact same legal rights as a human being:
(1) the Congress declares that–
(A) the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being, and is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person; and
(B) the life of each human being begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent, irrespective of sex, health, function or disability, defect, stage of biological development, or condition of dependency, at which time every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood; and
(2) the Congress affirms that the Congress, each State, the District of Columbia, and all United States territories have the authority to protect the lives of all human beings residing in its respective jurisdictions.
Lest there be any doubt, this bill is unconstitutional. Congress does not have the power to overrule Roe v. Wade by an ordinary statue, only a constitutional amendment could serve that purpose. Moreover, even if Roe were overruled by the Supreme Court, Ryan and Akin’s bill still attempts to redefine who “the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution” applies to. Again, changing the meaning of the Constitution can only be done through an amendment, not through an ordinary Act of Congress.
So what’s the problem if this law cannot be passed? Actually it can, but a series of events would have to take place first. Legislators like Akins and Ryan would have all the pieces to the puzzle in place to outlaw abortion IF Roe vs. Wade is overturned.
Bills like this don’t just stop at abortion. All contraception except barrier contraception would be illegal because fertilization is biologically the moment egg and sperm unite. Conception is medically when a fertilized ovum implants in the uterine wall. Fertilization laws go much further and intentionally so. Don’t think it is an accident. Part of the goal is to not only make abortion illegal but also most forms of modern contraception.
Paul Ryan has now been forced to walk this one back and is part of the team that accepts rape as a exception that allows abortion. However, the above shows his new found position is purely a make-over to get elected. He is just as extremist as Rick Santorum.
I find everything to do with the Personhood Bill offensive and un American. The fact that fertilized eggs would have the same rights that sentient beings have is just absurd. Too bad these politicians and “base” feel that they have the right to ram their religious views down our throats. These are troubling times.
Even more troubling is we are ignoring the needs of the country to fight about abortion. How incredibly stupid.
I can’t believe no one commented on these insane people! I would think the women on the blog would be metaphorically carrying torches and pitchforks! How any woman could consider voting Republican is a mystery to me. They have been talking about taking away women’s rights since the 1970s but the focus has intensified since the 2010 elections of the house
Here is a link for a few:
http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/13/us-house-vote-puts-women-risk
Bear gets it. We have some people on this blog who deny there is a war on women.
I hesitate to suggest that it might be some sort of subtrafuge to reempower men.
The one single factor that enables women to have social and job equality (and I would argue that is still a work in progress.) is a woman’s ability to control her own reproduction. When I first graduated from college, that was very much an issue. College graduates either had to teach, go in to nursing or be a library. To most women, there were very few options. If those options didn’t suit you ended up in the secretarial pool. Why? Companies did not want to invest in training women because they just got married and pregnant. That was the prevailing line of thinking even with young men in business.
Once bright, articulate women were allowed in the job market, they gave men a run for their money. The power paradigm has definitely shifted since then. If I were a white man and wanted to retake the power, I would go after women and minorities.
If women are dumb enough to let this happen, then perhaps they weren’t ready in the first place.
Bear, I forgot to tell you, no one has mentioned the post because I put it up in the night.
I also never thought I would say what I said above. I am really hope I am wrong. I just think a lot of this is about political empowerment.
You know as an older white male how things have changed since I first met you in the business world.
You know that when I first met you, you and I would not have been co-workers. When you retired, we probably would have been. Amazing what a million years will do for ya!
I was watching some Hardball last night (while Chris has gotten waaay to partisan for my taste in talk show hosts, he’s still one of the best in the biz) and was reminded of this great little nugget: it’s only a gaffe in politics if you say what you’re really thinking or believe…..I’m a republican but I’m not sure I belong in that guys party….
This thread should be pulled out and put in textbooks to demonstrate why people don’t take the left seriously. Good luck with it anyway!
@SlowpokeRodriguez
I would be very pleased if it did go to print. You weren’t around then anyway. What do you know.
@AndyH
I am an ex-R. I gave it up back in the 80s because of this very kind of talk.
I just don’t like hearing Chris talk. It isn’t as much what he says but the act of talking.
I would say that Akins’ remarks were just a gaffe except he clarified and made it worse. then there is that rascally rape clarification. Its there to make darnn sure no one had a govt. paid abortion because of rape. The reason behind it is even more disgusting.
