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Gop Platform Committee – No Abortion In Cases of Incest and Rape
Even as Mitt Romney sought to quash the furor surrounding Todd Akin’s “legitimate” rape comments, the Republican platform committee here approved an abortion plank that includes no exemptions for rape, incest or even to save the life of the mother.
The platform committee instead approved draft language Tuesday, calling for a “Human Life Amendment” that gives legal protection to the unborn. Democrats quickly labeled the GOP language the “Akin Plank,” referring to the Missouri Senate candidate’s statements that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant.
The full committee later passed a measure opposing the FDA approval of drugs like RU-486, which North Carolina representative Mary Summa called “an abortion pill.” The platform would now effectively prevent the sale of “any drug that terminates life after conception.”
Not everyone liked the idea.
“In light of the recent comments by Congressman Todd Akin,” said Alabama platform representative Jacqueline Curtiss, “and in an attempt to reaffirm to the American people the party’s sensitivity on the subject of rape, I believe that we should not support an amendment which opposes approval of a method that has been proven effective in preventing the pregnancy of rape victims.”
She wound up on the losing end of the vote. It was the only time Akin was mentioned by name during two days of platform committee meetings.
“Republicans are hellbent on turning back the clock for women in America — today they’ll vote to make government force a woman impregnated during a rape to carry that pregnancy to term,” EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock said in a statement. “The days of small government are long gone in the GOP.”
Johnny Freedom
August 22nd, 2012
Why oh why are they falling into the leftist trap of talking about something other than an important, urgent issue (economy)? This is just empty talk to try and sway people who won’t be voting for the communist anyway.
SgtZim
August 22nd, 2012
How about mandatory gender reassignment + life sentences for the rapists. That ought to slow that problem down pdq.
CrustyB
August 22nd, 2012
Exactly, Johnny. Focus on less than 1% of abortions while the Democrats are ruining 100% of America with the theft and slavery of Socialism.
Ricky
August 22nd, 2012
you would think with the RNC right around the corner that there would be more coverage about it on here.
for example: this last weekend, someone decided to vandalize a Republican billboard ad in my town and Tampa is 75 miles up the road from me.
Yesterday, they found Anonymous 99 graffiti spray painted on a wall housing the top of an elevator shaft, right near some bricks and metal pipes on the same rooftop in Tampa.. along the parade route.
Did I mention the plans that are now in effect for the tropical storm/ hurricane thats on it’s way?
your missing all the action!
hanoverfist
August 22nd, 2012
My mom is 80.
Shes wondering who NOT to vote for this time.
The party that wants to tell women what they cant do with thier bodies,
or the one that wants to make her pay for someone elses birth control.
I tend to agree with her.
Both choices are starting to suck.:-(
Rightwingfeather
August 22nd, 2012
Why must we do this election after election. We shoot ourselves in our foot. We appear to be uncaring, and uncompromising about an issue that affects very few people.
No exceptions? In case of a brutal rape? In the case of a mother’s life in danger? Really? We really are stupid. That hanger image just got a bit more scary for women.
We have the potential to lose something we barely have a grasp of now. How about for ONCE the fricken Rebuplicans compromise on this issue? We compromise on a helluva lot of other things.
And dont come at me with pro choice crap. I am not pro choice. I am pro using your fricken brain. I just can see that we as a country stand to lose a bit more here than the abortion argument.
And really in the long run will lose a lot more babies to abortion. Think about that.
Jaynie59
August 22nd, 2012
Boy, do I hate being right all the time;)
Conservatives need to stop talking about this. Now. You cannot win this argument and it will end up costing us the election if this keeps going. People are simply too stupid to understand why the no exception rule is the only valid position anyone who claims to be pro-life can take.
I’m an ex-liberal and one of the many reasons why I’m an EX is that I went through menopause, can no longer get pregnant, so don’t give a shit about it anymore. It’s not personal for me anymore. But it is personal for anyone it does affect and you can’t reason with people who have a personal stake in the argument.
But when I did argue about it, from a pro-abortion position, the first thing I would try to do is get a pro-lifer to admit an exception should be made for rape and incest. That’s a liberal tactic and it works ALMOST every time. It is shockingly easy to get someone who claims to be pro-life to cave at the mention of rape and incest. Why do you think liberals use it? Because it works.
