In the wake of Akin’s “women can’t get pregnant as a result of legitimate rape” nonsense, Romney and Ryan seem to be trying to tack to the middle on women’s reproductive rights. Don’t let them.
Mitt Romney told the racist douchebags at National Review Online [to which I refuse to link] that he found Akin’s comments “insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong.” Congratulations, Mittbot! Your platitudes chip has finally been installed! It’s about time.
Also, the Romney campaign released the following statement:
“Gov. Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape,”
To that, I say — HORSESHIT.
Ryan sponsored a federal personhood amendment which would ban abortion in instances of rape.
Romney supported a personhood amendment in the 2008 campaign and he supports it now.
By its very definition, a personhood amendment bans abortion in instances of rape. A personhood amendment bans abortion — period. Along with hormonal contraception (like birth control pills and IUDs) and in vitro fertilization (because not every egg makes it out of the petri dish alive).
These are facts. You can look them up.
The only possible reason that Romney is now claiming that the Romney/Ryan ticket would not oppose abortion in the instances of rape is because they are running as fast as they can away from Teabilly Idiot Todd Akin and because people are appalled that a pregnant 16 year-old was left to die in Dominican Republic as a result of that country’s personhood amendment.
They have not had a change of heart, and you are foolish if you think they have.
[read full-post at ABLC]
Yutsano
I sure hope Akin enjoys the feel of those bus tires going barreling right over him.
hildebrand
The Obama campaign needs to hit Romney/Ryan hard on this issue, and continue to hit them hard from now until Election Day. They need to show people just exactly what they are getting when they vote for these two.
The people who especially need to have made this abundantly clear to them are the so-called ‘fiscal-conservative, social-moderate’ types. Guess what folk? Your desire for limited government won’t be fulfilled if these yahoos get elected.
hildebrand
@Yutsano: I just hope that he stays in the race. I want the Republicans to own this guy throughout the fall.
Roger Moore
@Yutsano:
I don’t think the tires are going to go right over him. They’re carefully throwing him under the center line of the bus, so it will look like he’s getting run over but will sustain no damage if he keeps his head down. He may not be smart enough to keep his head down, but that’s hardly Romney and Ryan’s fault.
Calouste
So Romney thinks his kids are murderers? Three of them have used IVF apparently.
Yutsano
@hildebrand: So far the noise is unclear, but he has until tomorrow to bail. Otherwise things get very messy.
Josie
I love that Akin and Ryan co-sponsored the bill that originally included the phrase “forcible rape.” The Obama campaign should hit them on that over and over.
Roger Moore
@Calouste:
Does this mean that Mitt’s lack of stiffness is a congenital problem?
lamh35
“I want women to control their own health choices, just like I want my daughters to have the same opportunites as your sons.” — President Barack H. Obama
Dennis SGMM
As someone who must have been aboard more yachts than I ever will, Romney certainly doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of “tack,” as in “politicians usually tack to the center during the General Election.” Romney and his running mate don’t tack, they just lie. Were it not for our supine media they’d both be laughed off of the national stage.
rikyrah
Paul Ryan is NOT a foot soldier in the GOP WAR ON WOMEN.
Ryan is a GENERAL of the GOP War on Women.
Yes, Ryan was a sponsor of the HR3.
Yes, Ryan tried to REDEFINE RAPE.
Yes, Ryan is a sponsor of the Personhood Amendment
Yes, Ryan believes in NO EXCEPTIONS with abortion.
Yes, Ryan is a sponsor of the FEDERAL attempt to invade women’s bodies with forced ultrasounds.
Paul Ryan – a GENERAL in the GOP WAR ON WOMEN.
Ben Franklin
I don’t think it is difficult to make a seamless garment out of the Robe of Republican misogyny. It’s a pattern that, Historically, rears it’s little head consistently. And, when the little head tells the big head, what to do, we win.
Every Republican candidate should be asked; What is Rape?, or words to that effect.