The polls, even with the damage control are something like 54% 36% D to R in the presidential race among women.
It isn’t just about this one remark….there has been a barrage of attack on women for the past year…so many examples, asperin between the knees, Sandra Fluge, ultra-sound, Susan G. Koman, Personhood in Mississippi, abortion clinic make overs in Virginia.
When does it end? Why do Republicans keep this up? Why not work on jobs, ending things in Afghanistan, improving the economy, the infrastructure, the drought, farmers, alternative energy sources. There is so much that needs our attention and the Republicans simply cannot get their minds above restricting women’s rights. The debt concern is bogus. The Obamacare is bogus also. Its all about stripping women of power.
I don’t know that “stripping women of power” is what it is all about but that is becoming the practical result. When the word “trans-vaginal” enters our political debate, we’ve gone too far in terms of governmental intrusion into our personal lives.
As a practical political matter, befeft of policy implications, Romney is going to have a heck of a time winning the election if the republicans continue to alienate women….
@Andy, Agreed. Inability to control one’s own reproduction strips women of power and sends them back to the steno pool. I certainly don’t think that all Republicans thing think at all. I do think that is what is on the minds of some of the old men who are power brokers. I wouldn’s have said that a year ago. I think many people who are buying in to some of this reproductive restrictiveness do so so they aren’t “out-conservatived.” Let ME be the most conservative. However, somewhere out there, there is a hidden agenda. There wasn’t this much attack on personal reproductive rights even when I was a girl coming out of Mary Washington headed to the steno pool. Something is going on.
There was a time (pre-80s?) that Republicans were mainly known as business men and women who could provide solutions to tackle some of these economic problems. Now they’re seen as just a bunch of busybodies who have no viable solutions but know that their troops will respond to dog whistle calls for battle over social issues.
I think the biggest foot soldiers for their cause are those white men who can’t succeed without the special privileges they enjoyed before much of the discrimination against women and minorities went away. They can’t compete on a level playing field and they want to make women go back home. And without contraception that’s where many women will end up and then the mediocre men can shine – not because of their talents but because the competition has been eliminated.
It’s what Steve Randolph calls the “political arm of the rotary club” and, while it still exists, the numbers of “Business Man Republicans” are dwindling. Why put up with all of it?
Romney, Ryan and many other Republican leaders including Mitch McConnell have asked Aikin to drop out of the Missouri race. Romney has said he will not support Aiken if he does not withdraw. Mainstream Republicans are renouncing Aiken and his stupid remarks.
Democrats trying to link mainstream Republicans to Aiken and what he said are either ignoring the facts, or just see an opportunity to cast some low blows. Do we have to roll out Rev. Wright and other clowns who have made equally offensive remarks and whom Obama and other Democrats have not renounced?
@Need to Know
You kind of have to feel a little sorry for them. The poor dears think they’ve really got something here. You’ll notice it’s just the little liberal echo chamber at work. Fun to watch, though.
“Don’t be mislead” = Obama’s “Let me be clear”
@Need to Know
Akins remarks haven’t occurred in a vacuum. There’s been a steady drumbeat in the war against women that has escalated and been tolerated by too many Republicans. (That doesn’t go unnoticed – except by a few obtuse males.)
It’s good that Romney denounced them, but he’s fairly spineless and if he thought that the majority of his party supported Akins remarks, he’d embrace them.
@Need to Know
They are already linked. Ryan and Akin linked themselves when they co-sponsored a bill to redefine rape. This isn’t obscure information. I knew there was a bill trying to do that, I just didn’t know the names.
Perhaps it is you who are ignoring the fact,s NTK. Paul Ryan was very much a part of redefining rape. Now, he is smarter than Akin. He kept his mouth shut about that once he hit the national scene, and with good reason. It would hurt his electibility.
Rev. Wright? That sounded almost like a threat to me. (Do we have to…..) Have at it. Obama threw him under the bus over 4 years ago. as he should have. I have come to expect crappy partisan tactics.
The point is, and continues to be, once again women have been targeted and offended. Make no mistake, many of us don’t really give a rat’s ass who the offender is or what political party he or she belongs to. They will be targetted any time they attempt to restrict reproductive rights. Akin shot himself in the foot for sure.