Once you cave on that you are no longer pro-life. You are now pro-choice. You cannot separate the choice to get pregnant from the choice to stay pregnant. When it comes to incest, well, that’s got both choice and medical problems behind that argument. Perfect. If you make an exception in the case of incest then you can’t argue against any abortion for birth defects.
The only pro-lifers I have any respect for are those who DON’T make exceptions at all. A life is a life and the baby is not responsible for the circumstances for its conception so if you really are pro-life then you can’t make any exceptions. Then you are standing on principle.
As far as the life of the mother goes, that wording has to be there because, again, a life is a life. The “health” of the mother has already been proven to be a loophole to allow abortion on demand for any reason a doctor can be paid to come up with.
dba...vagabond trader
August 22nd, 2012
We have every possible argument to send the commie entourage back to Chitown and this is where Rs go?
Behold, the result of American education.
Xavier
August 22nd, 2012
I’m having some trouble reconciling these two statements. It’s almost like someone’s not telling the truth.
“…the Republican platform committee here approved an abortion plank that includes no exemptions for rape, incest or even to save the life of the mother.” – Politico
“We have a general plank in there that affirms our belief in the God-given right to life,” McDonnell said. “The specifics are generally left up to states. This is a reaffirmation of principles that we’ve held true for some 20, 30 years now.” – McDonnell
super toe
August 22nd, 2012
I must be in the minority here but I am glad the RNC took this position. I am in full support of protecting innocent life, in all cases.
Katechon
August 22nd, 2012
Maybe we should have a debate about the awesomeness of Xavier!
—Awesome, or —totally awesome?
Hmmmm….
But seriously : those idiotic socialist don’t understand the mobility of sovereignty : from the mother, to the couple, to the extended circle of families and friends, to local authorities, etc…… it’s far away enough from the Supreme Court and from the Oval Office that it’s irrelevant to a presidential campaign!
Jaynie59
August 22nd, 2012
Xavier, Politco is lying. The new platform is not up yet, they still have the 2008 platform on the GOP website so I can’t prove it’s lie but I know it’s a lie.
The “life of the mother” will always be included as the only exception true pro-lifers allow. Oh, liberals don’t believe it for second. There are far too many wack job religious nuts who spew their ideas all over the internet about how the baby should always come before the mother’s life, but they really are fringe nuts.
Ronald Reagan learned the hard way that any language that says the “health” of the mother is an invitation to abortion on demand. When he was Governor of California he signed a bill that he thought would strengthen anti-abortion laws. But it ended up doing the opposite because the Democrats inserted language that allowed an exception for the “health” of the mother. He never made that mistake again and savvy pro-lifers know better than to ever allow it in any law in the future. But they will always include the “life of the mother”.
Katechon
August 22nd, 2012
Each day the MSM and the campaigns talk about abortion in cases of rape/incest is a very very BAD day for Mittens.
Stirrin the B.S.
August 22nd, 2012
@Xavier – I just re-read that statement and I tend to agree with you. If it’s not a typo, then the Repubs are saying we value the life of the baby above ALL else, including the life of the mother.
If that is correct, then they stepped in it big time. I have a daughter who was born with a serious congenital heart defect. After many surgeries, pace makers and regular monitoring, she has grown to an adult woman and is even pregnant with our first grandchild.
I give you that background because pregnancy is a high-risk condition for a woman with her heart condition. The blood flow increases 40% and puts an enormous strain on her heart.
The doctors have repeatedly told her throughout the term that the life of the mother comes before the life of the baby.
Now I suppose that is a “choice”, but they are saying that “we want Mom to live another day to possibly have another chance at adopting, if not bearing, children”. Rather than the alternative, which is that the baby lives, but has no mother to raise it. Which makes more sense?
CrustyB
August 22nd, 2012
You’re either pro-life or you’re not. If you believe a human being is a human being before birth you can’t make exceptions based on the criminal record of the father.
“Abortion is murder!”
“I’m pregnant because I was raped.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Go ahead and have the little shaver ripped the shreds then.”
shotwell
August 22nd, 2012
I’m waiting for the politician that will say, ” It’s none of my business”. “Why do you ask”? When it comes to rape. You have a crime repaired with a crime. Boy do I hate this subject.
