Just when you think the Teapublicans can’t sound like even more primitive, knuckle-dragging cavemen (and yes, I realize that’s an insult to all good Neanderthals, Cro Magnon, etc.) than they already do, along come the Todd Akins and Transvaginal Bobs of the world to prove you wrong. That’s right, according to crazy Pat Robertson’s soulmate, “good friend,” and student “Bobby” McDonnell, rape is just another “detail” in the debate over whether abortion should be legal in any cases whatsoever, including the most horrific. Of course, T-Bob’s not just being an theocratic/fundamentalist extremist (which he normally is very skillful at hiding), he’s also being wildly dishonest.
McDonnell’s view of the plight of pregnant rape victims appears to be par for the course in the contemporary GOP. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) recently referred to rape as simply one “method of conception.” Indeed, this may be because the Vice Presidential candidate and the broader Republican Party have consistently voted to limit access to abortion even for women who are victims of rape and incest.
Moreover, McDonnell’s interpretation of his platform language is misleading. As Stephanapoulous noted, the platform endorsed a Human Life Amendment “to make clear that the 14th Amendment’s protections apply to all unborn children.” As the 14th Amendment requires all persons receive equal protection under the law, the practical effect of the amendment would be to render any law that allowed for any abortion in any case unconstitutional. This includes state-level laws, which means McDonnell’s line that the rape exception would be left to Congress and/or the states is flatly false.
And just remember, this guy is a major Romney surrogate, supposedly on the “short list” for Romney’s VP pick. That really says it all.
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