The Republicans in power rallied to do damage control, as they should have. They should remember that damage control the next time they even approach restrictive legislation. They need to remember any time there is someone stupid enough to vote for something like that, there is someone stupid enough to say what Akin said. As far as stupid enough to say it goes, where is Lafayette with that video? Our own state delegate is that bad. He isn’t stupid. He is a wild eyed zealot which is just as bad.
@Censored bybvbl
Absolutely. There has been a steady drum-beat that has gotten louder and louder during the past year.
Shall we start making a list of all the incidences where someone has had a big dumb stupid mouth that has backfired in the faces of …oh….some Republicans. Not everyone of course. At what point to Republicans stop leaving the party because of these jerks and start making them leave?
Fries and his asperin between the knees, Limbaugh and his slut remarks, Santorum and his many sexist remarks, Virginia’s legislative band of jerks, etc etc etc.
We might very well be talking about Vice Presidential candidate Bob McDonnell. He fell off the radar screen after the Virginia toadies started the trans-vaginal legislation. They threw McDonnell right under the bus. He warned them and they kept it up. He was a decent guy and semi supported the fools, getting them to drop the transvaginal requirement but not the entire legislation. He became branded right along with them. I guess we will never know for sure.
Toxic is Toxic. Rape is Rape.
Romney and other Republicans weren’t going to let the McDonnell factor take them out, just like it did him.
54-36% is a powerful difference. Women don’t like getting screwed over.
Moon, you know that I have daughters and feel as strongly about rape as you do. Aiken is an idiot and should go. Romney and Ryan are not. You just said yourself that Romney distanced himself from Bob McDonnell after the aliiances McDonnell made on some of the state issues.
Let’s keep the debate objective and civil and not attack using guilt by association. I recall the uproar on the left when Republicans brought up Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers. Are the Democrats now going to make Aiken their own Wright or Ayers?
Daughters aren’t the only ones subject to rape. Sons are also. No one is linking Romney. Ryan has linked himself. Sorry, he is damaged goods and ways has been because of his anti choice legislation. He is very much a part of redefining rape and it cannot be denied. There is no guilt by association. There is guilt by first hand experience. Prove me wrong. You can’t.
I have not been uncivil at all. I can be if necessary. I also didn’t attack.
The last time I checked, Rev. Wright wasn’t running for office. Actually I think the Republicans were right to bring up Wright. So were the Democrats. If you recall, that broke during the primary. So bring it on.
I find it interesting that I am now being told how to conduct myself on my own blog.
Republicans may heartily denounce Akins’ remarks but they seem willing to enshrine his social policies. Apparently this is in the 2012 Republican Platform:
“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” the draft platform declares. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”
I see no exception for pregnancies that result from rape or incest or the health of the mother.
Women be damned or damn those women. Why not come up with an honest bumper sticker slogan.
Rape is Rape
born is not necessarily born.
@Censored.
I am smiling. Republicans want to do more with that poor old 14th amendment than you can shake a stick at.
Lets see…the anti immigration crowd wants to make born not really mean born born…You aren’t a citizen if you born here even, if your mother is an illegal immigrant. Not so sure about your father.
Now born doesn’t mean born to the anti choice crowd either. You don’t have to be born to have all the rights.
Let me check this out closer…if you are not an illegal immigrant then you can just be conceived to get full citizenship and rights. If however, you are the product of the illegal immigrant woman, then even being born isn’t going to help your sweet ass. You are marked.
Go freaking figure. These people are strange.
Slow,
What an interesting change in a mere 24 hours by you. Yesterday Akins is a toad by any standard but today you make fun of us for suggesting that when a party, as a whole, attempts, over and over, to control womens reproduction, thus laying the groundwork for complete idiocy, WE over are over reacting!
NTK,
The republicans, especially in congress, have let the horse out of the barn, now that it is running wild, they want to reign “him” in. Proposing changes in what is rape, proposing an amendment that puts priority of a zygote over a sentient woman, is unacceptable and emboldens moronic statements made my Akin.
Ryan is ABSOLUTELY responsible for this kind of thought because he co sponsored the bills we are referencing. What does Wright have to do with pubic policy? NOTHING!
