Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus sought to help distance Mitt Romney from the GOP’s farthest-right abortion platform in an appearance on Jansing & Co. Tuesday.
The RNC’s official platform will include, for the third presidential election in a row, a call for a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion with no exception listed for cases of rape and incest and provide Fourteenth Amendment rights to “unborn children.” CNN, which first reported the news based on draft language of the RNC platform it received, noted it will also include opposition to embryonic stem cell research and a push to support the mandatory waiting periods prior to an abortion that some states have enacted.
“This is the platform of the Republican Party. It’s not the platform of Mitt Romney,” Priebus said. “We’re a proud pro-life party.”
In the wake of Rep. Todd Akin's inflammatory comments on rape and abortion, Mitt Romney issued a statement Monday promising that his administration would be pro-life but allow for abortion in cases of rape. His running mate Paul Ryan is decidedly anti-abortion and supported "personhood" measures in the past.
Priebus has already joined his fellow GOP leadership in condemning the false remarks of congressman Akin. Monday night he suggested that Akin should “step aside and let someone else run” for the Missouri Senate seat this fall. “
“We all followed Mitt Romney’s lead yesterday,” Priebus said. “I think you saw complete and total unity on the Republican side of the aisle yesterday as to Akin.”
But in terms of how the GOP would have answered the original question put to Akin—would you allow abortion in the case of rape—Priebus noted those “details” vary by party member.
“As far as the details of some of these things, like an exception for rape or the life of the mother, these are not uncommon differences that candidates have,” he said.
Asked by host Chris Jansing whether or not such a hardline view on abortion was impacting Republicans’ ability to court women voters, Priebus countered that he believes the party’s anti-abortion stance is an asset.
“I don’t really buy the fact that the pro-abortion stance means that you’re pro-women,” he said. “I believe most women are pro-life, so I think the pro-life position is a positive for us with women.”
While a recent Gallup poll showed that more Americans’ personal views have become more anti-abortion in recent years (50%, 2012), a whopping 77% of Americans believe abortion should remain a legal option for women. Fifty-two percent of those say it should be legal in some cases, 25% in all cases. Just 20% object to abortion in all cases.
Akin, who yesterday vowed to stay in the race, did not show for a scheduled Piers Morgan interview Monday night.
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This "pro-abortion" language used by the "pro-life" elements is rather an attempt to bash those who take a different position. Whenever I hear it used, my assumption is that the speaker is not looking for any serious conversation.
I do wonder how those running on the GOP ticket can get around the issue of what is stated in the Republican Platform (yes the same would apply to the Dems and their Platform). Seems that some men have very little ability to understand what they place in writing, until they hear it publically. I suspect that the reality is that some men would prefer that they continue to live as the dominating gender, over women. It is a pathetic position, and violates all reason in the 21st Century, but, in the end, they plan on sticking with it. For now, the GOP will hide all of their prejudice behind false outrage with Missouri GOP Rep. Todd Akin.
Think of it, maybe the best Democratic ads, against the GOP, may well be having a woman reading parts of the Republican Platform and the expressions of anger and outrage showing on her face.
With Governor Ultrasound Chairing the RNC platform committee, Romney would have to perform some Gabby Giffords' moves to get out of this. He'll wind up as Mr. Pretzel.
The disgusting thing is that the extreme right is not upset that they think women who are raped should be forced to carry a child of the person who victimized them, it is that they are only angry at one of their own for letting the cat out of the bag. I don't take offense to their opinoin that a fertilized egg is a human, I take offense to the idea that there are different levels of rape that are more or less severe. Just because a woman gives in when she is overpowered by a man rather than continuing to fight and be physically injured or killed doesn't make the emotional and mental damage any less severe. The only thing that is better if you allow yourself to be beat or murdered while being raped is that insensitive people (men and women) who have never been in the position will view what happened to you as "legitimate". I don't understand how the Republican Party can run on a platform of less regulation, less government when it comes to business, finance, guns etc. and more regulation when it comes to my body. I would like to know what Rep. Ryan and his wife use for birth control. They only have 3 children so unless they are using anything other than abstinence, the rythm method or physical barriers (condoms, dams, diaphragm etc.) why is it OK for them to use those methods but he wants to make it illegal for me to have my IUD. Mitt Romney's children used in vitro fertilization. This is just another example of elitism, it is OK for them to use it but it shouldn't be available to others. Taxes.....I pay my taxes and I want to be your leader and determine what and how muych tax you pay but I'm not going to divulge what, where or how I pay mine.......ELITISTS
All because someone is conceived by rape does make one any less a person. Why tear someone apart in the womb?
Stop the rapes and not the lives. If rapists don't fear God, they need to at least fear the law. Their cruelty and violence deserves a just punishment, death.