Posted on 08/23/2012 1:26:20 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Democrats are trying to use Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin's bizarre and offensive comments about rape and pregnancy to smear GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. And many journalists are playing along.
According to Chris Good of ABC News:
>>>Now with Akin making headlines, Democrats will seek to tie Ryan to the Missouri congressman by highlighting social-issues legislation on which they've partnered.
Akin and Ryan cosponsored a 2011 bill, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, that would redefine rape as "forcible rape," narrowing the scope of what's considered rape in cases of abortion.<<<
The ABC journalist reports as fact the claim that the bill would "redefine rape" and narrow "the scope of what's considered rape in cases of abortion." But ABC provides no evidence to support this claim. The intent of the word "forcible" was to prevent taxpayer-funding of abortions in the case of statutory rape--i.e. when a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old have consensual sex, which no one thinks is the moral or legal equivalent of forced sex.
By all indications, the longstanding interpretation of the Hyde amendment's exception that allows Medicaid to pay for abortion in the case of rape has always excluded "statutory rape." The word "forcible" wouldn't have "redefined" rape--it was simply an attempt to codify this longstanding interpretation of the Hyde amdendment. Because the word appeared to be redundant and gave Democrats the opportunity to smear pro-life Republicans, it was dropped from the bill.
The ABC reporter fails to note is that the word "forcible" was removed from the final text of the bill. Has there ever been so much furor over one word in a bill that was never voted on?
The "No Taxpayer-Funding for Abortion Act" was not an extreme piece of legislation--it had 11 Democratic cosponsors and passed the House 251 to 175. If Democrats want to smear Paul Ryan with the false claim he tried to "redefine rape," they must also argue that those 11 Democrats, including Indiana Senate candidate Joe Donnelly, tried to "redefine rape."
In reality, it's Barack Obama's support for taxpayer-funding of abortion that's deeply unpopular. According to one Quinnipiac poll, 72 percent of Americans oppose taxpayer-funding of abortion. When will Obama have to answer questions about his extremism on abortion?
Barack Obama on Abortion "...............On March 30, 2001, Obama was the only Illinois senator who rose to speak against a bill that would have protected babies who survived late term labor-induced abortion. Obama rose to object that if the bill passed, and a nine-month-old fetus survived a late-term labor-induced abortion was deemed to be a person who had a right to live, then the law would "forbid abortions to take place." Obama further explained the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not allow somebody to kill a child, so if the law deemed a child who survived a late-term labor-induced abortion had a right to live, "then this would be an anti-abortion statute." ..................
In criminal stautes in most states there are at least 2 rapes defined.
Rape or forcible rape and statutory rape. Least there were listed that way when I worked LEO and Corrections.
This is a NON-ISSUE that the Dems and the Media are using to deflect attention away from Obamas failure as the president.......
Tune it out. Desperate plays by desperate people. The left is scared to death of Ryan. He can cut through their bullshit like a razor blade, and come out clean. The left is showing their hand every time they attack him. It’s the sign of fear.
Outside of MO, only political junkies are aware of this who situation. This thing will die out. We’ll lose the MO Senate seat and have “Her thighness” for another 6 years but I think there are still enough seats in play that we’ll retake the Senate. This too shall pass.
....”The left is scared to death of Ryan. He can cut through their bullshit like a razor blade, and come out clean.”....
Turning this issue back on the Dems is key. They’re the extremists - he can highlight their positions - as Rush said, don’t step into the Dem/MSM trap — turn the tables, ask why the Obama/Dem position on partial birth abortion is not explored by the MSM - FOCUS the light on Obama/Dem unpopular abortion positions.
>> Democrats Falsely Claim Paul Ryan Tried to ‘Redefine Rape’
Definitely not “legitimate”.
He reminds me of Trent Lott here in Mississippi....for years, he bided his time, pretending to be a "Conservative Republican". Yet, at the precise moment he got the Senate Majority slot, he began doing things to help Democrats regain the Senate (don't forget that Lott began as a Democrat before conveniently switching to the Republicans in 1972).
“I'm no expert on rape—maybe you should ask Juanita Broaddrick.”
The meme would end.
>> statutory rape—i.e. when a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old have consensual sex, which no one thinks is the moral or legal equivalent of forced sex.
Except for the fact that Akin could in no way suggest that in defense of his effectively valueless “legitimate” qualifier.
The political reaction to Akin’s remarks is unforgivable. The hysteria only reinforces the unnecessary sense of the unspeakable.
Akin’s clumsy attempt to defend Life produced a national disgrace that objectified the issue of rape. Does anyone truly believe the man is indifferent to the heinous crime of rape?
His Offices will close for lack of funs.
He will resign by the 25th
Excellent info on this!
