Conservatives know they’re supposed to keep their real views on abortion and rape quiet, they’ve been told point blank to not say the word rape at all, and last election two candidates that should have sailed to election in the Senate lost because they could not keep their mouth shut about conservative pseudoscience and rape. But they’re still at it:
WaPo — “Before, when my friends on the left side of the aisle here tried to make rape and incest the subject — because, you know, the incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low,” Franks said. “But when you make that exception, there’s usually a requirement to report the rape within 48 hours. And in this case that’s impossible because this is in the sixth month of gestation. And that’s what completely negates and vitiates the purpose for such an amendment.”
Democrats on the committee, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), responded by pointing to similar comments made by then-Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) in his 2012 Senate campaign. Akin suggested that the female body can prevent pregnancy from occurring after a “legitimate rape” — a claim that is not backed up by scientific research and for which Akin apologized.
“I just find it astonishing to hear a phrase repeated that the incidence of pregnancy from rape is low,” Lofgren said. “There’s no scientific basis for that. And the idea that the Republican men on this committee can tell the women of America that they have to carry to term the product of a rape is outrageous.”
He later “clarified” — no doubt after getting his ass kicked behind closed doors — that he meant abortions sought after rape after 20 weeks are rare. Which is what in Franks’ harebrained ideology? A good reason to make to it illegal or something? Yeah, that makes all kinds of sense dude.
They’re still pitching that ugly pseudoscience that women can somehow magically control conception — but only when it’s rape. A legitimate rape, as opposed to all those fake rapes women are constantly making up?
Nothing says small government like forcing a woman to bear a rapists child with the full power of Der State. Speaking of small government, how’s that working out?
Daily Kos — The latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia paints a poor picture for one of the GOP’s top 2016 presidential pretenders, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Not only is Wisconsin one of just five states whose economy is expected to contract over the next six months, but it’s 49th out of 50. Only Wyoming clocks in worse.This is just the latest indicator of Wisconsin’s economic woes. The state ranks 44th in private sector job growth, and 5th worst in wage erosion. For a governor who made much of stealing Illinois jobs after their southern neighbor raised taxes, it is Illinois that is far outpacing it economically. In fact, Illinois is projected to be in the top 10 over the next six months. Every state above with a projected economic contraction is run b[y] a fellow Republican. Indeed, every single one of the bottom 10 is GOP governed. He’s in appropriate company.
Sounds like it’s going gangbusters. But not to worry! Scott Walker & Friends have a plan for j-j-j-jobs in Wisconsin … by which they mean more restrictions on women’s rights!
Democrats Press — Just yesterday, the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that if enacted would ban all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s health is at risk. Ahead of the vote, Rep. Trent Franks, a leading House conservative and sponsor of the amendment went as far as to say that pregnancies as a result of rape are ‘very low,’ echoing similar comments made last year by Missouri Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry made a surprise announcement by adding sweeping anti-abortion bills onto the agenda for a special legislative session, including one piece of legislation that could shut down 80% of Texas’s abortion clinics. And in Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker pledged to sign legislation into law that would force women to get a medically unnecessary ultrasound when considering an abortion. That’s a summary of one day’s efforts in today’s Republican Party.
Think of the jobs!?!
For anti-abortionists, the problem is that admitting any kind of common-sense exception to their desired goal of banning abortion would undercut their core argument that an embryo or fetus is equal to a human being in its rights. The fetus, they would say, doesn’t know its the product of rape, so why should it suffer? If they would just say that, it would at least be logically consistent with the rest of their real position, and they wouldn’t come off (as much) like misogynist gits.
They don’t want a real debate about abortion, that uses what they really think, because that would only speak to the most conservative portion of their base that wants all abortions banned, period. This is only 28% of Republicans, and 20% of all American adults, according to Gallup’s poll on abortion views. These few people that want all abortions banned are stuck in an ideological/religious position that doesn’t allow any compromises at all, no matter how reasonable those compromises would be to independent voters. That is what leads to their most idiotic statements, as they try to find excuses to chip away at abortion rights, rather than argue for the ban that they really want, but that neither the general public nor the courts would accept.
Also see :
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/06/13/is-it-a-godwin-if-its-accurate/
for the actual source of these Republicans claims about rape. I wonder if the Republicans like T. Akin are aware of their sources for their offensive claims? If not then why not and, if so, how can they not care and realise how it automatically makes such claims tainted. Then there’s the obvious flaws in the methodology as pointed out in the very first comment there by tigtog.
After Akin & Mourdock went down in flames last year, presumably all anti-choice politicians know this rape=contraception schtick costs them plenty with voters.
Yet they persist in not only believing it, but speaking it.
Oddly, this gives me (a little) hope: an urge for telling the truth (as they misunderstand it) still persists in this strand of their movement – unlike, say, the GOP corporate factions. Though the top leadership of the anti-choice effort will lie like a Bush at every opportunity, some among their sheeple (including Rep. Franks, it appears) still have an urge to say what they really believe.
By itself, this doesn’t make enough of a bridge to bring them over to the reality-based community, but possibly a few individuals may get close enough to make the leap.
I didn’t know the statute of limitations was lowered to 48 hours on rape. Also, fuck them and their victim shaming, then trying to force a short reaction time where no significant counseling could be achieved.
Hmm, I could see how this is logical given pregnancies vs single incidents of reported rape. However… these douchebags tend to think that the only rape that exists is done by the creepy loaner who preys on random strangers in dark alleys and parks.
So yea…