Keep on Chooglin’
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Googling Romney and personhood, I found among other things, this:
Who the hell talks likes that? “From a political perspective”. He’s pretty much admitting he doesn’t believe any of this shit, but he goes along with it ’cause he has to.
I get that the unspoken agreement Romney and the far right is deeply cynical, he wants their votes now, in ’16, and in the future for Tagg or Ragg Jaggoff. They trust him to stay bought and appoint Janice Rogers Brown to the Supreme Court. I don’t get why fucking “swing voters” can’t see this fucking weasel for the weasel that he is.
Patricia Kayden
How could you be so heartless that you’d think it’s okay to force a woman to have a baby after she’s been through the ordeal of rape?
So we should be grateful that The Bot and The Munchkin have “changed” their minds and now will give permission to women to exercise autonomy over their own bodies but ONLY if they are raped?
jl
I could not believe my ears this morning, when Atkin’s statement was described on a CBS news broadcast as an issue of ‘political correctness’.
I noticed by this afternoon the CBS broadscasts were making it clear that the term ‘legitimate rape’ doesn’t mean anything, and has insulting and incorrect implications (which would be I guess the implication that a large proportion of accusations of rape by women are false).
And, oh yeah, BTW, what Atkin said about a woman’s body being able to (Edit reliably) ‘shut down’ pregnancy in certain situations was totally untrue. (Edit: I guess there are cases where a woman will spontaneously abort due to some medical emergency, but still, Atkin was talking nonsense).
Seems like that fact that a sane person has to assert that what Atkin was untrue on two counts had to sink in, or that a corporate media outlet took awhile to get the courage to make a finding of fact. Hope they didn’t piss their intrepid journalist pants too many times today.
Unbelievable what I heard this morning though.
raven
“It is a ridiculous conflation to equate Akin’s comments with the pro-life movement”. Republican strategist Todd Harris.
Odie Hugh Manatee
My wife is shaking her head at the insane ramblings of that imbecile, Aken. I told her that maybe Aken believes that the sperm just sit around in the vajayjay “Waiting Area” (Thanks ABL!) and can’t go anywhere until their papers are checked and approved.
Only then do they get to jump on the escalator!
Maybe he thinks the egg is like Ms. Pac Man?
Geoduck
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Akin still ends up winning. Certainly don’t think he’ll drop out.
Roger Moore
@Patricia Kayden:
It’s very simple: you think about the fetus and not the woman. If you think the fetus is a person with full human rights, its life has to take priority over the woman’s feelings. It’s disturbing as anything, but I’m sure that’s at the core of the thought process.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@jl:
if we weren’t talking about rape, his sixth grade understanding of human biology would be comical.
Also, too, a Politico reporter tried to defend what Akin ‘really meant’, and shut my mouth, John Harris actually noticed. Not that the little twerp was suspended. It’s not like he played the race card like that nasty Joe Williams. Rachel called Politico “basically the Romney campaign newsletter” the other night. If she were a campaign, I’d donate.
Dennis SGMM
@jl:
How long would it have taken those intrepid journos, considering the resources that they have, to find enough factual information to disprove Akin’s statements? If they’re wetting their pants it may because the facts go against the Republican narrative and someone, somewhere, may press those newshounds for more facts. We can’t have that.
hep kitty
@Calouste: They sure as hell have but that will be the same as his tax returns. Off limits. Petulance, probably some faux outrage about attacking his kids and grandkids regardless of the relevance of the question.
MikeJ
Was poking around on imgur and ran across this, the monetary cost for a rape victim to receive treatment in a US hospital.
Calouste
@Roger Moore:
The fetus has 50% chance of being male. The woman has 0% chance of being male. Fairly obvious which one counts higher in the patriarchy.
AA+ Bonds
BREAKING NEWS: Megan McArdle is back at the Daily Beast
Looking forward to DougJ and the gang’s response . . .
Elisabeth
@Yutsano:
Just saw a tweet that an Akin fundraising email has dropped with Akin staying in the race.
hep kitty
Good lord, I’m watching msnbc and I keep hearing that Akin clip over and over and over. I really am hallucinating, right?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Elisabeth: and do I have this right: If he doesn’t drop out by 5 pm tomorrow, they’re stuck with him? No one else can run as a GOP candidate? WHat about write-in? Anybody know?
