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You are here: Home / Civil Rights / Women's Rights / The War On Women / AP’s @BenFellerDC Dutifully Reports Romney Lie About Stance on Abortion Ban

AP’s @BenFellerDC Dutifully Reports Romney Lie About Stance on Abortion Ban

by Imani Gandy (ABL)|  August 25, 20122:13 pm| 31 Comments

This post is in: The War On Women, Vagina Outrage, Women's Rights Are Human Rights, Blatant Liars and the Lies They Tell, Our Failed Media Experiment

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Women need the media to be better at its job.

Look. If you’re going to be a journalist, you are required to provide facts. When dealing with a liar of a candidate like Mitt Romney, if you report his stated position on an issue without examining all of the other stances he has taken on that very same issue, then you are not doing your job.

To wit, Ben Feller, White House correspondent for AP is not doing his job:

Obama alluded to the provocative issue of abortion, suddenly thrust to the fore this week when Republican Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin said the female body has a way to “shut that whole thing down” when a woman is the victim of “legitimate rape.”
The Republican platform in Tampa calls for a ban on abortion with no specific exceptions for rape or other circumstances. Obama predicted that a President Romney would not “stand in the way” if Congress gave him a bill that stripped away women’s control over their reproductive health.

Romney is on record, however, as not opposing abortion in cases of rape and incest or if it will save the mother’s life.

Polling shows social issues such as abortion represent perhaps Obama’s best opportunity to draw support from Romney. Obama already holds a broad lead as the candidate more trusted to handle those social issues among Democrats and independents. The issue is one of Romney’s biggest vulnerabilities among moderate and liberal Republicans.

Romney is on record as not opposing abortion in cases of rape and incest — as of this week. But for the past five years, Romney is on record as supporting an Eggs Are People Too (“Personhood”) Amendment.

Knowing as you do, Mr. Feller, that abortion represents Obama’s opportunity to draw support from Romney, and knowing as you must that Romney’s abortion views have severe repercussions for the personal bodily autonomy of half the population in this country, why do you do your readers a disservice by failing to accurately report Romney’s stance on abortion?

[read full post at ABLC]

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Reader Interactions

31Comments

  1. 1.

    JPL

    August 25, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Romney no longer recognizes the truth and the media dare not use the word lie. Al Gore must be shaking his head.

  2. 2.

    Villago Delenda Est

    August 25, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    The AP? Actually report truth that damages Dubya Mittens Rmoney?

    Next you’ll be telling me that wishes are horses!

  3. 3.

    Professor

    August 25, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    But women will vote for Romney because he is …..

  4. 4.

    Kevin

    August 25, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    How does one write “Romney is on record as…” and follow it with any conceivable string of words describing a political position without noting that Romney has held some other position in the past and will likely do so again in future?

  5. 5.

    Citizen Alan

    August 25, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    why do you do your readers a disservice by failing to accurately report Romney’s stance on abortion?

    Because his obligation is not to his readers but to his employers who will benefit personally from a Romney Presidency. SAFSQ.

  6. 6.

    Both Sides Do It

    August 25, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    What Kevin said. In general the “politician is on record stating . . . ” is a lazy and content-less journalistic trope, since it’s merely playing the stenographer and doesn’t provide any context or analysis to actually, y’know, understand what’s going on.

    But Jeezum Crepes to apply that trope to Etch-A-Mitt is either conscious disregard for the well-being of your readers or a level of stupidity which is grounds for termination.

  7. 7.

    GregB

    August 25, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    He’s just Feller-ating Romney.

  8. 8.

    General Stuck

    August 25, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    Reminds me of the truly asinine interview from Anderson Cooper on DWS the other day. That he kept apologizing throughout as having to make a pedantic ass out of his self on the meaning of is is bullshit, cuz it was his job to be a tedious jackass, or something.

    Oblivious to the fact that Mitt Romney, at one time or another, has stated all positions on abortion that exist, as his own, depending. Not to mention the same on most other issues, other than abortion.

    And also oblivious to the fact that Romney approved the wingnut position platform as A-okay, with its knuckle dragging dogma on all abortion needing to be made illegal. Everywhere.