@Elena
Uh-Huh…..sure!
You rock Censored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, Akins was supported by the Democrats to the tune of $1.5 million dollars.
So….since the GOP wants him gone and have withdrawn their money, makes him the Democrat choice……
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/08/democrats-spent-1-5-million-to-get-akin-elected-in-primary/
😉
So what….If they were smart they would have paid that much to get some other unacceptable toad elected in a primary. You are aware that the parties do this all the time. 🙄
This is turnip truck news.
When Mr. Howler goes out and voted in the Republican senate primary, do you think he voted for George Allen? No. He voted for someone he thought Kaine could pick off without much work.
You know, sometimes pictures can tell a story as much as words, and this thread should have one. Suggestion: http://tinyurl.com/br4qcj3
Good Pinocchio, Cato.
An excellent article, Moon. The repugs want to redefine rape so that it would be legal in most cases. They would also force rape victims to bear the children of their rapists. Those who support basic, fundamental rights for women should not vote for republicans this fall.
Let me add, to the proverbial roast here, a fabulous tid bit by Rep. King of Iowa.
“Rep. Steve King, one of the most staunchly conservative members of the House, was one of the few Republicans who did not strongly condemn Rep. Todd Akin Monday for his remarks regarding pregnancy and rape. King also signaled why — he might agree with parts of Akin’s assertion.”
“King told an Iowa reporter he’s never heard of a child getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest.”
I find it interesting, all these conservative republicans throwing Akins under the bus while so many of them have voted for a change in medicaid to ensure only REAL rape is covered for women while ensuring that a zygote has the same rights as you and I in a personhood amendment. I guess, maybe when you say the crap out loud NOT in a extremist echo chamber, suddenly you realize how stupid your point may be.
@Elena
Akin’s sin is to say it out loud. I have heard this same crap for years. It isn’t new. Is this like an epiphany for mainstream Republicans?
Most people aren’t stupid enough to say it out loud in front of the entire electorate in a presidential election year when the candidate is a little soft on hard core reproductive values. It makes everyone feel sort of icky. Everyone except the pro choice people–we are all delighted and glad that the dirty little secret is out. The mentality behind redefined rape and personhood at fertilization is part of Ryan’s belief system. He is just smart enough to keep it within the club. The pro choice people find that world view as unacceptable today has we have 2 decades ago.
People just haven’t been paying close attention. It time for the younger folks to appreciate the hard work done by the trailblazers and to pick up the baton, knowing that the opposition wants to make zygotes equal to sentient human beings.
Its absolutely amazing how little these clowns making laws know.
Remember that the Virginia clowns were unaware that ultra sound meant transvaginal probes. Don’t you think they would find out before making laws?
The same Virginia fools tried to make a law mandating 150 minutes of PE a week for k-8 grades a year ago. They never stopped to ask themselves if schools had gyms or how this PE would be scheduled.
Same set of thinking skills brought about both problems. READY FIRE AIM
Priebus: GOP platform ‘not the platform of Mitt Romney’
By Michael O’Brien, NBC News
My, my, my, what have we here? Mitt Romney is disavowing his own party platform over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
The entire republican party is in meltdown.
@Starry, actually I consider that good news.
A little clarification–
The term “forcible rape” is the term used by the FBI. The “other kind of rape” is called statutory rape.
The bill that Ryan and Akin worked on can be clarified here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/todd-akin-paul-ryan-rape-bill-forcible-legitimate-mitt-romney-2012-8
Ryan does not support abortion for victims of rape or incest. I don’t know about Akin.
Starry is right however. Romney and the GOP platform do NOT match.
This is all absurd and should not be happening.
@Moon-howler
You did see the smiley face…right?
@Cargo, and you saw me rolling my eyes????
Rush Limbaugh is urging Akin to step down. Now there’s a moral leader….
@Moon-howler
Thanks for finally realizing the value of Rush Limbaugh! I agree! Without him, we’d lose the country!
I’m so sick of abortion as an issue.
@Need to Know
Mainstream Republicans are renouncing Aiken and his stupid remarks.