Violet
Said this earlier today, but I think it’s an appropriate re-post here:
If someone claims to be anti-abortion and yet believes that abortion can be allowed in certain circumstances, then they are no longer anti-abortion. They are pro-choice. It’s just that they choose to make abortion restrictive and pro-choicers choose to make it available and safe for all women.
They are hypocrites because unless they are anti-abortion 100% of the time, the reason they’re against abortion has nothing to do with “life of the baby” and everything to do with “that woman is a slut”.
MikeJ
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
how is babby formed?
JPL
@AA+ Bonds: hahahahaahhaha..
do you really think that any of us besides Doug would waste our time reading her. The link was not necessary.
jl
@Dennis SGMM:
” How long would it have taken those intrepid journos, considering the resources that they have, to find enough factual information to disprove Akin’s statements? ”
Hard to get a same day appointment with a medical doctor in the US?
Or, they could not find a medical school, with medical experts?
I dunno.
scav
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Nah, it just gets ever so slightly trickier to have him replaced. A Judge gets involved if I remember correctly.
jwb
@AA+ Bonds: How about everyone just pretends she doesn’t exist instead?
lamh35
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Issues Statement
lamh35
I posted a link to the statement made by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. It is a very powerfull statement, please take it out of moderation.
Here’s the link for anyone who wants to just read it from the source: acog.org/About_ACOG/News_Room/News_Releases/2012/Statement_on_Rape_and_Pregnancy
gogol's wife
@lamh35:
That is excellent. I would like to see that on the front page of all major newspapers tomorrow. But I won’t hold my breath.
jl
@Violet:
It is a sad and weird dance they do. Once they are confronted with a specific tragic human example, they deny their forced birth dogma.
But I heard a quote from Atkin indicating that he is not backing down on the dogma, and said that the ‘unborn life’ should not be punished for the rapist’s crime. Santorum is the only other pol I have heard stand his ground on that. But maybe Atkin is saying something different now, to save his hide?
Of course, we know that Atkin is weak on facty things, and they cannot admit that there is an unsettled debate about facty things, like when ‘life’ begins, and these dudes can’t stand the idea that they cannot dictate what the facts will be for everyone, including people who know a lot more about it than they do.
ShadeTail
Akin has a decent chance of winning, considering the state where he’s running. But he can still be used to tar the rest of the party, including the presidential candidate.
Imani Gandy (ABL)
@rikyrah: amen.
Elisabeth
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I read somewhere that Akin has until 9/25 to actually get out and that he would have to pay to reprint the ballots. Doesn’t sound, though, like he’s willing to go anywhere for the moment. My guess is that he’s going to double-down while backtracking with Piers tonight.
Calouste
@lamh35:
They should have called Akin out by name and party affiliation.
kay
What I love about the conservative and centrist media commentary on this is the whole theme that liberals are FORCING Republicans to talk about contraception and abortion.
I had absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that Republicans have brought bill after bill after bill on contraception or abortion AND I had nothing to do with the fact that they seem to spend a good part of every day talking about women’s reproductive issues.
I would be happy if spooky, weird ideologue Paul Ryan never again uttered a word about his views on women. Happy.
It is somehow womens’ fault that Republican men cannot fucking shut up about contraception and abortion. Like we did it.
Violet
@rikyrah: Todd Akin needs to be tied around Ryan’s neck like an anchor. Ryan should have to drag Akin’s policies, which of course are his own although he’ll try to deny it, with him everywhere he goes.
Mnemosyne
@Violet:
May I fix your statement, because I think it’s almost right:
That’s really what it comes down to — they want the government to decide who’s allowed to live and who has to die. You know, because that same government that they say is incompetent to decide whether or not roads need to be repaired is totally capable of making a life-or-death decision about a woman’s pregnancy.
wrb
@Geoduck:
He had a 10 point lead. There’s a good chance that this won’t bother enough of the people who were going to vote for him to erase that.