I could’ve used it yesterday as I was discussing the matter with a left winger. I pointed out the obvious and asked him where UN the bill is the redefinition and he fell silent. I did not know that 11 Dems cosponsored it though. Interesting.
UN = in
Ugh ... stupid small keypad.
I know, but with all that is on the line in this election (our very national existence), one would think the GOP would be able to FORCE Akin out.
With a solid chance to retake the Senate, it would be a travesty if we lost by one seat - Akin's.
Quick. Everyone start demanding the Romney dump Ryan and replace him With a liberal feminist. This election is too important to have an anti abortion conservative on the ticket. My God the media will smear Ryan and we can’t fight back.
Surrender now Ryan! Drop out for the sake of the GOP-e!
DUMP RYAN NOW!!!!!
Man, I hope you are right. It should die out. However, that moron Akin built a big bonfire that is gonna smolder for awhile.
It’s liberals who have redefined rape.
If a woman says yes yes yes all night but 48 hours changes her mind then she was raped.
This is what happened to Julian Assange in Sweden.
If he says an outrageously stupid myth is the truth then I would call for that. Wouldn’t you?
Are you insisting that every RINO that believes in Global Warming should be replaced or that we do a third party write in on RINO Warmists?
Akin is a conservative. There is statistical evidence and scientific theories have been postulated to support the position that victims of forcible rape have hormonal changes which can prevent the permanent implantation of a zygote which is the result of that act.
The problem is that the theory is not really scientifically provable in the absence of a study where women are deliberately raped in a scientific experiment.
However the evidence is there that the incidence of pregnancy from forcible rape is statistically low enough to postulate this theory. It is a much more scientific theory than the stupid global warming theory and the books haven't been cooked to support it.
To be direct: NO. I would not call for someone's resignation over a misstatement or a poorly explained statement.
I would call for their resignation, if, for example, they came out in favor of a gay military, gay adoption, or a gay boy scouts of America.
I’m not insinuating anything. I’m telling you in plain explicit English that you believe an outrageously stupid myth.
The statistics show that there is a statistically significant decrease in the presence of pregnancies following forcible rape. There is no way to scientifically determine the exact explanation. The fact is that events like this can cause significant hormonal imbalances in women as with any serious traumatic event. This could be the explanation. Another explanation could be prayer. The fact is that there is statistical evidence to show an anomaly. Akin's theory to explain that anomaly is as valid as anyone else's.
I am not willing to throw a man who has been fighting for decades for conservative causes and principles under the bus because he can't adequately explain a statistical anomaly that nobody else can. There have been scientific postulations as to the cause, but there is simply no scientific method to prove or disprove it.
Frankly I believe that the statistical anomaly may simply be that God intervenes in many cases in answer to intercessory prayer. But then I actually believe in God and believes that he intervenes in the lives of those who believe and pray to him.
This is rich...
The left is constantly co-opting and re-defining words in the English language to cover up the truth about their agenda.
“Liberal” is the biggest case in point.
Lately, “bullying” means something entirely different than most people have accepted it to mean.
I also believe in miracles but that is a COMPLETELY different topic.
Why are we so ashamed of our social positions? It seems to me that in a sane society Obama's social positions would be even more damaging to him than the state of the economy. But apparently all we want to talk about is money.
Do you believe in Hormones?
With so much involved, it seems to be both challenging to some, and at the same time, an easy situation for others to exploit.
THAT is what is on people's minds -- their empty pocketbooks, lost jobs, lost retirement nest eggs, their children and grandchildren saddled with impossible debt.
That's all we need to know. Once it is established that pregnancies after violent rapes happen at less frequency than pregnancies within relationships and/or with consent, then Akin has been affirmed.
The presence of the statistic indicates that we are dealing with no myth.
In fact, there's a real sense to the idea that couples in consenting relationships are more likely to become pregnant. That just makes sense.
That doesn't mean there are NO pregnancies after violent rape, but it does mean that SOMETHING accounts for a lower incidence of pregnancy.
Our Cino/Rino public talking heads, though, have thrown a good, solid, Christian conservative under the bus over one weak statement. Worse than with Christine O'Donnell, who THEY unrelentingly undercut, they are sacrificing a legislator with significant credentials and track record.
I'm thinking they don't want non-manipulable, Christian conservatives in their party. I'm extremely disappointed in Sarah Palin for the 2nd time in a year's span. The first is when she played coy far too long about not entering the race. Now, there's her self-defeating remarks about running a 3rd party candidate with no thought whatsoever to at least looking into a situation with a good man. She wouldn't toss her Todd under the dogsled; she shouldn't toss this Todd under the bus.
Abortion on demand (including "partial birth abortion," which is downright murder) isn't on people's minds? The fact that we're about to have "gay marriage" shoved down our throats in the name of a Hegelian unfolding of history isn't on our minds? The fact that it will soon be against the law to even believe homosexuality isn't morally wrong isn't on our minds?