  9. 9.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    August 25, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    Romney:

    Corporations = People? Check.

    Embryos = People? Check.

    People = People? Not so much. (Unless very rich)

  10. 10.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    August 25, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est: “Next you’ll be telling me that wishes are horses!”

    Oh but they are! And tax-deductible, too! ask Ann.

  11. 11.

    Eric k

    August 25, 2012 at 2:56 pm

    Any phrase that starts “Romney is on record…” is meaningless because you can find Romney on the record on at least 3 sides of every issue.

    All that matters s what is in the current Republican platform because that is what he will impliment.

  12. 12.

    scav

    August 25, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    Romney is on record pretty much captures his eternal spinning and then singing something entirely different on the next track.

  13. 13.

    Joseph Nobles

    August 25, 2012 at 3:08 pm

    Neil Armstrong has died, according to NBC News. He was 82.

  14. 14.

    JPL

    August 25, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Here’s the transcript..

  15. 15.

    arguingwithsignposts

    August 25, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    It does not matter what liberal/progressives do in this country. The hide-bound idiots who believe the earth is 6000 years old will fight tooth and nail to claw back every inch of progress ever made, and are happy to burn down the country in the process. Hell, they’re doing it all over the world with austerity.

    Can someone can come up with a way to stop the rear-guard action against progress already made?

    ETA: I know the arc of history bends toward justice, but so much damned energy is expended to keep the bend, it’s like a damned tug-of-war.

  16. 16.

    Redshift

    August 25, 2012 at 3:19 pm

    Obama predicted that a President Romney would not “stand in the way” if Congress gave him a bill that stripped away women’s control over their reproductive health.
    __
    Romney is on record, however, as not opposing abortion in cases of rape and incest or if it will save the mother’s life.

    Even worse, those two statements do not contradict each other. “Not opposing,” even it it remained true after the election, or even next week, does not remotely mean “supporting” or that wind-sock Mittens would do anything to stand in the way. Obama’s statement remains a very accurate prediction, and pretending that Romney’s “position” contradicts it is deliberately misleading.

  17. 17.

    mazareth

    August 25, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    Everything you say is true ABL, but Paul Ryan has great abs. He’s so so dreamy! How can you resist those baby blues of his!

    Sqeeee!

    BTW, you sounded like you about to essplode on Hal’s show today. Your segment ended just in time.

    You need your own show or podcast.

  18. 18.

    Maude

    August 25, 2012 at 3:22 pm

    @arguingwithsignposts:
    I’m hoping Issac gives us a start.

  19. 19.

    jon mcnally

    August 25, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    Start Here…

    Feedback, Corrections and Other Requests
    AP welcomes feedback and comments from readers. Send an email to [email protected] and it will be forwarded to the appropriate editor or reporter. Remove any attachments, including email signatures, company logos and disclaimers, to ensure that we receive it.

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    August 25, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I’m also guessing that Feller is one of those dudes who hasn’t thought through all of the implications of a “personhood” amendment and doesn’t realize it would do things like ban IUDs along with most forms of the birth control pill.

    IOW, he thinks it’s just another wacky manifestation of anti-abortion feeling that no one in Manhattan pays attention to, like parental notification laws, and doesn’t realize how far-reaching the right wing wants these laws and amendments to be. Or, more likely, his salary prevents him from understanding it.

  21. 21.

    arguingwithsignposts

    August 25, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    @jon mcnally:

    Send an email to [email protected] and it will be forwarded to the appropriate editor or reporter. Remove any attachments, including email signatures, company logos and disclaimers, to ensure that we receive it.

    I know why they have that sentence there, but it’s not like they couldn’t have a damned submission form on their web site. It is the 21st century.

  22. 22.

    Mnemosyne

    August 25, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    ETA: I know the arc of history bends toward justice, but so much damned energy is expended to keep the bend, it’s like a damned tug-of-war.

    I’m feeling pedantic today (which makes it different than any other day how, exactly?) so I would actually say that the majority of the energy is expended in preventing the bend. It just doesn’t feel like it to you right now because that energy has been building since about 1968 or so.