Calouste
@wrb:
IMO the main reason the GOP want him to drop out is not as much that he might lose his own race as much as it is the negative effect he is going to have on other races, including the big one.
jwb
@wrb: I actually think it is going to erase that lead and then some. That’s when things will get interesting.
Baud
@kay:
Don’t you think it’s better that it’s out in the open for people to see, instead of being something the Republicans just talk about in quiet rooms?
jl
@kay:
Well, Ezra Klein says Obama made Romney pick Ryan for veep. It’s always those dang liberal Democrats messing things up, as the next post points out re Obama causing global warming to turn the top of Greenland’s ice cap into slush, and bringing on the drought.
Peter
@wrb: Wasn’t Harry Reid down ten points at this point in 2010, too?
Roger Moore
@Mnemosyne:
FTFY.
kay
@Baud:
Well, yeah, but this idea that liberal women are just focused 24/7 on abortion and contraception is just ridiculous.
I don’t recall insisting Paul Ryan co-sponsor EIGHT bills with this lunatic.
Next we’ll get a finger-wagging lecture from Romney hack Campbell Brown that women care about economic issues.
We do. It’s just that Republican men keep bringing up “personhood” bills and redefining rape. I don’t know how it’s my fault.
Poor, poor Paul Ryan. The wacko bills he wrote are being exploited by women!
Roger Moore
@Mnemosyne:
FTFY.
kay
@Baud:
Well, yeah, but this idea that liberal women are just focused 24/7 on abortion and contraception is just ridiculous.
I don’t recall insisting Paul Ryan co-sponsor EIGHT bills with this lunatic.
Next we’ll get a finger-wagging lecture from Romney hack Campbell Brown that women care about economic issues.
We do. It’s just that Republican men keep bringing up “personhood” bills and redefining rape. I don’t know how it’s my fault.
Poor, poor Paul Ryan. The wacko bills he wrote are being exploited by women!
rikyrah
@kay:
that’s right, Kay.
EIGHT BILLS.
PAUL RYAN – A General in the GOP War on Women
rikyrah
@kay:
that’s right, Kay.
EIGHT BILLS.
PAUL RYAN – A General in the GOP War on Women
rikyrah
@kay:
that’s right, Kay.
EIGHT BILLS.
PAUL RYAN – A General in the GOP War on Women
Roger Moore
@Roger Moore:
And FYWAVRPFWP.
Hypatia's Momma
Because the “mini-skirt and tube-top” myth concerning rape continues to pop-up (both sides do it): This very excellent (and very long) thread on SA has gone over and over this point, with many, many links to actual studies on the topic.
@lamh35:
Finally! Thanks.
wrb
@Calouste:
Fully agree.
He could win his race but cost them the House and the HOUSE.
However I’m not sure how much difference whether or not he’s running will have on the wider effect.
I don’t see how Ryan frees himself from their past, regardless.
Awfully nice of Aken to bring this up just as people were getting acquainted with Ryan.
LosGatosCA
@Geoduck:
Yes, potentially good news if he stays in and loses, potentially catastrophic news if he stays in and wins.
It’s Mizzora afterall is home of the Mizzery Synod.
AA+ Bonds
Akin campaign fell back onto the national team’s language to preempt further denunciation. Pro fucking move by that campaign in the direst circumstances. If you want to talk ‘horserace’, you have to admire that.
What I mean is:
Did Romney just sacrifice Akin for his campaign? Or did Akin sacrifice Romney for his?
SiubhanDuinne
@AA+ Bonds:
Break out the Béchamel!!
sagesource
@Mnemosyne: And it’s not as if getting government out of it would increase the abortion rate either. In Canada, partly because the pro and anti forces could not agree, the government threw up its hands years ago and gave up on passing any abortion law at all. It’s been in the hands of women and their doctors ever since; the abortion rate is considerably lower than in the US and the “late-term” abortion rate is miniscule. It’s like gay marriage. What the conservatives are worried about is that the sky DOESN’T fall when you get the government out of it.