Sorry NTK the Republicans are not renouncing him because he is wrong, If they can’t convince him to drop out of Senate race they can’t run someone in his place and that means the seat will probably go Democrats
@SlowpokeRodriguez
Slowpoke, Do you have an opinion or do you just enjoy driving the “Clown Bus”?
Lyssa, I am tired of it as an issue also. Look at the amount of time we have spent just today on the issue, while all the other things go unanswered.
I am all for the status quo. That is not to be, however.
Thanks to Cindy B for posting this link on facebook!
http://www.midwife.org/Statement-on-Rape-and-Pregnancy
Silver Spring, MD — The American College of Nurse-Midwives supports a policy of zero tolerance for violence against women and opposes recent remarks by a US Representative suggesting that “women who are victims of ‘legitimate rape’ rarely get pregnant.” In addition to being physiologically inaccurate, these comments minimize the gravity of rape—a reprehensible crime that can result in serious physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health consequences for victims, their families, and the community.
Globally, an estimated 1 in 3 women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Medically false remarks suggesting that some rape is not “legitimate” imparts blame for the crime on victims, perpetuates the culture of violence, and undermines our efforts to combat this enormous public health crisis. We affirm the recent statement made by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in response to these remarks and uphold the right of every person to live in a society free of violence.
You couldn’t understand my opinion. You’re a lib, and by definition handicapped.
@SlowpokeRodriguez
Maybe if you used small words, I might be able to pick up on it.
Doubtful 🙁
Thank You, you’ve answered my question!
Todd Akin is blaming the liberal media for his woes. Huh? The liberal media and liberals in general are happier than a ….well…dogs with bones over his plight.
Is this guy just clueless. I could care less. His own party might have another idea though.
Well, that’s what I’m here for! Since the first post in the thread, you’ve been pretty clueless. Not my job to fix.
@SlowpokeRodriguez
Actually, I think Bear is probably all over the problem including past relating problems. An ectopic pregnancy, for example is a woman killer. The only thing he was “clueless” on is what time I put the post up. There is no time stamp so I think that is forgiveable. Otherwise, he is spot on.
The link he put up shows the dangerous places Republican anti abortion bills take up. That one did endanger women and thank goodness, never went anywhere.
How much time are your buddies going to waste on this issue, Slowpoke? How many different social values bills are they going to fiddle with rather than trying to work towards economic solutions for our country?Jobs Jobs Jobs? They are sooooo full of crap.
Paul Ryan has basically been undressed by the Akin affair. If people like what they see, have at it. If anyone is offended by the extreme positions on women’s reproductive rights that were heretofore not particularly out in the open, they will run like hell.
I would be asking myself if the country is ready for the Republicans to have total control over all three branches of our government. Now that is the scary part. A presidential win and a win in the senate could set us back a century. That win would also shore up control over the Supreme Court. There is a great deal at stake.
If the Republicans win it all…that could be a sign that the pendulum has swung (is that a word?) too far and is returning towards the supposed middle, wherever that is. Because if the GOP wins it all, the people will have spoken. Apparently there are things in the liberal culture that the average American objects to or it could be the rapid pace that the liberals are trying to push “change.”
Of the GOP DOESN’T win, that just means that voters are stupid. 🙂 😈
It sounds like McCain just called Akins an idiot.
Democrats and Independents don’t have to do a thing other than sit around and watch the Republican Civil War. You have to admire that scrappy little ignoramous Akin for tenacity if nothing else. Obviously brains aren’t his strong suit.
@Cargosquid
Swing swung swung. Today I swing. Yesterday I swung. I have swung before.
Yep, its a word. There is your test.
I don’t know that I would make any assumptions about this election. These are strange times. The depression produced stange times also.
Cargo, if you think we live in liberal times, you should have been around a few decades ago. things have calmed down a great deal actually.
what is it that you think is so liberal? How about a few examples?
Not much argument from me Republicans wasting time on social issues…..and if you want to talk about spending, just watch them hike up the defense budget and turn a blind eye towards fraud and waste in defense spending. But at their worst, I’ll take them over Obama and the left.
I would take Obama over them…so I guess we cancel each other out.
I too want the fraud and waste to stop. You can’t be more vocal in local politics than Elena and I have been about bad practices and wastes of money. It is the Republicans who are at fault locally so I would not generalize that it was all Democrats doing it.