  23. 23.

    arguingwithsignposts

    August 25, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    I would actually say that the majority of the energy is expended in preventing the bend.

    And since I am also in a pedantic mood, I would point out that I didn’t reference the relative amount of energy spent on either side of the equation. :)

    Also, “It just doesn’t feel like it to you right now because that energy has been building since about 1968 or so.” – I’d say you’re off by at least a few decades.

  24. 24.

    Mnemosyne

    August 25, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    Also, “It just doesn’t feel like it to you right now because that energy has been building since about 1968 or so.” – I’d say you’re off by at least a few decades.

    Given that the NAACP was founded in 1909, you’re probably right. :-)

  25. 25.

    Triassic Sands

    August 25, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Covering Romney would be a thankless job. How can anyone believe anything he says? Nothing he says can be relied on to not change tomorrow if the political winds shift.

  26. 26.

    Hill Dweller

    August 25, 2012 at 4:00 pm

    I love how the President keeps calling Ryan an articulate spokesman for Willard’s vision, and the architect of the Republican party’s policies. It prevents Willard from pretending to be moderate, and weds the craziness in the party to both him and Ryan.

  27. 27.

    AHH onna Droid

    August 25, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    Ot: John and Imani and Doug and Kay and Betty: I want to thank you and this blog for providing me with validation amidst the lightless void of ignorance. For months in this campaign I have begun to perceive more and more the ugly gestalt of white supremacy. I has always thought that such things were in the past except for a few inbred Idaho cultists. I was wrong. But as I put a name to this feeling I felt alone. Bless you juicers for making the obscure clear and providing a safe space to tell the truth about America.

    What woke me up? The reaction to Trayvon’s murder and the cover up. The outburst of hatred was my matthew Shepherd moment. I finally understand what that was like for straight ppl.

    I still ponder the great, unanswered question? What’s in white supremacy for any white person not in the 99%? Doesn’t it amount to signing up for anger, resentment, disappointment, and paranoia daily?

  28. 28.

    Mnemosyne

    August 25, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    @AHH onna Droid:

    What’s in white supremacy for any white person not in the 99%? Doesn’t it amount to signing up for anger, resentment, disappointment, and paranoia daily?

    IMO — you call it anger, resentment, disappointment, and paranoia, but they call it the thing that makes them superior to Those People no matter how little money they have or how sucky their lives are.

    As I’ve pointed out before, what white supremacy meant was that even the poorest, most broken-down white sharecropper could force an educated black dentist to move off the sidewalk and into the horseshit-filled street to let the white man pass. Because that sharecropper might be poor, he might be uneducated, his life might suck in a million ways and he might only have two teeth in his head, but he was inherently better than an educated, richer man based solely on his skin color.

    That’s what people don’t want to give up. And I say this as a white person.

  29. 29.

    Beauzeaux

    August 25, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    @Mnemosyne: You got it.

    Every white person benefits from racism — even if you don’t WANT to benefit. When you go into a store, they don’t automatically assume you’re a thief. You’re not stopped and frisked on the grounds of being “furtive.” (see: NYPD). There is no Driving While White penalty. The neighbors are considerably less likely to call the cops when you’re seen entering your own home. (See: Gates, H.L.)
    Of course, as a human in this world, all people have their woes, but white people are not subject to a hundred daily indignities based solely on skin color.

  30. 30.

    Hill Dweller

    August 25, 2012 at 4:39 pm

    @Mnemosyne: If you can stomach it, watch a Willard/Ryan rally.

    Ryan warms up the crowd by repeatedly citing the then Sen. Obama’s quote about ‘clinging to guns and God’. Whipping up the tribalism.

    Willard comes on and stokes even more anger with the welfare lies.

    It is non-stop racial resentment. Obama is ‘other’. Obama is stealing your money and giving it to blah people. Obama hates white people.

  31. 31.

    ralph wiggums

    August 25, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    apparently you can’t klll corporations ’cause they are people too. Just like soylent green.

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