Maybe we deserve the economic mess we're in. Maybe if we don't address our flouting the laws of G-d it's only going to get worse and there's nothing we will be able to do about it. Maybe if we repented like the citizens of Nineveh our economic punishment would be removed.
I'm worried about the economy too. Obama is not only destroying the producers but the so-called "moochers" so many social Darwinist FReepers love to hate are going to suffer from this administration's economic policies. But there's such a thing as priorities. And ours are all screwed up.
Sir - It ALL is important. However, if this president and his ilk get their way and destroy the middle class — the foundation and all its moral underpinnings will be in a heap of hurt. I think we can walk and chew gum. By reporting the truth about why people are going to go to the polls, I am not diminishing (nor are they) the important moral threads that make America great.
That doesn’t mean there are NO pregnancies after violent rape,
Exactly. There was NO CONCEIVABLE reason to go down the path this fool did. It is completely irrelevant.
I’d throw him under the bus because through nobody’s fault but his own he went from the favorite to down 10 point.
That doesn’t mean there are NO pregnancies after violent rape,
Exactly. There was NO CONCEIVABLE reason to go down the path this fool did. It is completely irrelevant.
I’d throw him under the bus because through nobody’s fault but his own he went from the favorite to down 10 point.
I would be willing to bet that nearly every obstetrician and gynecologist would advise their patients to avoid stressful situations and traumatic events while pregnant because it can cause miscarriages.
Additionally I would bet that most physicians who are counseling their female patients who want to get pregnant would strongly advise theor patients to avoid the same type of stressful situations and traumatic events during those periods in which they are trying to conceive.
If, in fact, traumatic events can trigger miscarriages or otherwise interfere with the ability to conceive, which has been the standard medical opinion since the dawn of modern medicine, then Akin’s opinion on the issue is more valid than all of these uneducated Freepers who insist their is absolutely no causal correlation.
So what? Completele irrelevant to anything being discuses relative to Federal policy towards abortion.
I was sorely disappointed in Sarah Palin’s knee jerk response to Akin’s statement and her insistence that in the face of these Alinsky tactics to destroy him that he should step down as the nominee. How many RINOs insisted that she step down after her disastrous RINO inspired set up interview with Katie Couric. Palin is a hypocrite. But then all of us have been guilty of that sin. Let us hope she repents and later comes to Akin’s defense.
Palin of all people should know that you don’t jump on the MSM bandwagon when conservatives are being crucified.
"The ABC reporter fails to note is that the word "forcible" was removed from the final text of the bill. Has there ever been so much furor over one word in a bill that was never voted on?"
Sickening.
And since the relative rates of pregnancy from rape compared to sex in a loving relationship is so completely irrelevant to the topic of Federal Abortion Policy one naturally wonders what was in his mind to bring up such a ludicrous topic?
Well let me speculate. Since he, and you, believe it is virtually impossible to get pregnant from a rape due to the incredible stress that results from the heinous crime, it is logical to assume that when a woman DOES get pregnant, it must not have been all that stressful for her. That is, she must have secretly ENJOYED IT!.
That is a kick in the TEETH to any victim that is forced to go through this nightmare. ANd anyone who even hints at this deserves to be righteously condemened for even harboring such a thought.
The fact that so many Freepers are so easily manipulated. By the MSM and so fearful of social conservatives and their solid positions on the issue of life is frightening. It is a fear of defeat which drives them to surrender.
We surrendered on Romney even before the convention because we feared a defeat by Obama. Now we throw Todd Akins to the dogs because we fear the Feminazis and the possibility of a McCaskell Victory.
We deserve Obama and McCaskell. Let us pray God does not give us what we deserve.
It is so right that it will rain on their parade next week.
I cannot recall an election in my lifetime that the convention was so ho-hum to me. The GOP will select a anti-life, gun-grabbing, homosexualism loving, tax/fee raising, RomneyCare loving, big government advocating, social corporatist.
I doubt I’ll even watch a minute of it.
re: Outside of MO, only political junkies are aware of this who situation. This thing will die out
= = = = =
Not true. I saw references on ESPN on sports threads in football discussions. Thank you, Todd Akin.
That seat does not have to be lost. We know who can save it.
That seat does not have to be lost. We know who can save it.
_____________________________________________________________
And that would be whom? I’m asking because I really want to know.
Charles Henrickson is there and recommends Ann Wagner.
But my comment really was about Todd Akin saving the seat.....by leaving. There are other pro-lifers capable of beating McCasKILL - like Brunner and Steelman (Palin’s choice).
Trent Lott did the same thing. He was supposedly this big “Conservative”, but when it came nut-crunching time, he came out of deep-cover to sabotage the GOP for 10 years. Wonder if he got the call from “Telefon”?
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