Stirrin the B.S.
August 22nd, 2012
@Crusty – what about the mother’s life?
Xavier
August 22nd, 2012
@CrustyB
Raped? We need to see a copy of the Police Report. You didn’t file one? Hello, Mommy!
Katechon
August 22nd, 2012
Exceptions is immanent to LIFE, you intempestive stone-throwers.
Without divine exception, the Virgin Mary would have been stoned to death.
Same for Magdalen.
Katechon
August 22nd, 2012
All this problem would be moot if we were remembering the divine principle of subsidiarity.
Bad Brad
August 22nd, 2012
I CANNOT believe the Repubs are this freaken stupid to get sucked into, or start, this debate at this time.
Billy Fuster
August 22nd, 2012
I’m totally for liberals killing their offspring.
Gina
August 22nd, 2012
this whole thing is like watching an episode of Looney Toons where Sylvester puts a lampshade on his head and rolls his tongue out like a red carpet…
moarkdave
August 22nd, 2012
Jeeesh I hate this topic. We all have opinions on the subject and there is so much grey in between area that it is so messy. One side make it legal in all cases vs. the other side of none under any circumstance. Most people actually have views in the grey middle area.
Personally, I think it is a State/Local issue and needs to be decided there and left out of the national politics. Let the citizens in each state (and county) decide what they want.
If the Republicans do not stop this topic, it will derail them and hurt not only Romney but the Senate and House elections also. We can not afford to lose any elections this go round. Run on policy and the economy and get Obama and the rest of the criminals out of Washington.
listingstarboard
August 22nd, 2012
Ugh here we go again. I am a fiscal Conservative but more liberal about social issues–I believe the individual has the right to choose what he/she does with their body, sorry. I abhor the idea of abortion but do not think you can change the primitive mentality and lack of regard for human life in some people by making abortion illegal. Way to play right into the hands of the Sandra Flukes.
Team TEA
August 22nd, 2012
Social issues like abortion, gay marriage, etc. have NO place on a Federal agenda or campaign platform at all. LET THE STATES (you know, those 57 things Obama hates) — their own residents — DECIDE. Then we will be on our way back towards freedom.
Xavier
August 22nd, 2012
This is a totally contrived issue. The GOP hasn’t been tricked into a response on anything – they vote on their plank every election cycle and merely affirmed the same beliefs they’ve had for decades.
Politico is trying to link the GOP plank vote and the Akin fiasco to Romney a with a disinformation campaign aka lies and bullshit.
Czar of Defenestration
August 22nd, 2012
WHY THE F*CK isn’t the NATIONAL AGENDA on this:
GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE HELL OUT OF IT
and let each State determine what’s best for them?!?
The GOP does NOT “thirst for death”:
they look at an exposed landmine like a child and
say to themselves, “let’s play jumprope here!”
Bad Brad
August 22nd, 2012
The GOP is like that stupid fat guy when you were a kid. Look, your shoes untied. Falls for it every time.
serfer62
August 22nd, 2012
The platform committee can didate that oranges are illegal…so what. The GOP candidate can take all, none or some of the platforms.
IT’S NO BID DEAL!
Referance Adkins. This November the choice will be
1) McCaskill
2) Adkins
pick ONE
The issue is just as silly as screeching about a platform proposel
RosalindJ
August 22nd, 2012
I’m going to need dental work from clenching my jaw. Between now and 2016, there has to be a clean sweep of the GOP. If they really do make this ‘a plank’, and state it as it’s written in the post, it would be like complaining about a wonky TV while the house is ready to collapse from termite infestation. Not trying to minimize the topic, but it’s an ancillary one to this election.
serfer62
August 22nd, 2012
Roselind…get a grip.
Platform planks are NOT binding on the candidate.
Romney can pick all, some or none of the planks. He’s not that stupid
Lowell
August 22nd, 2012
When the liberals see this topic arise in the midst of their enemies, they rejoice. It’s more disrupting than them saying “I phucked your mother”, and that being, in fact, true.
Chuck U Farley
August 22nd, 2012
@serfer – I’ll pick the diet over McCaskill